Read the general business expansion overview
A new U.S. operation and an established Canadian business should each be described accurately. Registration or a shared brand does not replace the evidence of qualifying organizations and real business activity.
Document actual operations and employment
Hypothetical example: a Canadian group launches a U.S. office while continuing to serve foreign customers. Establish actual qualifying ownership or control and generally one continuous full-time qualifying foreign employment year within the relevant preceding three years. Doing business involves regular, systematic and continuous goods or services; a new office concerns a U.S. organization doing business for less than one year.
Apply the relevant A or B launch standard
L-1A needs sufficient premises, qualifying foreign managerial or executive employment and capacity to support the intended U.S. managerial or executive role within one year of approval. L-1B needs qualifying specialized knowledge, sufficient premises and financial ability to pay the employee and begin doing business. Strong Canadian activity does not automatically establish every U.S. resource or role.
Keep actual evidence from both operations
The qualifying organization must continue doing business in the United States and at least one other country. Initial new-office approval is limited to at most one year. Record genuine activity, staffing and duties rather than assuming a retained foreign registration or prior success guarantees extension eligibility.
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.