NYC_bound

Hi there - My London-based company has recently merged with a NY-based firm and I'm set to do a two-year exchange with my equivalent there to help the integration process along. An immigration lawyer for my company's parent firm has sent me a form to complete, which looks fairly complex. Having read this and all about the visa interview process, it's left me concerned about getting the green light. I've a few questions I was hoping you could help me with...

I lead UK activity for the sector I cover, managing around 10 people. However, I'm certainly not at an executive level. I work in communications, so it's not a 'skilled' profession in the true sense of the word. Is the L1-A or B more suited to me? Should I complete both sections of this form and see what happens? Is one or the other a more straightforward process to go through? Also, how scared should I be about the visa interview?! - As ever, thanks for reading. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Noorah101

What exactly is the form they gave you to fill out? Does it have a name or number? Is it an immigration form?

In my opinion, if you're going to be in the USA for 2 years, working there every day, you need an L visa.

A B-1 would be for short trips to do "business" in the USA, not "work". Immigration makes a distinction between the two.

Rene

BostonBrit Expat Since 03

if you manage people in a technical area then it sounds like it could be justified L1A to me??

NYC_bound

Thanks Rene. It's definitely an L-1 non-immigrant visa questionnaire. I guess I give this to the lawyer who then liaises with immigration officials. What I'm not sure about is whether I complete 'L-1A EXECUTIVE OR MANAGER POSITIONS ONLY' or 'L-1B SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE POSITIONS ONLY'. It seems as though I'm a bit, but not all, of both these categories.

NYC_bound

Thanks BostonBrit Expat. Do you know if you have to select one or the other?

BostonBrit Expat Since 03

No, that will be down to the company and their lawyer you should not have any part to play in that decision......same as for GC apps and whether to go for EB1,2 or 3 categories, you wont choose that either

NYC_bound

Exactly what I needed to know! Thank you

ian-mstm

Despite what he wrote, I think the OP actually meant an L-1A or L-1B visa and not a B visa. This confusion results when people incorrectly put L1-A instead of L-1A (thinking that it's an L1 visa when, in fact, it is an L visa). Hopefully, the OP will correct this in future.

Ian

NYC_bound

Forgive me for getting it wrong! Not hard when it's something you've been looking at for 24-hours, as opposed to commenting on for 10+ years.

BostonBrit Expat Since 03

I knew what you meant, haha..... L, L1A, L1B they are all mean company transfers regardless of the where the bloody hyphen is

ian-mstm

... except that the last two are incorrect. Does the hyphen make a huge difference? No... but it does make a difference. One is correct and the other is not.

Ian

Bob

Ideally, you want to angle the L1A, as a manager, it gets more extension time than a L1B, so allows more time in the US, if you/they decide to stick around longer, so if a greencard were to be pursued, you'd be in a better position to get one.

NYC_bound

Thanks, really helpful.

BostonBrit Expat Since 03

Ian, are you going to correct the moderator also? or is it only new posters that get the wrath ,

Bob

It's all semantics. Sure, semantics can and are important when dealing with immigration, but not that much for this distinction :/