How does the L-1 Blanket petition work?

The complex L-1 visa application process is a huge time and expense factor, especially for multinational concerns who need to transfer a large number of employees from one parent, branch or subsidiary to another.

However, US immigration law allows for a simplified, less time-consuming process – the so-called L-1 Blanket petition.

While a regular L-visa must first be applied for at the USCIS, the L-1 Blanket petition allows the company to skip that particular step. The employee can simply schedule an interview appointment with the appropriate US consulate and apply for his or her visa directly.

This simplified process has two immediate advantages:

First of all, the company does not have to pay the high USCIS filing fees, or the translation of the documents, and they do not have to take care of all the supporting documentation that usually has to be submitted for every transfer petition.

Additionally, the simplified process also allows for short notice transfers.

Of course, a company first has to qualify for the L-1 Blanket visa by meeting the following conditions:

- The company must have at least three branches, subsidiaries, or affiliates, at least one of them located in the US. The location of the headquarters is irrelevant.

- The company has to be engaged in commercial or trade services.

- The US office, branch, subsidiary, or affiliate has to have been doing business for at least one year.

In addition, the US company has to provide evidence for one or more of the following criteria:

- The organization must have a US work force of more than 1,000 employees

- More than 10 L-visa approvals must have been issued to the company during the previous 12 months.

- Annual sales of at least $ 25 million.

If the company meets the above mentioned criteria, the USCIS will approve the L-1 Blanket petition.

If the petition is approved, it will usually be issued for all branches, subsidiaries, or affiliates of the company. This means, all branches, subsidiaries and affiliates worldwide that are at least 50% owned by the parent or controlled by it, can use the L-1 Blanket transfer process.

For more information concerning the L-Blanket visa, please do not hesitate to contact us.