L-1A and L-1B support different roles within a qualifying multinational group. Start with the corporate relationship, overseas employment and the actual US assignment.
A role-by-role deployment plan, with leadership and specialist evidence assessed separately.
Distinct eligibility, documentation, application steps and FAQs for each route.
Transfer established leadership into a qualifying U.S. group company. L-1A can support an operating business or a new U.S. office, including semiconductor investment and supplier expansion, when the corporate relationship, overseas service and proposed management role are substantiated.
Established temporary work classificationRequirements, process & FAQsMove employees who hold demonstrable knowledge of a group’s products, technology or internal processes. For semiconductor manufacturers and suppliers, the assessment connects the employee’s specific knowledge to the U.S. assignment, training history and delivery model.
Established temporary work classificationRequirements, process & FAQsEB-1C allows a qualifying US employer to sponsor an executive or manager for permanent residence on the strength of a year of managerial or executive service with a related entity abroad. There is no labour-certification stage, but the corporate relationship, the overseas year and the substance of both roles are tested closely. It is often the permanent-residence counterpart of an L-1A assignment, though it is a separate petition with its own requirements.
Established first-preference immigrant classificationRequirements, process & FAQsH-1B allows a US employer to employ a person in a specialty occupation, meaning a role that requires at least a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in a specific field. Most new H-1B employment is subject to an annual numerical cap allocated through an electronic registration, which since the FY 2027 season has been weighted by wage level. The employer must first obtain a certified Labor Condition Application from the Department of Labor and then petition USCIS; the person's status depends on the employer, the role and the wage throughout.
Established temporary work classification, cap-controlledRequirements, process & FAQsTN classification implements the temporary-entry chapter of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. A Canadian or Mexican citizen with a prearranged professional role in one of the listed professions, and the qualifications that profession requires, may be admitted for up to three years at a time. There is no annual cap and no USCIS petition is needed for a Canadian applying at a port of entry, which makes TN one of the quickest employer-sponsored routes available, provided the profession and the role fit the list.
Established treaty-based temporary work classificationRequirements, process & FAQsEB-3 is the broadest employer-sponsored immigrant category. It covers skilled workers whose job requires at least two years of training or experience, professionals whose job requires a bachelor's degree, and a numerically restricted 'other workers' group. Every EB-3 petition rests on a labour certification from the Department of Labor obtained through the PERM process, which tests whether qualified US workers are available for the job at the prevailing wage. The route is methodical rather than fast, and its timing is governed by the Visa Bulletin.
Established third-preference immigrant classificationRequirements, process & FAQsA permanent labour certification is the Department of Labor's confirmation that there are not sufficient US workers able, willing, qualified and available for a job, and that employing a foreign national will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed US workers. It is a prerequisite for most EB-2 and EB-3 petitions. The process is employer-led, document-heavy and rule-bound: the wage is set by the government, the recruitment is prescribed, and the file must survive an audit years later.
Route mechanism: Department of Labor labour certification under 20 CFR Part 656Requirements, process & FAQsThe B-1 classification admits a person temporarily for legitimate business activities of a commercial or professional nature that do not amount to local employment or labour for hire. It covers consulting with business associates, negotiating contracts, attending conferences, litigation and independent research. It does not cover productive work for a US entity, and the line is tested at the consulate, at the port of entry and, increasingly, through employer compliance reviews. Nationals of Visa Waiver Program countries may carry out the same activities for up to 90 days with an ESTA instead of a visa.
Established visitor classification with strict limits on activityRequirements, process & FAQsStart with your objective, background and intended activity. WG can coordinate the next assessment and the appropriate professional input.