Read the general business expansion overview
A Saint-Amable company may have operated abroad for years before opening in the United States. Date the U.S. activity and the individual’s qualifying foreign employment separately; the foreign company’s age does not answer both questions. A first review should build three dated files: the foreign organization’s operations, the employee’s qualifying work, and the U.S. organization’s actual start. Hypothetical example: a specialty algae-cultivation supplier signs a U.S. lease after years abroad, but the transferee’s role changed from laboratory supervisor to company manager only recently. The decision is which dates and duties satisfy the category, not which company has the oldest brand.
Establish when the U.S. organization actually began doing business
The new-office framework concerns U.S. doing business for less than one year. Document the actual regular, systematic and continuous provision of goods or services, not merely registration or an address. An established foreign brand does not by itself prove that the U.S. operation has already been doing business for a year. Use leases, invoices, contracts, payroll, travel, and role records to locate the applicable dates. Plan extension evidence with the initial file, while keeping the one-year new-office period separate from the L maximum periods.
Establish the employee and category-specific evidence
Date the proposed transferee’s qualifying foreign year within the relevant three-year window. For new-office L-1A, that foreign work must have been managerial or executive; a longstanding employer does not prove it. The U.S. premises and first-year capacity to support the role also need evidence. For new-office L-1B, assess the actual specialized knowledge and qualifying employment, sufficient premises and financial ability to pay the employee and begin operations. Use leases, invoices, contracts, payroll, travel, and role records to locate the applicable dates. Plan extension evidence with the initial file, while keeping the one-year new-office period separate from the L maximum periods.
Retain the organization and extension conditions
The qualifying corporate relationship and required international business remain necessary. Initial new-office approval is limited to one year; extension planning needs evidence of actual operations and role. Owners or major stockholders also need temporary U.S. services and a subsequent foreign assignment. Keep the company chronology, employee chronology and approval period as separate records. Use leases, invoices, contracts, payroll, travel, and role records to locate the applicable dates. Plan extension evidence with the initial file, while keeping the one-year new-office period separate from the L maximum periods.
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.