Read the general business expansion overview
A premises proposal should be assessed in the context of the business that will operate there. Identify the space secured, the rights to use it and the activities it can support. The new-office review considers premises alongside the company relationship, employment and proposed managerial or executive operation. A first review should produce a launch record tying the premises to the legal entity, planned activity, staffing, budget and the transferee's role. The transferee generally needs one continuous qualifying year abroad within the preceding three years, and the new office must be able to support a managerial or executive position within the first year. Hypothetical example: a vertical-farm irrigation company leases a small warehouse unit before hiring its U.S. technicians. The decision is whether the signed space, staffing timeline and operating plan can support the proposed managerial role rather than a hands-on launch job. L-1A stay is subject to a seven-year maximum, while L-1B stay is subject to a five-year maximum.
Describe the arrangement precisely
Hypothetical example: a Beaconsfield company proposes shared U.S. workspace for its launch. Explain what the agreement actually provides: dedicated or shared areas, permitted uses and access. Submit the genuine arrangement for review instead of presenting a mailing address as if it described the whole operating location. Match the lease, access terms, permitted use and floor plan to the activities described in the business plan. The decision is whether the present premises support the stated launch, not whether a future larger location might eventually do so.
Connect the space to the planned activity
Explain where staff would work, where services would be delivered and what resources the operation needs. If the plan anticipates moving later, distinguish current arrangements from the intended expansion. No universal office format answers every business case. The reviewer needs evidence explaining why the premises support the particular proposed operation. Tie each work location and resource to a dated hiring or service plan, including outsourced work. The decision is whether the facts explain how the operation starts and grows without implying that uncommitted future resources already exist.
Keep premises within the wider role assessment
Space alone does not show that the operation can support a managerial or executive role within the required first-year framework. Present the staffing, duties and financial plan together. Retain actual operating records as the business develops for any extension review, and document a change of location without rewriting the original history. Prepare a first-year month-by-month staffing and revenue record, then identify which duties leave the transferee as staff are added. The decision is whether the expected organization can support management or executive work before the initial new-office period ends.
What else is on your mind?
Does being a business owner or director qualify me for L-1A?What employment history should an L-1 transfer review cover?What makes a new-office L-1A case different?Why does an L-2 spouse’s admission record matter for work?Editorial source review: 2026-09-07. General preparation guidance, not an individual assessment.