Read the general business expansion overview
A Delson group may move an established U.S. operation to different premises and call it a new office internally. Assess the actual history of doing business instead of equating a new lease with the immigration definition. Build a dated operating file instead of relying on the label used in a lease or board minute. A first review compares the lease, launch activity, invoices, service records and payroll to determine whether regular business had already begun. Hypothetical example: An employer that restores railway signal relays leases a U.S. workshop and assigns a Canadian operations manager. The key decision is whether it is starting a new office or expanding an operation already doing business; customer invoices, work orders and service logs are more probative than the date on the new lease. Confirm separately that the transferee completed one qualifying year of employment abroad during the three-year period before the petition. L-1A stay cannot extend beyond seven years, while L-1B stay cannot extend beyond five years.
Reconstruct the operating history
The L new-office framework concerns less than one year of U.S. doing business. Identify actual regular, systematic and continuous provision of goods or services. A changed address does not by itself restart that history, and registration alone does not establish it. Put each event on a single timeline, including first sale and first service delivery. It prevents incorporation or storage dates from being mistaken for operating dates.
Use the appropriate evidence framework
Where the case qualifies as a new office, initial approval is limited to one year. L-1A needs sufficient premises, the qualifying continuous foreign managerial or executive year within the relevant three years and an operation supporting the qualifying role within one year of approval. Compare the proposed staffing plan with the manager’s actual tasks. A hiring chart is useful only if it explains who will perform the non-managerial work.
Do not replace the individual or group tests
The company relationship and required ongoing business abroad and in the United States still matter. L-1B needs specialized knowledge and qualifying foreign employment. For a new-office L-1B case, sufficient premises and financial ability to pay the person and begin business are also required. The new address alone does not establish any of those facts. Preserve evidence of the qualifying relationship and continuing foreign business through the filing period. A promising U.S. launch does not replace either record.
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.