L-1 visa is also known as “Intra-Company Transfer” visa. This is applicable in cases where a person in a managerial, executive or specialized knowledge position in a company has to be transferred to a subsidiary or branch office of the same company in the US.
It must be understood that the American affiliate must first file the petition for admittance of a person into the US on an L visa and only on its approval, the petition for non-immigrant visa at the US Consulate in the alien's home country or his/her country of residence has to be filed. The initial duration of this visa is one to three years and later extensions may be granted. A person who has entered the US in this visa can stay in the US for a maximum period of seven years.
One interesting fact about the L-1 visa is that, the concerned person can switch over to permanent residence status, without any Labor Certification and the chances of obtaining permanent residence of US from this visa are bright.
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