Read the general business expansion overview
A launch agreement can describe genuine future resources without showing that they already exist. For a U.S. organization doing business for less than one year, assess the applicable new-office requirements using accurate stages and evidence.
Date the facts behind the launch
Hypothetical example: a group signs customer and staffing agreements with later performance dates. Identify actual regular, systematic and continuous provision of goods or services rather than treating incorporation alone as doing business. Establish the qualifying corporate relationship and generally one continuous full-time qualifying foreign employment year within the relevant preceding three years.
Match resources to the proposed A or B role
L-1A requires sufficient premises, qualifying foreign managerial or executive employment and capacity to support the U.S. 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 use a future management promise as the specialist’s standard or present planned employees as current staff.
Retain evidence of what actually happens
Initial new-office approval is limited to at most one year. Preserve actual business, staffing and duty records and explain changes from the plan. A commercial promise is relevant context but does not guarantee an extension or extend the permitted period while the plan is unfinished.
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.