Work visa
L-1B visa: specialized knowledge requirements
An L-1B visa transfers someone who carries specialized knowledge of the company, not an executive title. USCIS describes that as special knowledge of the organization's product, service, research, equipment, techniques, management, or other interests and its use in international markets, or an advanced level of knowledge of the organization's own processes. The maximum stay is 5 years. It is not the EB-1C path. Pinho Law prepares these petitions from Orlando.
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L-1B visa requirements
The USCIS L-1B page asks for the company and the person together. There is no treaty. A Brazilian passport is enough when the rest of the record fits.
- A qualifying relationship with the foreign company: parent, branch, subsidiary, or affiliate.
- Both sides doing business, in the United States and in at least one other country, for the whole stay. Doing business means the regular, systematic, and continuous provision of goods or services. An empty office does not qualify.
- One continuous year with the organization abroad, within the three years immediately before admission to the United States.
- The U.S. role is specialized knowledge, as 8 CFR 214.2(l) uses that term.
What counts as specialized knowledge
USCIS describes two routes. One is special knowledge of the organization's product, service, research, equipment, techniques, management, or other interests, and of how that knowledge is used in international markets. The other is an advanced level of knowledge of the organization's own processes and procedures. It is not a generic degree in the profession. It is what the person knows because they worked at that company. A title on a business card does not replace that proof.
L-1B processing period and a new office
- An office already doing business: a first period of up to 3 years.
- A new office: a first period of up to 1 year. Physical premises must be secured, and the employer must show it can pay the person and begin doing business.
- Extensions come in periods of up to 2 years, until the 5-year maximum.
- On a new-office L-1B, the year abroad may have been executive, managerial, or specialized knowledge. On a new-office L-1A, specialized knowledge alone does not qualify.
Work at another employer's site
The L-1 Visa Reform Act, for petitions filed on or after June 6, 2005, tightens L-1B cases in which the person will be stationed primarily at an employer that is not the petitioner or its affiliate, subsidiary, or parent. The petitioner then shows that the person will not be controlled by that third party, and that the work is not labor for hire. The rule is INA 214(c)(2)(F).
Blanket L-1B adds a step
On an individual petition, L-1B is specialized knowledge. Under an L-1 blanket, the person must also be a professional. USCIS points to 8 CFR 214.2(l). Approval of the group does not grant each person's classification.
L-1B cost: USCIS filing fees
| Item | Government fee |
|---|---|
| I-129 L, paper, regular petitioner | $1,385 |
| I-129 L, online, regular petitioner | $1,335 |
| I-129 L, small employer or nonprofit | $695 |
| Asylum Program Fee, more than 25 employees | $600 |
| Asylum Program Fee, 25 or fewer | $300 |
| Fraud Prevention and Detection fee, when it applies | $500 |
| Pub. L. 114-113, covered employer, through Sept. 30, 2027 | $4,500 |
| Premium processing (I-907) | $2,965 |
Same I-129 L fees as on USCIS form G-1055, checked against the premium-processing alert effective March 1, 2026. A small employer has 25 or fewer full-time-equivalent U.S. employees, including affiliates. The L-1 page explains when the fraud fee and the $4,500 fee apply. The firm's fee is not in this table.
L-1B processing time
Without premium processing there is no fixed national time. Use the Form I-129 processing-times page for the center that has the case, that month. With Form I-907, USCIS takes an adjudicative action in 15 business days: approval, denial, a request for evidence, a notice of intent to deny, or a fraud investigation. A request for evidence pauses the clock. If the clock runs out, the premium fee is refunded and the case continues. The passport stamp is a separate Department of State queue.
L-1B does not use EB-1C
EB-1C is for a multinational executive or manager, which is L-1A territory, and it does not require PERM. Someone in L-1B who later has a permanent-residence path usually looks at EB-2 or EB-3, and those require PERM. L-1 allows dual intent, so a green-card filing does not, by itself, undo the temporary status. In November 2026, EB-1 is current for people born in Brazil. EB-2 is not. The bulletin changes every month.
Notice
Case results depend on specific facts and do not guarantee future outcomes. This is not legal advice. Rules from the public USCIS L-1B page, reviewed August 31, 2026, G-1055 fees, and the November 2026 Visa Bulletin. The consultation is in English, at the Orlando office or by video.
L-1B visa questions
What is an L-1B visa?
It transfers a person with specialized knowledge of the company to the U.S. company in the same group. It is not the executive visa. The maximum stay is 5 years.
Is specialized knowledge just a degree?
No. USCIS looks at knowledge of that organization's product, service, technique, or process, including its use in international markets, or an advanced level of the internal procedures. A degree alone does not qualify.
What does an L-1B cost?
The I-129 L filing fee is $1,385 on paper or $1,335 online, or $695 for a small employer or nonprofit, plus the extra G-1055 fees when they apply. Premium processing is $2,965. The firm's fee is not published here.
What is the L-1B processing time?
Without premium processing, the time is the center's posted time that month. With premium processing, USCIS takes an action in 15 business days. The first period of status is up to 3 years, or up to 1 year for a new office.
Does L-1B lead to a green card?
Not through EB-1C. That category is for executives and managers. On L-1B, permanent residence, when it is available, goes through EB-2 or EB-3, with PERM.
Is blanket L-1B the same as an individual L-1B?
No. Under a blanket, a person with specialized knowledge must also be a professional. An individual L-1B petition does not add that step.
Can I open the U.S. company on an L-1B?
Yes, as a new-office petition, with a first period of up to one year, secured premises, and the ability to pay the person and begin doing business.
Can my family come?
A spouse and unmarried children under 21 may apply for L-2. An L-2S spouse is work-authorized incident to status.
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