L-1 Visa path to Green Card

L-1 visas have many benefits, one of which is the fact that they offer a path to a green card. There are two types of L-1 visas, L-1A and L-1B, L-1A’s are for executives or managers whereas L-1B’s are for professionals with specialized knowledge. Both types of visas will allow your sponsoring company to petition for you to receive a green card. However, one of the added benefits to having an L-1A over an L-1B is that you can have an L-1A for a total of 7 years, rather than the 5-year limit that an L-1B has. Having an L-1A could give you more time to establish your company so that it qualifies to file an immigrant petition on your behalf. An immigration attorney will be able to guide you through the complexities of the requirements for each.

One of the other benefits is that through the L-1A visa the green card process is shorter because your sponsoring company need only file an immigrant petition (I-140) and then you may adjust status once it is approved. However, via the L-1B visa, you will first need to go through the PERM process, then file the I-140, and finally the adjustment of status.

Overall, both L-1 visas offer a great opportunity to get on track to receive a green card depending on your circumstances and qualifications and should be discussed with an experienced immigration attorney.