If you are eyeing to transfer to the USA for work purposes, there are some things that you need to consider to push through. One of them will be the L1 visa that you need to apply for. This is the one that will determine your standing and stay within the country.
In that sense, having an L-1 visa is an excellent choice as it will give you many benefits and advantages. On the other side, there are also notable drawbacks that you must know to be fully knowledgeable of this visa.
Given all these, we are glad to inform you of all the pros and cons of having an L1 visa. Moreover, we know that this will surely help you decide if L-1 access is suitable for you.
The Advantages
Let us start with a positive note by reading all the positive benefits of getting out of an L-1 visa.
Fewer requirements
Unlike other types of work visas, L-1 only requires more minor requirements. Unlike the E-1 access, which requires substantial investments in the US to qualify. This specific requirement alone demands a lot of money.
On the other hand, O-1 visas demand that the applicant must have an international award or substantial salary for the profession or skill that they are
in. However, on the L-1 access, all you have to have is to be a manager or executive of a company. But the company has to have an office in the US to qualify.
This opens up a lot of doors to many employees who wish to work in the US. If you think that it might be impossible, well, it is not that hard actually. As we all know, Fortune 500 companies have offices abroad. If you happen to be a manager of any of these companies, you can already qualify for the visa.
When pandemic is still raging out in the open, more and more companies are transitioning in the digital world as they hire managers all over the world to make sure that the business is being taken care of in every part of the world.
No limit per year
Other visas like the H-1 B or EB-1 visas have a specific number of approved applications in a given fiscal year. For example, the H-1 B annual limit is 65,000 while the EB-1 is 45,000. This alone is a great hindrance in obtaining this kind of visa. If, for example, the line is already complete in the first quarter, then you have to wait for the following year to apply for one.
Unlike the L-1 visa, no limit is specified. It allows many professionals to apply for their visas without the fear of getting no slots in the appeal.
Period of Stay
So far, the L-1 visa has the most prolonged period of stay among all other employee visas. It can allow you to have a minimum of three years to a maximum of seven years’ stay in the US. This is better compared to E-2 visas of five years or H-1 B’s most of five years.
No educational requirements
We know that some became managers but without a bachelor’s degree. Of course, with determination and willingness to work, you can achieve being an executive or manager.
Even though a bachelor’s degree is a plus in this kind of position, an L-1 visa does not require you to have one at all. This makes it a significant advantage in obtaining this kind of visa, unlike an H-1 B visa that requires a minimum of bachelor’s degree to pass for one.
Spouse and Dependents can work.
Every American visa possesses this kind of condition under its stipulations. This is an excellent factor because your spouse can help the principal holder earn money. In addition to that, the spouse can enjoy life in the US if he/she can perform a job.
It can be any job not related to the position of the principal L-1 visa holder. This is another plus as it can allow your dependents and spouse to apply for any job of their liking.
Dual intent
In your period of stay in the US, you will indeed feel at home in a foreign country and will feel the urge to stay forever. DO not worry! Because you can apply for the Green Card Program without jeopardizing your current visa status.
This L-1 visa advantage is not present in other visas like the H-1B and TN visas.
The Disadvantages
We now feel that you are hype enough to apply for the L-1 visa. But pause for a while and read out the disadvantages that it has.
Period of Stay
We mentioned earlier that it has one of the most prolonged maximum stays out of all American visas, but it does not end there. For other visas like the E2 visa, you can reapply again infinitely. That means that there is no limit as to how many times you will reapply for one.
But for the L-1 visa, you can only extend it for a maximum of five years only. That makes it a significant setback for visa applications as it hinders those who are eyeing reapplication. When your L-1 visa expires, you can apply for a different visa status or apply for a new L-1 visa instead.
Candidate must only work to the sponsoring employer
This means that the L-1 visa holder can not do any part-time job outside his current work under the L-1 visa. In addition, he/she can not set up his own business or co-own a specific company on the United States of America premises.
We know that this might make you feel locked up in a cell, but working out on a part-time or business venture will make your stay illegal. This is where the role of your spouse and dependents come to play as they can explore other industries or jobs to help you.
Conclusion
Working abroad, specifically in the United States of America, has been a trend and the dream of many for quite so long. And this dream is not yet wavering in all parts of the globe. In that sense, if you share the same goal, knowing all the things and ways that can bring you closer to your dream is very important.
In this case, we hope that our writing about the advantages and disadvantages of the L-1 visa helped you decide if this is the best visa for you.