Read the general business expansion overview
A new U.S. office connected to a smaller Selkirk-area company may start with very limited staff, sometimes just the transferee alone at first. That should be described accurately, with a realistic staffing and financing plan supporting the role within one year, rather than presented as a larger operation than it actually is. This is an L-1A new-office planning question: the U.S. organization must have been doing business for less than one year, sufficient premises must be secured, and the required continuous full-time foreign year must have been managerial or executive. The intended operation must support the qualifying role within one year of approval; initial new-office approval is limited to at most one year.
Describe a minimal initial team honestly
Hypothetical example: a small Selkirk-area company sends one employee to open a U.S. office with no other staff initially planned for several months. State that plainly, and explain how the company's financial resources and business plan support hiring and business development on a realistic timeline, rather than describing more initial infrastructure than actually exists.
Explain the beneficiary's early tasks accurately
If the transferee will personally perform hands-on tasks during the initial period before staffing develops, describe that honestly and explain how the role is expected to become more clearly managerial or executive as the office grows, rather than describing the role as fully managerial from day one.
Keep the extension evidence grounded in what actually happened
Record whether staffing, revenue, and operations developed as planned, and explain any delay or change with dates and reasons. A small company's slower growth trajectory should be documented honestly rather than reframed to match the original forecast.
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.