Foreign based companies may transfer managers, executives and/or employees with "Specialized Knowledge" to their new or existing U.S. branch offices or subsidiaries, for temporary periods of up to 7 years. This L-1 Intra-Company Transferee visa is valid for an initial period of one year (for new U.S. offices), and up to 3 years for existing U.S. offices. The U.S. office does not have to be involved in the same line of business as the foreign parent company; and the foreign parent company must continue to do business abroad while the manager or executive is working in the U.S. as an L-1. The processing time for the L-1 Intra-Company Transferee visa is approximately three weeks. In addition, foreign companies with exitsting U.S. offices doing business for more than one year may apply directly for the Multi-National Business Executive Permanent Residency (Green Card) visa on behalf of managers or executives, to be transfered (or already transfered to) their U.S. offices. A Multi-National Business Executive petition is exempt from the normally arduous and time consuming Labor Certification process. These petitions are generally processed within 3-4 months.
Certain investors are also eligible to apply for the Multi-National Business Executive visa. In this case, the foreign company owned by the investor transfers its' president (the investor) to its' affiliate U.S. company related by common ownership. Again, the U.S. company must have been doing business for at least one year before it can petition on behlaf of the owner executive for the Multi-National Business Executive visa.
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