Usky

Hi,
I have what seems to be an ambitious target of starting working in CA in April.

However it is an intra-company transfer, I do have a degree and there is properitory skills/knowledge that I have that the company cannot find in the US.

So it looks pretty simple ... but I am sure i will not be ...

I would like to know typically how long it takes from submitting an L1 premium processing application to getting a VISA issued? ... Can it be done in a month?

Usky ...

Longy

I think with the premium processing you should get a response within a couple of weeks. However you then need to make an appointment with the US Consulate to go for an interview - which is really just handing over your passport and filling in a few more forms. I think the waiting times for that is normally about a month.

So before the end of April is not out of the question

vegas

we applied end may 2003 had an appointment in london july 16 2003 visa arrived by post 30th july 2003.

cpe111

My company applied under the blanket L1 program. We sent all our documentation and passports off to the embassy in London and had out passports with visas in them returned in about 3 weeks.

BrewMonkey

My petition was filed on 26th January and I got my newly modified passport on 28th Feb. Flying on Saturday. Woohoo!

L-1A individual application, premium processing. About 10 days from application to having approval notice. 3 days to have paperwork shipped to UK by a dozy lawyer. US embassy in London is currently running on about a 2 week wait for appointments (but it seems a bit variable). You can however get cancellations. If you can afford it (£1.20 per minute!!!!!) you can ring up twice a day for a cancellation, but don't do this unless you have the paperwork in your hand, as they will likely offer one for the next morning. I got one eventually - it's well worth trying if you're in a rush. We had the appointment on the Friday and got the passports with visa in it delivered the next Wednesday.

I would make sure that your company and their lawyer are hounded to get the paperwork completed and submitted. This was by far the longest part of the process and caused the most delays for me. My company and the lawyer had everything they needed from me in December. If your lawyer was anything like mine, you'll need to wipe their arse for them as well.

Make sure you follow the instructions, triple-check the paperwork all throughout the process. Do the embassy appointment form online before you go and print copies of that and the appointment email out. The number of people being turned away because of this was incredible. They got directed to the nearest internet cafe to go fill them out.

Usky

Thanks for that info ... you are right about the company - I got my info back in 24 hours ... a week later the company are still at it. I tried to hound the immigration lawyer, but they said to give them until next week. It is an agonising wait ... we are slowly selling up and watching our life in the UK ebb away ....
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