Chicago Blanket L1 Visas Attorney
Illinois Employment Immigration Lawyer
The L-1 visa is a temporary visa available for nonimmigrant employees transferred to the United States for continued employment with the same employer. Generally, an applicant must have worked abroad as an executive, manager or specialized employee for at least one continuous year within the previous three year period.
Blanket L-1 Approval
Blanket L-1 approval may be available for those businesses and organizations engaged in commercial trade or services that have been doing business in the United States for at least one year, and have at least three offices in the United States and overseas, provided that the company meets certain employment and sales requirements.
The business must meet one of the following criteria:
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- Have sponsored at least 10 successful individual L-1 visas applications in the past 12 months;
- Realize annual sales in the U.S. of at least 25,000,000; or
- Employ more than 1000 employees in the U.S.
If a business or organization satisfies one of these criteria, it can include an unlimited number of qualifying foreign parents, subsidiaries, affiliates or branch offices within a “blanket” L1 visa petition.
Advantages to Blanket L1 Visa Petition
There are several advantages to obtaining blanket L1 approval, including:
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- Significantly reduced processing times since the employer does not have to prove eligibility with each visa application.
- An applicant can apply to obtain an L-1 visa stamp to his or her passport simply by taking the I-797 approval notice to a U.S. consulate office.
- Employees are eligible for L status after only 6 months of employment abroad, rather than one year.
Employment Immigration Experience You Can Count On
The knowledgeable Chicago business and employment immigration attorneys at The Shapiro Law Group have more than 30 years of experience helping clients with their visa and immigration needs, including L-1 visas and blanket L-1 approvals. We understand the importance of filing a timely application along with the necessary supporting documentation. We advise our clients on the various visas available and assist with the filing process. Contact us at (847) 564-0712 to discuss your employee transfer needs with one of our knowledgeable employment immigration attorneys.
