IN THIS GUIDE · Explain which facts changed when the business was acquired
Start with the L-1A eligibility and application overview
Distinguish the entities from their trading names
Hypothetical example: the employer adopts the purchaser’s name while several legal entities remain in place. Identify the applicant’s actual employer and the proposed U.S. entity before and after closing. A shared logo does not establish the required ownership or control relationship. Hypothetical example: a commercial beekeeping-equipment manufacturer is acquired, but payroll remains with the former company for a transition period. The decision is which legal entity employed the manager on each date and which qualifying relationship exists when the petition is filed. Signed transaction papers, payroll records and ownership documents settle it.
Preserve the employment account across the transaction
Prepare the dates, duties and employing entities for the relevant foreign work. Have the effect of the transaction assessed rather than assuming every earlier period automatically counts or is automatically excluded. Keep executed documents distinct from proposed terms and identify who can verify older records. Use payroll, work-location records and contemporaneous job descriptions to test the continuous qualifying year rather than a retrospective summary alone.
Describe the real post-acquisition authority
Explain what the applicant would manage in the new group, which approvals remain with the parent and who performs operational work. A former owner may have different duties after a sale. Do not carry the earlier title or authority into the proposed U.S. description without checking the actual arrangement. The proposed organization chart, delegation records and descriptions of subordinate roles should show authority in practice, not merely a managerial title.
Coordinate review with effective changes
Identify when ownership, employment and responsibilities change and what remains conditional. Have material revisions assessed before relying on the transfer strategy. A commercial closing and an immigration decision are separate events; the purchaser’s target date does not authorize the applicant’s U.S. work. Make a date grid for earlier L admissions and time outside the United States before relying on the seven-year limit calculation.
Weigh managerial capacity against specialized knowledge first
A manager under L-1A supervises other supervisors or professionals, or manages an essential function at a senior level, and has authority over hiring and firing. The Canadian dealership and the U.S. location must be the same employer or a parent, branch, subsidiary or affiliate, and both must be active businesses at the time of filing. General foreign capacity can be managerial, executive or specialized knowledge, while new-office L-1A requires foreign managerial or executive service. For US doing business under one year, sufficient premises and support for the qualifying role within a year are required, and initial new-office approval is limited to one year. For a new office, premises, projected staffing and operational funding should be reviewed together, because a lease by itself does not demonstrate that the role can become managerial within the initial year.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.