The L-1 visa lets multinationals transfer employees to US offices with no lottery, no cap, and no prevailing wage requirement.
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Is L-1 Right for You?
✅ Your path if: Worked for multinational 1+ year in last 3, company has US office, you're a manager/exec or have specialized knowledge.
⚠️ **Harder if:** Not in management and "specialized knowledge" is hard to prove.
❌ Won't work if: Less than 1 year with company or no US presence.
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L-1 vs H-1B vs O-1
| L-1A | L-1B | H-1B | O-1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who | Managers/execs | Specialized knowledge | Specialty workers | Extraordinary ability |
| Lottery | No | No | Yes | No |
| Duration | 7 years | 5 years | 6 years | Unlimited |
| Green card | EB-1C (fast) | EB-2/3 | EB-2/3 | EB-1A |
What Most People Get Wrong
"My company doesn't do L-1." Many employees never ask. Large multinationals have established programs.
"L-1 and H-1B are the same." Fundamentally different. L-1 has no lottery, no cap, and L-1A leads to EB-1C green card.
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**Which US visa should you apply for?**