L-1 Visa Job Titles: Which Roles Qualify?

If you’ve worked for your employer for at least one year out of the past three years, you may be able to transfer to your company’s US entity via the L-1 visa. However, whether you qualify for the L-1 depends on your job title.

Introduction to the L-1 visa for intracompany transfers

The L-1 is a nonimmigrant visa allowing international companies to transfer employees from a foreign office to a US office. Most L-1 visas are filed for employees at companies with an existing presence in the US, but the L-1 can also be used to establish a new base in the US via a new office L-1.

There are many advantages to the L-1 visa, both for employees and employers. Employees favor the L-1 because it is one of the few US visas with employment authorization for spouses. The L-1 is also great for employers since larger companies can easily file blanket petitions. Without a lottery or cap, the L-1 process is predictable and smooth for both employees and employers.

Overview of the L-1 visa requirements

There are specific requirements that a company must meet to sponsor an L-1 visa. Likewise, the employee must qualify under the L-1A or L-1B visa criteria.

Company requirements

• The company must have (1) a foreign entity that has been established for at least a year and (2) a US company with a qualifying relationship (parent, subsidiary, brand, affiliate, or sister company of your foreign company)
• The US company must have a physical office space or be willing to set one up
• The company must be able and willing to continue business operations in the US and at least one other country throughout the duration of the L-1(s) you want to file (usually one year to start)

L-1 criteria for employees

There are two types of L-1 visas: L-1As for managers and executives and L-1Bs for specialized knowledge workers. The company requirements are the same for L-1A and L-1B, but the employee criteria differ.

L-1A visa for managers and executives

To qualify for the L-1A, an employee must:

• Have worked in an executive position or managerial role at the foreign entity for at least one continuous year within the past three years; and
• Have a job offer as a manager or executive at the company’s US entity. L-1B Visa for Specialized Knowledge Workers

To qualify for the L-1B, an employee must:

• Have worked in a specialized knowledge capacity at the foreign entity for at least one continuous year within the past three years; and
• Have a job offer at the company’s US entity in a role related to their specialized knowledge area.

L-1 visa job titles

Let’s explore examples of job titles that satisfy the L-1 requirements. What types of positions count as managerial or executive? What constitutes specialized knowledge?

L-1A: How to qualify and example job titles

Even if you don’t have a traditional manager or executive job title, you can still qualify for the L-1 if your job description indicates you hold an executive or managerial position.

An L-1A manager supervises and controls people or critical functions within the company. An L-1A executive is someone who works in an executive capacity.

Examples of L-1A managers and executives include:

• C-suite executives: CEO, COO, CFO, etc.
• V.P.s: V.P. of Sales, V.P. of Operations, V.P. or Product, etc.
• Directors: Director of Engineering, Director of Marketing, Managing Director, etc.
• Managers who control the work of 10+ employees
• Functional managers who do not manage people but oversee essential company functions

L-1B: How to qualify and example job titles

An L-1B specialized knowledge employee is someone who:

• Has a unique level of knowledge about the company’s product, service, research, equipment, techniques, management, or its application in the international market; or
• Has advanced knowledge of the company’s processes and procedures.

Examples of L-1 specialized knowledge worker roles include:

• A Brand Strategist with a high level of knowledge of the company’s brand and marketing strategies.
• A Senior level Software Engineer who invented the company’s patented software.
• A researcher with an advanced knowledge of critical aspects of the company’s research processes.

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