Read the general business expansion overview
A Sainte-Catherine company may outsource accounting, administration or other support during a U.S. launch. Identify what those arrangements actually cover and what the transferee will personally do before relying on them in an L-1A role description. A first review should map recurring work to the transferee, employee or outside provider, then identify the document proving the allocation. The individual must have completed one qualifying year abroad during the three years before the request. L-1A is generally subject to a seven-year maximum and L-1B to a five-year maximum. Decide whether the proposed role is primarily managerial or executive now, or the launch needs more structure first.
Describe the actual allocation of work
L-1A requires a primarily managerial or executive role. Identify the outsourced work, remaining operational duties and actual decision authority. A function manager manages an essential function rather than merely performing it. A vendor contract does not automatically prove that every routine task is delegated or that the applicant’s role is primarily managerial. Hypothetical example: an industrial rope-access training provider hires an outside administrator for invoices but expects the transferee to schedule every course, answer enquiries and recruit every instructor. The service agreement identifies what is delegated. The company must decide whether the remaining work describes management of an essential function or hands-on launch operations.
Apply the new-office conditions accurately
For an operation doing business in the United States for less than one year, assess the new-office requirements alongside the actual outsourcing plan. L-1A needs the qualifying continuous foreign managerial or executive year within the relevant three years, sufficient premises and evidence the U.S. role can be supported within one year. A specialized-knowledge L-1B proposal has its own qualifying employment requirement and needs sufficient premises and financial ability to pay the employee and begin business. Identify which work the provider covers and which launch resources remain the petitioner’s responsibility; outsourcing does not supply missing eligibility.
Retain the organization and actual-progress record
The qualifying corporate relationship and required international business remain necessary; registration alone does not establish doing business. Initial new-office approval is limited to one year, with actual evidence required for later extension assessment. Owners or major stockholders also need temporary U.S. services and subsequent foreign-assignment evidence. Keep the actual support scope and invoices consistent with the duties described.
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.