What is L1 Blanket Petition and Who May Apply for L-1 Blanket?
Nov 21, 2016 · 5 min read
What is an L Blanket Petition?
The L visa for nonimmigrant intracompany transferees allows U.S.-based employers to petition to transfer certain alien employees from related foreign entities to work in the United States. In general, a petition for an L nonimmigrant is filed for a single beneficiary. However, certain petitioning entities may be eligible to petition for multiple foreign employees under what is called an “L blanket petition.” If a petitioner gains L blanket approval, it will become far easier to transfer large numbers of L nonimmigrants to work in the United States.
What are the Petitioner Requirements for L Blanket Approval?
The petitione r requirements for being granted L blanket approval are found in 8 C.F.R. 214.2(l)(4)(i). First, the petitioner must meet the basic requirements for being an L visa petitioner. This means l that all requirements pertaining to the U.S.-based petitioner’s relationship with the foreign entity or entities employing the L visa petition beneficiary as well as the requirement that the petitioner be “doing business” in the United States apply equally to applications for L blanket approval. The L blanket regulations then add additional requirements for a petitioner seeking blanket approval.
The requirements for L blanket approval exclude “new office” L visa petitioners and non-profit petitioners. Furthermore, approved L1B petitions for non-specialized knowledge professional intracompany transferees are not counted toward meeting the requirement for L blanket approval. As we will see, the only type of L1B beneficiary who may be petitioned for under an L blanket petition is an L1B specialized knowledge professional.
Seeking L Blanket Approval and Adjudication Process
An application for L blanket approval is filed on the Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker. The petitioner must establish that it meets the regulatory requirements for L blanket approval.
If the L blanket petition is approved, the petitioner will have L blanket approval for an initial period of 3 years. L blanket approval may be extended indefinitely provided that the petitioner continues to meet the applicable requirements. An L blanket petition may be approved in part and denied in part where certain organizations under the petitioner’s umbrella are found to meet the requirements while others are not.
If there is a change in the relationships of any of the qualifying organizations with L blanket approval, the petitioner must file an amended Form I-129 explaining the changes.
Transferring Employee from Abroad Under L Blanket Petition
In order to transfer an individual L1A or L1B employee under an L blanket petition, the petitioner must file the Form I-129S, Certification of Eligibility for Intracompany Transferee under a Blanket Petition. The petition beneficiary must be provided by the petitioner with a Form I-797 reflecting the petitioner’s blanket approval. The beneficiary may then apply for a visa through consular processing within six months of the date on the Form I-129S. A Canadian beneficiary of a Form I-129S may apply for a visa with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at a qualifying port of entry in order to seek admission under the L blanket petition.
The consular office will only approve an L1A or L1B visa for a beneficiary under a blanket petition for “clearly approvable applications.” The requirements for a beneficiary are the same as for a non-blanket L1A or L1B petition except for the limitation on the L1B category to specialized knowledge professionals only. A petitioner may not seek to afford L1A or L1B status to a beneficiary through a non-blanket and blanket petition simultaneously. However, a petitioner with blanket approval may opt to file a non-blanket petition on behalf of a beneficiary in lieu of seeking approval under the blanket petition. A petitioner may file an individual L1 petition on behalf of a beneficiary who was denied a visa under the L blanket procedure.
Limitations on L Blanket Validity and Extensions of Stay
An individual may be approved for an L1 visa under an L blanket petition so long as the L blanket approval of the petitioner remains valid. The beneficiary may be approved for an initial period of stay of three years even when the validity of the L blanket petition may expire before that date. However, if the validity of the L blanket approval is slated to expire while the employee is on L1 status in the United States, the petitioner will be required to either seek an extension of the validity of the L blanket petition or to file an individual petition to support the employee’s continued employment in the United States.
In order to seek an extension of stay for an employee under an L blanket petition, the petitioner must file a new Form I-129S on behalf of the employee. This extension request may be filed concurrently with a request to extend the validity of the L blanket petition. However, the applications will be considered separately.
Transferring Employees Under L Blanket Petition
An employee may be transferred from one of the petitioner’s organizations with L blanket approval to another with L blanket approval so long as the employee will be performing virtually the same job duties. If the job duties will be different, the petitioner must complete a new Form I-129S on behalf of the beneficiary and submit it for approval with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) director who approved the blanket petition. The petitioner cannot transfer an L blanket employee to an entity that does not have L blanket approval under an L blanket petition.
Conclusion
Large petitioners that meet the L blanket requirements may benefit from seeking L blanket approval. L blanket approval makes it easier to transfer multiple L1A and L1B employees from abroad than filing individual petitions on behalf of each employee. However, it is important to note that, while the L blanket petition makes it easier to seek approval for L1A and L1B intracompany transferees, it does not alter the beneficiary’s requirements for eligibility. For this reason, petitioners may still be required to file individual petitions on behalf of beneficiaries who do not present clearly approvable cases or for L1B beneficiaries who fall outside of the scope of the L blanket procedure.
Petitioners should consult with an experienced immigration attorney for guidance in seeking L blanket approval and in handling individual cases that may present special concerns.
L1 Visa – Blanket Visa Petition
Introduction
Certain employers, especially large multinational companies, are eligible to file a blanket L1 petition, provided they meet the certain criteria as described below. The petitioner must be a member of the company’s corporate family, but it does not need to be the parent nor the principal office. L-1 blanket petition is available for both L-1A (manager or executive) and L-1B (specialized knowledge professional) visa types. Overall maximum duration that the alien can stay remains the same, whether admitted through individual petition or blanket petition.
Before filing a petition, an employer must make sure that it is not ineligible under Anti “Job-Shopping” Provisions of the L-1 Visa Reform Act.
Advantages
Once approved, L1 blanket petitions considerably reduce the processing timings since the employer does not have to prove eligibility every time by filing individual petitions. Only the employee has to prove the eligibility at the U.S. Consulate abroad, and no processing at USCIS is required for individual cases. However, there is no guarantee that all employees will be approved for an L1 visa. Nonetheless, it provides the employer with the flexibility to transfer eligible employees to the U.S. quickly and with short notice.
The employers that have the L1 blanket position approved only need to complete Form I-129S, Nonimmigrant Petition Based on Blanket L Petition, and send it abroad to the employee, along with a copy of the blanket petition approval notice (Form I-797) and other required evidence so that he/she can present it to the consular officer to obtain an L-1 visa stamp in his/her passport.
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Eligibility
A petitioner that meets the following requirements may file a blanket petition seeking continuing approval of itself or all of its parent, branches, subsidiaries, and affiliates as qualifying organizations if:
Individual Petition
An individual petition may be filed by the petitioner or organizations in lieu of using the blanket petition procedure. However, the petitioner and other qualifying organizations may not seek L classification for the same alien under both procedures, unless a consular officer first denies eligibility. Whenever a petitioner which has blanket L approval files and individual petition to seek L classification, the petitioner must advise that it has blanket L approval and certify that the beneficiary has not and will not apply to a consular officer for L classification under the approved blanket petition. The blanket petition shall be maintained at the adjudicating office of the USCIS. The petitioner shall be the single representative for the qualifying organizations with which USCIS will deal regarding the blanket petition.
However, L-1B blanket petition is available only for specialized knowledge professional only. For specialized knowledge category for a non-professional, an individual L1 visa petition must be filed.
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Documents
These fees apply for both new cases as well as extensions.
Any of the above fees, when applicable, can not be waived.
All the above fees should be made payable to “US Department of Homeland Security” and can be paid with a personal check, corporate check, or money order. Each of the fees listed above must be paid with separate checks or money orders.
In addition to the Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee at the time of submitting blanket L-1 petition, this fee also must be paid for each employee at the time of visa issuance.
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Filing
L1 petition should be filed at the service center having jurisdiction where the alien will be employed or the location of the employer, as appropriate.
Processing
An L-1 blanket petition only deals with the relationships between the entities in the corporate structure and not with the alien beneficiaries. Once the initial L-1 blanket petition is approved, any of the qualifying organizations listed in the approved L-1 blanket petition may transfer employee(s). Any corporate entity not listed in the L-1 blanket petition may not transfer employee(s), but additional organizations can be added to the blanket petition by the filing of an amended blanket petition.
Validity and Extension
L-1 blanket petition approval (indicated by Form I-797, Notice of Action) is valid for three years. The petitioner can seek an indefinite number of extensions. However, if the petition fails to apply for an extension of the L-1 blanket petition, or USCIS denies the extension, they may not file a new blanket petition for three years.
L-1 Visa Blanket Petition
In most cases, U.S. employers that sponsor a large number of work visas for their foreign national employees are looking for ways to make the process smoother and easier. Fortunately, with the L-1 petition blanket petition option, qualifying organizations can now seek continuing approval to transfer any number of employees from their foreign branches to the United States. This program is available to relatively large international organizations who are engaged in commercial trade or services.
What is the L-1 Visa?
The L-1 Intracompany Transferee Visa is a nonimmigrant employment-based classification which allows U.S-based employers to transfer a foreign professional employee from related foreign offices to the United States.
For an alien employee to qualify for this work visa, he or she must have worked in the capacity of executive, manager, or specialized employee for the foreign parent, subsidiary, branch, or subsidiary of the U.S. organization for at least one of the last three years. In many cases, an L-1 petition is filed for a single beneficiary. In other cases, however, some organizations need to transfer many employees simultaneously. This has brought about the provision for L-1 blanket petitions.
What is an L-1 Visa Blanket Petition?
The L-1 visa blanket petition program allows U.S.-based organizations to petition the USCIS to bring several foreign employees to the United States quickly and on short notice. It is a single visa petition that eliminates the need to file separate L-1 petitions for each of the qualified employees. Once the L-1 visa blanket petition is approved, each transferring employee may file a petition for an L-1 visa directly at the United States embassy or consulate.
L-1 Blanket Petition Requirements for Petitioner
The L-1 blanket petition has certain requirements that must be met by a U.S.-based petitioner (organization) and its foreign entities. An organization may be eligible for the blanket petition if:
L-1 Blanket Petition Requirements for Employees
The transferred employee must meet the same criteria that is required of an individual L-1 applicant. For an L-1B, you must demonstrate that you hold a position requiring specialized knowledge in the organization. If you are applying for an L-1A visa, you must prove that you hold a managerial or executive position in the organization. The following USCIS definitions of executive capacity and managerial capacity must be met:
Executive capacity: The term “executive” refers to the employee’s ability to make decisions of wide latitude within the organization without much supervision from a superior authority. In other words, your position allows you to direct the affairs of the company or a component within the company.
Managerial capacity: Being a manager, in the context of an L-1 visa, means you hold a position that requires you to manage an aspect of the organization by controlling and supervising the duties of other employees in the organization or by supervising a department, function, subdivision, or component of the company.
How to Process an L-1 Visa Blanket Petition
An L-1 blanket petition is filed by the employer using the I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker. The blanket petition is restricted to relatively large international organizations. To this end, the petitioner must provide documented evidence showing that it meets the requirements to file a blanket petition.
The petitioner must also document the relationship between the qualifying entities (organizations) which will be included in the blanket petition. If the petition is approved, the USCIS will notify the petitioner by issuing a CLAIMS-generated I-1797, which will also indicate the validity period.
Once the blanket petition is approved, the employer will need to complete an I-129S, Nonimmigrant Petition Based on Blanket L Petition and forward it to the alien employee. This must be accompanied with a copy of the blanket petition Approval Notice and other related documentation. The beneficiary employee must present all these documents to a consular officer when applying for an L-1 visa to travel to the U.S.
However, it must be noted that the approval of an L-1 blanket petition doesn’t automatically guarantee every employee entry into the U.S. Each of the beneficiaries are to prove that they qualify for an L-1 visa at the consular office, as well as prove to the Custom and Border Protection (CBP) officer that they are eligible and admissible at the port of entry.
What is the L-1 Blanket Visa Validity Period?
An L-1 blanket petition is granted with an initial validity period of three years with an option to extend the visa if necessary. Requests for an extension of stay may be granted for up to an additional two years until the alien employee has reached the maximum limit of seven years for the L-1A or five years for the L-1B.
Every L-1 visa beneficiary is given the same initial three-year validity period even if the validity for the L-1 blanket may expire before the date. If you enter the U.S. on an L-1 blanket visa, and the validity is to expire while you are still in the U.S., your organization (petitioner) will need to request for an extension of the L-1 blanket or file an individual L-1 petition to support your continued stay in the U.S.
How to Request for L-1 Visa Extension
If you wish to extend your stay beyond the initial validity period, you will need to file for an extension of your L-1 status before the visa expiration date on your I-94 Arrival/Departure Record. The process of obtaining an extension is similar to the initial petitioning process.
To file for an extension for an employee under an L-1 blanket petition, the organization must file a new I-129S on behalf of the alien employee. The petitioner may also file both the extension of stay for an individual employee L-1 and the L-1 blanket extension concurrently. The renewal petition for an L-1 employee must be submitted by the employer with the following documents:
Guidelines for Transferring Employees Under L-1 Blanket Petition
Employers are allowed to transfer employees from one of their organizations with L-1 blanket approval to another that also has received approval provided the employee will be performing the same job duties. In the event that the job duties will be different from the former workplace, the employer will need to request a fresh approval from the USCIS by completing a new I-129S on behalf of the employee.
L-1 Blanket Petition Denial
Your L-1 visa, either as an individual petition or blanket petition, may be denied for a number of reasons. Some of the top reasons for denials include:
Additionally, an L-1 blanket petition denial can be in different forms, depending on the circumstances surrounding the request. In some cases, the petition may be denied in part and approved in part if certain organizations under the petitioner’s umbrella meet the requirements while others under the same umbrella fail to meet the requirements.
If there is any change in the relationship between qualifying L-1 blanket organizations under the same umbrella, the petitioner will need to file an amended I-129 and provide a detailed explanation regarding the changes.
What to Do If Your L-1 Blanket Petition is Denied
Having your L-1 blanket petition denied does not necessarily mean the end of the road for your L-1. There are some options you can explore as long as you are certain of your eligibility. A denied petition for an L-1 visa may be appealed to the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO). It is advisable, however, to involve an experienced L-1 visa attorney when appealing your petition denial.
Together with your immigration attorney, you will need to prepare a formal denial order and forward it in accordance with the local procedures. Appealing a denied petition may take several weeks or months. Therefore, it is important that you get your facts right before initiating the appeal process.
Can I Renew My L-1 Visa Beyond the Maximum Stay?
As explained earlier, the overall period stay for an L-1 visa cannot be extended beyond a total of seven years for the L-1A and five years for the L-1B. If you would like to continue working in the U.S. after the maximum permissible stay, you would need to have your employer petition for a new visa on your behalf. This will likely require you to leave the United States and work in the company’s foreign branch for a minimum of one year before you can file a new application.
To reapply, you would need to undergo the same initial processing as well as fulfill all the requirements for your L-1 application. However, instead of leaving the U.S. and reapplying after one year, many L-1 visa holders usually opt to pursue a green card, which will allow them to stay permanently in the U.S.
L-1 Visa to Green Card
One of the biggest advantages of an L-1 visa is that it allows you to adjust your status from nonimmigrant to immigrant status and become a green card holder. More than some other temporary work visas, the path to permanent residence from L-1 status is a smoother process.
To do this, you will need to go through the process for the employment-based green card application. This will require your employer to obtain a Permanent Labor Certification (PERM). Your employer will also need to file an I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, on your behalf. After the I-140 is approved, you can file the I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status.
How VisaNation Law Group Can Help
Processing an L-1 visa, either under a blanket petition or as an individual employee, isn’t always straightforward. It is extremely important to seek professional legal advice to avoid facing denial. With an experienced L-1 visa attorney, you will stand the best possible chance of having your petition approved by the USCIS.
VisaNation Law Group’s team of expert L-1 attorneys with a long track record of helping organizations and their employees obtain approval for their L-1 visa blanket petitions. They will guide you on all aspects of the application, including how to make the most of your visa stay and how to successfully become a green card holder. If you have received a denial notice or you are just about to process your L-1 visa petition, you can count on their expert L-1 attorneys. Booking an appointment with VisaNation Law Group today is as simple as filling out this contact form.
Визы L-1 и L-2: для трансфера руководителей и членов их семей
Если вы хотите обосноваться в США всерьез и надолго, а также вывезти в эту страну все семейство, визы L-1 и L-2 подойдут как нельзя кстати. Несмотря на то, что они не являются иммиграционными, их обладатели могут в дальнейшем претендовать на получение пресловутых Green Card. А при содействии юриста из компании Centerusa подобный вариант развития событий более чем реален!
Что представляют собой визы L-1 и L-2?
Виза L-1 позволяет перевести сотрудника международной компании из России в США с наименьшим количеством формальностей (если такая формулировка в данном случае уместна, ведь документов придется собрать много). При соблюдении определенных условий и с помощью хорошего адвоката убедить Службу Иммиграции и Натурализации в том, что деятельность иностранца в США пойдет на пользу развитию экономики США вполне реально. Во всяком случае, юристам из компании Centerusa это всегда удавалось.
Виза L-1 относится к разрешительным документам, выдаваемым по петиции СИН. Однако в отличие от рабочих виз многих других типов, она не требует трудоемкого и длительного процесса получения трудового сертификата в Министерстве труда США. Кроме того, никаких квот на выдачу L-1 не устанавливается. И, что самое приятное, претендент на получение разрешительного документа этого типа не обязан доказывать отсутствие иммиграционных намерений! Они у него могут быть, это не возбраняется.
Сотрудник российской компании может направляться в уже существующий филиал (дочернюю компанию), а может и выезжать в США с целью организации нового бизнеса, подчиненного уже существующему российскому. «Новорожденная» компания может быть зарегистрирована в любом штате США при условии открытия офиса и организации рабочих мест.
Американская компания может быть по отношению к российской:
Виза L-1 предоставляет иностранцу массу возможностей:
Кто может получить L-1 и L-2?
Российская компания, от имени которой претендент на получение визы L-1 намерен выехать в США, должна быть организована не менее года назад и активно работать в своей сфере.
Виза L-1А может быть выдана руководящему работнику, находящемуся на этом посту не менее года, причем при условии, что в американской компании он будет занимать аналогичную (не обязательно идентичную) должность. Также разрешительный документ этого типа (L-1В) может быть оформлен для сотрудников компании, обладающих специальными знаниями и особыми навыками (это требуется доказать с помощью документов).
Виза L-2 может быть выдана супругу основного аппликанта и его несовершеннолетним детям, не состоящим в браке. Напоминаем, что совершеннолетие по американским законам наступает в 21 год.
Процедура оформления L-1: подача петиции
Деятельность по оформлению визы L-1 начинается с подачи петиции в Службу Иммиграции и Натурализации по форме I-129. К петиции должен быть приложены документы российской фирмы, американской компании и собственно аппликанта.
Для российской фирмы и аппликанта:
Для крупных международных корпораций предоставлена возможность оформления виз на основании групповых Blanket Petitions. Ей могут воспользоваться исключительно компании, имеющие не менее трех представительств по всему миру, причем в США в ее штате должно работать не менее тысячи сотрудников.
Если американской компании еще не существует, ее придется организовать (конечно, о Blanket Petitions в данном случае речи идти не может). Centerusa предлагает юридическую и иную помощь при организации дочерней компании (представительства, аффилиата) в США. Помните: для этого понадобится значительный капитал (мы точно укажем его размер при знакомстве с документами российской компании) и хотя бы арендованный офис!
Если иностранец переводится в уже существующую американскую компанию, потребуются документы, свидетельствующие о ее активной деятельности:
В случае одобрения петиции основному аппликанту либо его агенту высылается форма I-797. Ее получение из USCIS (СИН) является сигналом к тому, что можно приступать к оформлению визы L-1 (L-2 оформляются одновременно либо после получения основного разрешительного документа).
Напоминаем, что получение одобрения I-797 является ключевым моментом оформления данного типа виз, но отнюдь не единственным. Отказать в выдаче визы могут и при одобренной должным образом петиции.
Получение виз L-1 и L-2 в посольстве/консульстве США в России
К оформлению визы следует приступать не ранее, чем за 120 дней до момента предполагаемого въезда в США (оптимально – не позднее чем за 3 месяца).
Документы, которые необходимо представить в консульство
На собеседование следует взять:
Компания Centerusa: квалифицированная помощь опытных юристов!
Визы типа L являются одними из самых проблематичных в оформлении. Даже собрать все необходимые документы человек, не обладающий достаточным опытом и знаниями тонкостей американской юриспруденции, просто не сможет. А что уж говорить об открытии американской компании?
На помощь вам придет компания Centerusa – слаженная команда юристов и менеджеров из США и России. Мы возьмем на себя решение ваших проблем и поможем выехать в США с наименьшими затратами: цены наших услуг доступны!
Мы:
Компания Centerusa будет с вами постоянно: наши юристы будут отстаивать ваши интересы в любой ситуации!
