Read the general business expansion overview
A new-office proposal should explain who performs work before and after the planned handoff. Separate the actual organization and role from a forecast that assumes all support will appear on schedule.
Identify current and proposed responsibilities
Hypothetical example: the transferee begins a U.S. operation and expects to delegate recurring services after initial orders. Describe the applicant’s duties, who will take over and what is already in place. Establish qualifying organizations and generally one continuous full-time qualifying foreign year within the relevant preceding three-year period. Registration alone does not establish doing business.
Apply the correct A or B launch requirements
For a U.S. organization doing business for less than one year, L-1A needs sufficient premises, required foreign managerial or executive employment and ability to support the intended managerial or executive role within one year of approval. L-1B requires qualifying specialized knowledge, sufficient premises and financial ability to pay the employee and begin doing business. Do not substitute a managerial handoff story for a specialist’s actual standard.
Record what the handoff achieves
Initial new-office approval is limited to at most one year. Retain actual operating, staffing and role evidence and explain material deviations from the submitted plan. A successful commercial transition does not automatically establish extension eligibility, and a delayed handoff does not itself extend permission.
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.