Read the general business expansion overview
A Saint-Philippe company may propose an L-1B launch assignment with a salary forecast. Identify the evidence of financial ability and the real operating plan rather than treating the forecast itself as funds already available. The first review should produce a launch file that separates cash already available from forecast revenue, identifies the premises, and names the employee's qualifying foreign role. The decision is whether the U.S. office can begin operations and pay the worker during its first year, not whether the spreadsheet is optimistic.
Identify the resource supporting each commitment
Record the actual funding source, available evidence and business obligations relevant to the proposed employee and launch. Hypothetical example: a forecast assumes a contribution that is still only planned. Keep that assumption visible instead of describing it as received money or an unconditional resource. Hypothetical example: an airfield pavement-marking contractor forecasts a municipal contract but has not signed it or received the mobilisation deposit. The company must decide whether its bank evidence and signed commitments can support the launch without counting the forecast as cash.
Apply the new-office L-1B conditions
For U.S. doing business of less than one year, the case needs specialized knowledge, qualifying foreign employment, sufficient premises and financial ability to pay the employee and begin business. The continuous qualifying foreign year within the relevant three years, qualifying relationship and required international business need their own evidence. A financial forecast does not establish the employee’s knowledge or history. Verify the bank balance, credit terms, lease obligation and payroll commitment with documents that existed when the plan was made. The necessary decision is whether the resources are legally and practically available to begin business, rather than whether anticipated sales might eventually cover them.
Track what actually happens after the plan
Initial new-office approval is limited to one year and does not guarantee extension. Keep actual pay, activity and resource evidence distinct from the original assumptions. Owners or major stockholders also need temporary U.S. services and a subsequent foreign assignment. An L-1A proposal would require its own managerial or executive and first-year role assessment rather than borrowing the L-1B description. Keep each new-office element distinct: qualifying relationship, doing business abroad, the foreign employment year, specialized knowledge, premises and financial ability. The initial L-1B new-office period is limited to one year, so the company must decide early what operational evidence it will preserve for a later extension. Do not borrow an L-1A description for an L-1B filing. L-1A depends on managerial or executive duties and has a general seven-year cap, while L-1B depends on specialized knowledge and has a general five-year cap; the selected employee's records must match the route actually pursued.
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.