Opening a New Office in the U.S.You can open a new office in the U.S. and file for an L-1A Visa petition. The USCIS will initially approve your L-1A Visa for a period of one year. It can be renewed twice, 3 years at a time, for a total of 7 years. The USCIS will want to see evidence of a business plan including financial projections for both the U.S. subsidiary and the foreign parent company. The L beneficiary who is coming to the United States to open a new office may be classified as a manager or executive during the one year required to reach the “doing business” standard if the factors surrounding the establishment of the proposed organization are such that it can be expected that the organization will, within one year, support a managerial or executive position. The factors to be considered include amount of investment, intended personnel structure, product or service to be provided, physical premises, and viability of the foreign operation. It is expected that a manager or executive who is required to open a new business or office will be more actively involved in day-to-day operations during the initial phases of the business, but must also have authority and plans to hire staff and have wide latitude in making decisions about the goals and management of the organization. |