An L-1 Visa Case Study

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Law Offices of Scott Warmuth has been helping clients immigrate to the United States for more than 35 years.  One such client we recently helped was a 30-year-old sushi chef who had worked in Europe for many years.  He wanted to live and work in the United States to be closer to his long-distance girlfriend, so he sought legal help to see if he could apply for a work visa, contacting our immigration attorneys for assistance.  Our team carefully considered his situation, and after learning he worked as a sushi chef for a Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant that happens to have a presence in the United States, we determined his best path forward was to pursue an L-1 visa for employees with specialized knowledge. There are many paths for workers to potentially earn a visa to live and work in the United States, including the popular H-1B visa for specialized occupation workers or green card EB visas.  Our client may have been eligible for both these paths, but securing such visas requires patience and, in the case of the H-1B visa, luck.  On the other hand, the L-1 visa only required his employer to be doing business in the United States.  In the case of our client, his employer supported his decision to transfer to the U.S. to continue his work in their organization.  It only took about one month from initial application to approval for our client to receive his L-1 visa. Many people only think of the L-1 visa as available for suit-wearing executives of multi-national companies, but the L-1 visa has two types.  The L-1A is the typically known variety in which executives and managers can use to transfer to the United States.  The L-1B, the visa obtained by our sushi chef client, is for employees with specialized knowledge.  Though the L-1B does have a few limitations when compared to the L-1A, they both grant the ability to live and work in the United States for several years.  We can help you determine if your work qualifies you as having specialized knowledge. The Law Offices of Scott Warmuth offers free immigration consultations.  For people who want to live and work in the United States, our team can help you determine immigration eligibility and the fastest avenues available to you.  Call us today at 888-517-9888 to schedule your free consultation.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]