L-1 签证
简介
L-1签证是非移民工作签证，它适用于在美国和中国都有商业机构的跨国公司从中国母公司派遣高级经理、行政主管、或拥有特殊知识的专业技术人员去美国分公司工作。在L-1签证申请过程中，美国分公司是L-1签证的申请人，外籍高级行政管理人员或专业技术人员是L-1签证的受益人。根据移民局的要求，申请人需要证明美国分公司和中国母公司的合法存在性，美国分公司和其中国母公司的关联，业务和资金关系，以及受益人的身份和职务。L-1签证优点主要有以下几点:
- 起动资金少，第一年五十万美国左右的起动资金就够了;
- 投资风险小，资金都在自己的掌控之下;
- 没排期。一签到证就可以登陆美国;
- 相对于EB-5 投资移民要求每笔投资最少创造10个全职的工作岗位，L-1签证无最少雇多少员工的要求;
- 可以用跨国公司高管的资质去办绿卡，而且拿到绿卡的时间短，最快一年半以内可以拿到绿卡;
- 平稳对接全家到美国工作、学习、投资和生活。在L-1签证申请批准后，高管本人可自由进出美国，无停留时间的限制，其配偶可在美国合法为任何雇主工作，子女也可以在美国免费就读公立学校。
申请L-1签证的基本要求有以下几项：
- 中国的母公司和美国的子公司之间必须符合移民法规定的合格的公司关系 （Qualifying Relationship），即母公司和子公司都必须正在或将要正常的，有系统的，持续的提供商品或服务。仅仅是在美国境内或境外设有办公室或聘请代理人并不能满足要求；
- L-1签证的受益人必须在申请人提交申请前的三年内至少连续一年在美国境外的母公司，子公司或关联公司担任高级经理或者行政主管的工作。在美国境内为母公司工作的时间和为母公司来美国进行的短期商务旅行时间虽然不算打断一年工作的连续性，但也不计算在美国境外为母公司工作的一年时间内；
L-1 签证有两种类型：L-1A 签证和 L-1B 签证。 L-1A签证适用于外国公司美国子公司的高级经理或高管； 而L-1B签证是针对外国公司美国子公司的具有特殊专长的专业技术人员。
- L-1A签证的受益人必须是被派往美国子公司担任高级经理或者行政主管职位；
- 高级经理管理性职责（Managerial Capacity）主要包括：
- 管理一个公司部门，公司的功能或公司的组成部分；
- 监督和掌管其他的监督部门，管理人员或专业技术人员，或管理公司内部的一项必要功能；
- 对其管理和监督的员工有任命，罢免和解雇的权力，或者有人事建议权（对于其直接监督的员工），或者管理组织内部的一个核心部门；
- 在日常经营管理中，有能够自由裁量的权力。
- 行政主管决策性职责（Executive Capacity）主要包括：
- 指导公司的管理，指导公司某个主要部门或功能的管理；
- 制定公司或主要部门的目标和政策；
- 在公司决策方面拥有很大的自主裁决权；
- 只接受董事会或者股东会或者上一级决策人员的一般的监督或指导
- 高级经理管理性职责（Managerial Capacity）主要包括：
- L-1B签证的受益人，即专业技术人员需要满足如下条件：
- 对母公司的产品，服务，研究，设备，技术，管理等方面以及它们在国际市场的运用具备特殊知识；或者
- 对母公司的业务，运营和程序有高度的了解；
- 在涉及对公司产品、服务等事项的特别知识时，该受益人所掌握的知识必须是在美国劳动力市场上难以找到的，而不能仅仅是技术工人。
- 如果母公司是派L-1A受益人去美国筹建新的子公司，即指在美国刚成立的公司，或在美国经营操作不到一年的公司，则申请人不需要证明美国子公司的正常经营活动，但必须证明在美的新公司已有足够的办公场所及有可能在未来的一年内有开展正常经营活动。
L-1的优点是：
- L-1签证持有者的家人可以持L-2身份来美国，可以在美国合法工作。
- L-1签证持有者的家属（包括配偶和子女）可以用L-2身份在美国上学念书，享受美国当地居民的免费教育，而无需要重新申请其它学生签证，比如F-1等等。 并且L-2持有者不需要做全职的学生。L-2签证持有者可以免费上美国的公立小学，中学，高中。如果L-2签证持有者（包括配偶和未满21周岁子女）希望在美国就读大学，无需转换身份申请学生签证。
- 请注意：孩子在满21周岁后，无法再使用L-2的身份，必须转换其它合法的非移民身份，如H-1，F-1等等。
- 如果美国子公司正式运营一年以上并有经营效益，L-1签证持有者即可通过第一优先的方式申请绿卡，而不需要经过繁琐的劳工应聘程序，也不需要像投资移民（EB-5）那样在美国投入至少八十万美金，而前两年只能拿到有条件的绿卡。如果美国子公司成立超过一年以上，并且运营操作正常，L-1签证持有者则不需等待一年，可以直接递交EB-1C的申请，获得绿卡。
- 请注意：在实际操作中，在申请绿卡过程中，我们还是建议外籍调派员工先申请L-1或L-1延期，以保持在美国的合法身份。
- 美国移民法对申请L-1签证的跨国公司的规模, 对其投资额以及对公司的注册资本都没有具体规定。
- 中国母公司和美国子公司只需保持所有权从属关系即可，没有必须是相同行业的要求。另外，在美国购买一个公司也可以，不必新建。中国母公司对美国子公司只要达到控股即可，无需购买100%的股权。
- 中国母公司与其美国子公司可以从事任何类型的行业。
- L-1签证不像EB-5投资移民签证那样对美国子公司的雇员人数有具体的规定。
- L-1签证申请的受益人必须在过去三年中至少连续一年以上担任高级管理人员，行政主管(L-1A) 或拥有特殊专业技术人员(L-1B)。 L-1签证申请必须证明受益人有担任其职位的能力， 但没有对学位，语言，和工作经验提出具体的要求。
- L-1申请和批准时间短，顺利的话，最快三四个月就可以成功获得签证。另外，还可以选择加急处理进行审批，15天内就可以获得结果。
- L-1签证持有者在签证有效期内，可以多次出入境美国。
L-1签证的办理时间及有效期：
- 一般来说，L-1签证的申请需3-6个月批准，移民局批准后，客户可去领事馆签证或者在美国调整身份。若要求加急处理, 移民局另加收$2,500美元的加急处理费, 15天内就可以获得结果。
- 对于新公司，首次签证有效期通常为一年，一年有效期到期后，需要申请延期，单次延期的时间不得超过两年。L-1A签证的最长有效期限是7年，L-1B的则是5年。如果美国子公司已经成立了一年以上，新申请的L-1签证期限就不是一年，而是三年。
- 延期的申请过程3-6个月。
L-1 VISA
INTRODUCTION
The L-1 visa is a non-immigrant work visa, which is suitable for multinational companies with commercial establishments in the United States and other nations to send senior managers, executives, or professional technicians with special knowledge from its non-USA parent company to work in the United States subsidiary. During the L-1 visa application process, the U.S. subsidiary is the applicant of the L-1 visa, and the foreign senior executive or professional technician is the beneficiary of the L-1 visa. According to the requirements of the USCIS, the applicant needs to prove the legal existence of the U.S. subsidiary and the non-USA parent company, the qualifying relationship between the U.S. subsidiary and its non-USA parent company, and the job duties of the beneficiary. The main advantages of L-1 visa are as follows:
- The start-up capital is relatively small. The start-up capital of about 500,000 US dollars in the first year is usually sufficient;
- The investment risk is small, since the funds are under the control of the shareholders of the company;
- No wait time for the L-1 visa to become effective once the visa is approved. The beneficiary can land in the United States with the freshly approved L-1 visa;
- Compared with the EB-5 investment immigration requirement to create at least 10 full-time jobs per investment, the L-1 visa does not have a minimum number of employees requirement;
- The nature/qualifications of executives of multinational companies that associated with the L-1 visa can be used to further apply for an USA green card of EB-1C category. And the time to get a green card of EB-1C category while in L-1 is shorter. EB-1C green card could be obtained as fast as one and a half years;
- L-1 visa is a great visa for the executives because it has much more smooth transition for the executives’ family members, no matter for spouse or kids: After the L-1 visa application is approved, the executive can enter and leave the United States freely without restriction on the length of stay in USA. His/her spouse can legally work for any employers in the United States, and his/her children can also attend public schools in the United States without tuition charge.
The basic requirements for applying for an L-1 visa are as follows:
- The parent company in a nation outside of USA and the subsidiary in the United States must comply with the Qualifying Relationship stipulated by immigration law, that is, the parent company must own majority shares of the subsidiary which must be or will be providing goods or services in a normal, systematic and continuous manner. Merely having an office in or outside the United States or having an agent will not satisfy the requirement;
- The beneficiary of the L-1 visa must have worked as a senior manager or executive in the parent company, subsidiary or affiliate company outside the United States for at least one consecutive year during the three years preceding the filing of the petition. Time spent working for the parent company in the U.S. and short-term business travel time for the parent company to the U.S. does not count as a one-year interruption of work, but does not count toward the one-year period outside USA for the parent company;
There are two types of L-1 visa: L-1A visa and L-1B visa. L-1A visa is for a senior manager or executive of a U.S. subsidiary of a foreign company; while L-1B visa is for a professional technician with special expertise for a U.S. subsidiary of a foreign company.
- The beneficiary of the L-1A visa must be assigned to a U.S. subsidiary as a senior manager or executive;
- Senior manager management responsibilities (Managerial Capacity) mainly include:
- Manage a corporate division, corporate function or corporate component;
- Manage other supervisory departments, managers or technical personnel, or supervise, manage and/or control a necessary function within the company;
- have the power of appointment and dismissal of the employees they manage and supervise, or the right to recommend personnel (in the case of employees they directly supervise), or to manage a core department within the organization;
- In the day-to-day management, there is discretionary power.
- The executive's decision-making responsibilities (Executive Capacity) mainly include:
- Directs the management of the company, directing the management of a major department or function of the company;
- Develops company or major divisional goals and policies;
- Has a great deal of discretion in company decision-making;
- Only accepts general supervision or guidance from the board of directors or shareholders meeting or higher-level decision-making personnel
- Senior manager management responsibilities (Managerial Capacity) mainly include:
- The beneficiary of the L-1B visa, i.e. a professional technician, needs to meet the following conditions:
- has special knowledge of the parent company's products, services, research, equipment, technology, management, etc. and their use in international markets; or
- Has a high-level understanding of the parent company's business, operations and procedures;
- When it comes to special knowledge of the company's products, services, etc., the beneficiary must have knowledge that is hard to find in the U.S. labor market, not just skilled workers.
- If the parent company sends the L-1A beneficiary to the United States to establish a new subsidiary, that is, a company that has just been established in the United States, or a company that has been operating in the United States for less than a year, the applicant does not need to prove the US subsidiary's normal business activities, but it must be proved that the new company in USA has sufficient office space and is likely to carry out normal business activities within the next year.
The Advantages of the L-1 Visa Holders:
- Family members of L-1 visa holders can come to the United States in L-2 status and can legally work in the United States.
- Dependents (including spouse and children) of L-1 visa holders can use L-2 status to study in the United States and enjoy free education for local residents in the United States without having to re-apply for other student visas, such as F-1, etc... And L-2 holders are not required to be full-time students. L-2 visa holders can attend public elementary, middle and high schools in the United States for free. If L-2 visa holders (including spouses and children under the age of 21) wish to attend college in the United States, there is no need to change status to apply for a student visa.
- Please note: After the child reaches the age of 21, he can no longer use the L-2 status, and must switch to other legal non-immigrant status, such as H-1, F-1, etc.
- If the U.S. subsidiary has been officially operating for more than one year and has good business benefits, such as making profit or making sizable contributions to US economy, L-1 visa holders can apply for a green card through EB-1C visa category without the need for cumbersome labor application procedures, and without investment immigration (EB-5) like investing minimum of $800,000 dollars in the United States, and only get a conditional green card in the first two years. If the U.S. subsidiary has been established for more than one year and operates normally, the L-1 visa holder does not need to wait for a year and can directly submit an EB-1C application to obtain a green card.
- Please note: In practice, during the green card application process, we still recommend that foreign dispatched employees apply for L-1 or L-1 extension first to maintain their legal status in the United States.
- The US immigration law has no specific regulations on the size of multinational companies applying for L-1 visas, the amount of investment , or the registered capital of the company.
- The non-USA parent company and the US subsidiary only need to maintain the ownership affiliation, there is no requirement to be in the same industry. In addition, it is also possible to buy a company in the United States without having to build a new one. As long as the non-USA parent company has a controlling stake in the US subsidiary, there is no need to purchase 100% of the equity.
- The non-USA parent company and its US subsidiary can operate in any type of industry.
- The L-1 visa does not have specific requirements on the number of employees of a US subsidiary as the EB-5 immigrant investor visa does.
- The beneficiary of the L-1 visa petition must have worked as a senior manager, executive officer (L-1A), or a person with special expertise (L-1B) for at least one consecutive year in the past three years. L-1 visa applications must demonstrate the beneficiary's ability to hold the position, but no specific requirements for degree, language, or work experience.
- The L-1 application and approval time is short. If it goes well, the visa can be successfully obtained even within three or four months. In addition, there is an option for expedited processing for approval, with results available within 15 days with a premium process provided by USCIS.
- L-1 visa holders can enter and leave the United States multiple times during the validity period of the visa.
Processing Time and Validity Period of L-1 Visa:
- Generally speaking, it takes 3-6 months for L-1 visa application to be approved. After approval by USCIS, the client can go to the consulate for visa or adjust status in the United States. If expedited processing is requested, USCIS charges an additional $2,500 premium processing fee, and results could be available within 15 days.
- For new companies, the first-time visa is usually valid for one year. After the one year validity period expires, it is necessary to apply for an extension. The single extension shall not exceed two years. The maximum validity period of the L-1A visa is 7 years, and the L-1B visa is 5 years. If the U.S. subsidiary has been established for more than one year, the L-1 visa period for a new application is not one year, but three years.
- 3-6 months of extension application process.
