L1 visa interview timescales
 

Hi everyone.
Has anyone here recently booked or had an interview in London for an L1 visa? Are appointments being made at this time?
My husband and I are in the process of applying for L1/L2 visas respectively. We haven't been through this before, and the lawyer appointed by the company has provided very scarce information about the process.
We've checked on the USCIS website and the petition has been approved. We've submitted our DS-160s. So my understanding is we now need to book our interviews and pay the application fees.
The visa appointment booking website says there are no appointments available at this time. I don't know whether this is just temporary, and more slots will open up in a few days; or if you can't book at all until the ban on travel from the UK to the US is lifted?
We were wondering if it was still possible to get the visas, and travel via a 3rd (non-banned) country & stay for 14 days before entering the US.

Re: L1 visa interview timescales
 

Hi London Lou, I can't help with your question but I'm interested to see if you get any answers. We are in the same situation but behind you - my husband has been offered a transfer to the US but we don't know if it's feasible as there appear to be no L1/2 interviews taking place. I know there is a huge backlog as they only just opened up the L visas again at the end of March. Hopefully someone will be along who can shed more light on it though!

Re: L1 visa interview timescales
 

The working assumptions seems to be that you can expedite your visa appointment if you qualify for an NIE.

Re: L1 visa interview timescales
 

Hi Everyone, I'm unfortunately not able to help either but would also like to know about the waiting times.

As one of the requirements for the L1 visa is to be within the company for at least 12 months, I've been informed by an immigration lawyer that we can start preparing things for my application now, ready to begin the process as soon as I have reached the 12 month mark. I've been made aware that there is a premium processing route which could mean that I get a response to my application within a couple of weeks, as opposed to the usual 7 to 9 months waiting time. I was told however, that the premium processing doesn't reduce the waiting time for an interview so my concern and question is, could I be sat on an approved application waiting 6 months, or even a year with how things are with the back log at the minute, regardless of opting for the premium processing?

Thanks

Re: L1 visa interview timescales
 

Yes.

Rene

Re: L1 visa interview timescales
 

For anyone in a similar position, I've just found this tool online that tells you current waiting times for interviews: https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...ait-times.html
It says 'Emergency Appointments Only' for London :(

Re: L1 visa interview timescales
 

Hi gloriana and UK2US08 I've just checked the appointment booking website and I was able to progress to the next step of paying the fee. But it says the next available appointment in London is 1st March 2022 :(

UK2US08 I think we took the premium processing route, as the petition was approved really quickly. But I guess that has no bearing on appointment availability.

Re: L1 visa interview timescales
 

Oh my goodness! Surely not?!! That's a very long time. Thanks for letting us know. Not sure my husband's company will want to go ahead with the move if it takes us nearly a year to get an interview. Do they let you know if a slot comes up sooner?

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Be prepared to be spending a lot of time on that website. Appointment hunting can be a full time gig. One might come up a lot sooner and you'll need to be quick to snag it.

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Thanks civilservant - you've given me some hope that we might still be able to make the move...

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Thank you! That is good to know :)

Re: L1 visa interview timescales
 

This.

When we were making our appointments for our E1s which was in December 2019 initially the system said the first available ones were some time in March 2020. I checked three times a day and finally got appointments on 5 January 2020. So just keep checking, they are always releasing slots with short lead times. Had we taken the ones in March we probably couldn't have made it over before the borders were closed.

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Thanks for sharing that LegalEagleTX. We'll keep checking regularly!

Re: L1 visa interview timescales
 

Hi,

just to give you an update routine non immigrant visa appointments after 1st August have been cancelled. They will be restarted in due course but there is currently no specific date given for when that will happen.

On another note, if you are going to try expedite your appointment please make sure your application for the emergency appointment is as strong as it can be as you more or less only get one shot, I tried and they rejected my application as they didn't see my case as being an emergency.
I started my application process in March last you right when the pandemic began and still have no idea when I will get there.

It may be worth looking at 3rd party countries if you need to get the States urgently but bare in mind the Embassy in each country will likely only be taking appointments for citizens of that country.

Hope this helps and good luck with your applications.

Re: L1 visa interview timescales
 

Hi, I have personally gone through this experience in the last year. My Husband and I both had our L1A visa appointments just before the pandemic hit/ travel ban. I got my visa, but my husband did not get his L2. We were then in a state of limbo due to the travel ban, and they put a hold on issuing my husband's visa.

During the travel ban they will not provide appointments for the the L1A visa unless you qualify for an National Interest Exception, as noted from destone . We later found out, that due to the industry I was working in, that I qualified for the NIE, and therefore they issued my husband's visa and our travel to the USA.
After major delays we finally made it to the USA in March.

I would definitely check if you qualify for the NIE, otherwise you will need to wait until the travel ban is lifted. I hope that helps.

Re: L1 visa interview timescales
 

Sell27

Thanks for your sharing your experiences.. do you just need to work in one of the listed industries to get an nie? My husband works in finance but not in a critical investiture project, although it is critical for his company just not for the country.

Re: L1 visa interview timescales
 

Sorry that should have been “infrastructure” — I’m too late to edit the post 🤦‍♀️

Re: L1 visa interview timescales
 

It's not a case of 'just' working in one of the listed industries, the job must also be critical. It's been tightened fairly recently.

But even with a NIE I don't think L1's are likely to be moving anytime soon. My husband does qualify for a NIE (he works in energy), but our move was pushed back to spring next year due to the backlog, and now with all visa appointments being cancelled I can't see any way we'll make it out there before this time next year at the earliest.

Re: L1 visa interview timescales
 

My husbands job is critical for his company in the US but he’s just doing it in the U.K. he’s in charge of a major system that is only used by the US office.

His boss is American, he manages a team of Americans, all of his internal clients are American and he broadly works American hours. He just works from the U.K. office and pays taxes to the U.K. gov.

It’s a nightmare for us personally but I can see why the American authorities might not care too much if he can theoretically do the job from the U.K.

Re: L1 visa interview timescales
 

Happy to share. Yes you do need to work in one of the listed industries or some how show the work is linked to the criteria set. The attorney assisting in your case, should be able to advise definitively.

This website is quite useful: https://en.usvisaservice.de/us-visa/...est-exception/

1. individuals who make a "vital support to critical infrastructure or critical infrastructure-related supply chains in the U.S."
2. journalists (I visas)
3. certain academics and exchange visitors (J-1 visas)
4. students (F-1 / M-1 or J-1 visas); these may continue to enter the U.S. or apply for F visas / M visas regularly at the U.S. consulate without an official National Interest Exception having to be officially granted in advance; special conditions apply as mentioned for travelers from Brazil, China, India, Iran, or South Africa
5. persons traveling for humanitarian or medical emergencies
6. health professionals working on COVID-19 containment / persons working in the health care sector
7. persons traveling for U.S. national security reasons
8. harvest workers
9. service providers for U.S. authorities (e.g. military)
10. pilots / aircrew (C-1D visas)
11. immigrant or fiancé visa applicants (K-1 visas)

Re: L1 visa interview timescales
 

Reading through this thread because my partner is planning on a move with the L1B visa, however the immigration process hasn't really gotten started (yet to fill out the DS-160 and book an interview). Am I correct to assume that it's looking like next March/April at the earliest for an interview slot, even if there's a NIE? Or is it possible that the consulate opens up more slots as the Covid restrictions are (touch wood) lifted?

Another thought - has anybody looked into travelling to a third country for an interview? I've heard that certain countries do allow this.

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If you qualify for an NIE, they will give you an appointment at the consulate now. You will not need to wait.

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NIEs may take “several days to several weeks to review” according to InfoUnit London.

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Having personally gone through this process a couple of times now, the longest they ever take to respond was 10 days to confirm the NIE approval.

The first time we needed to get a visa approved too, and they were very responsive through email and organizing with going into the embassy too.

I heard more recently they have been much quicker to give approval for the NIE for others.

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I’ll let you know about my experience. Applied again for one today as I had to travel LAX-LHR and now back.

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I see. And if my partner doesn't qualify for the NIE, then..is it looking like next April or something around then?

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Depends. Could be up to 12 months backlog at the London Embassy.

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Understood, thanks. Any possibility of going 3rd country or does one usually need a tangible link to that third country to do that?

Re: L1 visa interview timescales
 

Hi - I just thought I would give up to date timescales for L1 London emergency appointments as I had asked questions on different threads.

Our lawyers initially submitted an interview request and obtained a date in March2022 ( I have seen others say they are unable to book appointments so I don’t know how the lawyers secured this date). The lawyers then submitted a request for an emergency appointment for at the end of July. We were granted an emergency appointment 4th August ( other colleagues are booked in for the end of September so I think we were very lucky!).

We were approved for L1 at the embassy interview but the NIE had to go to a separate department for approval. We were notified later that day via email that the NIE had been approved. We waited 3 working days and received our visas/passports in the post.

On the actual visa there is an annotation to say NIE is valid for multiple entries for 12 months.

We hopefully travel next week.

I appreciate everybody’s journey is different so this is just our working example of what we experienced but it seems there is hope if you are in the right industry!

Re: L1 visa interview timescales
 

hannahjane86

Hi,

Without being too personal would you be able to tell us what qualified you for the emergency appointment, such as industry you work in or if its an A or B L1.

The reason I ask is because I'm about to submit one for my self. I work for a global plastics manufacturer that provides packaging for everything from dairy to household cleaning products. I've been given a date for my L1 in Feb next year, the problem is I'm needed to set up a new facility there and by this point I'll have missed a lot of the critical parts related to my job. I did have an NIE but that expired at the beginning of this month and would rather enter the country on my L1 next time than have to be restricted to the 90 days.

Any help is much appreciated.

Re: L1 visa interview timescales
 

Hi my husband’s job is in financial services. My understanding is there are certain sectors and job roles that are deemed urgent enough to warrant an emergency appointment. ( similar to the list of NIE).

I would also say we have very very good lawyers who have handled everything.

Re: L1 visa interview timescales
 

Hi folks
I'm new to the site - appreciate all your guidance!
I have been offered an intra-company transfer to our US parent company in the US, I appear to qualify for an L1A (hopefully the US visa officials agree!).
Have any of you had recent experience in getting an appointment in London? My company are paying to expedite the application but I appreciate that's just part of the process. They are also going to argue the role I am going to fill is critical.
Has anyone managed to get an appointment elsewhere in Europe (is this even possible?).
I'm nervous that if I cannot secure an appointment relatively quickly then the offer will be withdrawn.
Thanks so much!

Re: L1 visa interview timescales
 

I saw reports on this site that, bar December, you can typically get an appointment at the London Embassy 1-2 months out as long as you’re prepared to check for available appointments multiple times a day.

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We’re in a similar situation to you, L visa and moving to the parent company in the US. We’ve been told that it will likely be a spring move date. In the meantime my husband is doing the US job from the U.K. - he manages a US based team and all his internal clients are in the US. He is the only member of the team who is U.K. based.

We are making it work by him working in the evenings but it’s not ideal for us. Everyone is working from home globally until March next year anyway so it’s not been a huge issue for him work-wise so far. He’s been doing this job since February now but the move wasn’t 100% signed off until recently. Would you be able to do the job remotely?

Re: L1 visa interview timescales
 

The “L” visa is one of those visas that requires a preliminary visa petition fled stateside with USCIS, an agency of the Department of Homeland Security. When the petition is approved, then visa application is filed with US Consulate which is part of the Department of State.

If immigration attorneys are involved, they might be able to determine what are the quickest ways to enter the United States. L-1A might not be the best way to go. They might also be aware of alternate consulates.

There are often unique or uncommon facts which can affect the path to admission to the United States.

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This could potentially work in the interim and I do somewhat US hours already as my current role encompasses Canada, it's just not ideal (obviously!).
Is your visa application in?

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Yes but only just!

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Thanks for this.
Can I enter the US in the interim and attend meetings etc, for say a period of a few weeks and then head back to the UK without jeopardising my application?

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I'd be keen to hear how you get on. Mine should be going in this week, my company are paying to expedite so let's see I guess. Will your application be sped up or standard processing?

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Yes, ours is also expedited but the bottle neck is the interview I think.