Visa questions? We can help.

Dual intent means you can hold a temporary visa while also intending to apply for permanent residency (a green card).

The H-1B and L-1 visas are true dual intent visas. Most others, such as B-1/B-2, E-2, and F-1, do not permit dual intent, so pursuing a green card from those visas can create complications.

The O-1 is a special case: it is not a dual intent visa by law, but in practice, both USCIS and the Department of State usually treat it as if it were.

To qualify for an H-1B visa, you must have a job offer from a U.S. employer for a specialty occupation, meaning a role that requires highly specialized knowledge and at least a bachelor’s degree or higher in a directly related field.

If your degree is from outside the U.S., it must be evaluated for equivalency.

Additionally, the employer must comply with all Labor Condition Application (LCA) requirements, including paying at least the prevailing wage set by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) for that occupation and location.

Yes. The agency requires a legitimate employer-employee relationship, which typically involves the ability to “hire, pay, fire, supervise, or otherwise control the work” of the beneficiary.

This often requires a board of directors or independent investors with decision-making authority over the founder’s employment.

Since the number of H-1B applicants exceeds the available visas, the U.S. government conducts a random lottery each year.

There are 85,000 total H-1B visas, with 65,000 under the regular cap and an additional 20,000 reserved for individuals with a U.S. master’s degree or higher.

Employers must first submit an electronic registration in March during the lottery period. If selected and approved, the beneficiary can begin working on October 1, the start of the fiscal year.

However, some H-1B petitions are cap-exempt and can be filed at any time, bypassing the lottery. This applies to petitions filed by or on behalf of institutions of higher education, nonprofit research organizations, and government research institutions.

Additionally, H-1B extensions, transfers, and amendments for individuals already in H-1B status are not subject to the cap and can also be filed at any time.

The spouse of an H-1B visa holder can apply for an H-4 visa, but not all H-4 visa holders are eligible to work.

Only those whose H-1B spouse has an approved I-140 petition (a step in the Green Card process) can apply for Employment Authorization (EAD).

If approved, the H-4 spouse can work for any employer in the U.S. without restrictions.

Yes. Children with O-3 or H-4 visas may attend public schools without additional authorization.

No. O-1 visas can be renewed indefinitely in increments (usually 1–3 years), as long as you continue to meet the criteria.

Yes, premium processing is available when you change employers.

It allows USCIS to review the petition faster, helping you confirm your new work authorization more quickly so you can begin your new role without delays or uncertainty.

USCIS does not refund the H-1B premium processing fee if the petition is denied.

The fee is paid for expedited processing time, not for approval or a specific outcome.

No, premium processing does not change the legal standard applied to the case.

USCIS officers must use the same eligibility criteria for all H-1B petitions. However, in practice, premium processing cases may receive requests for additional evidence (RFEs) more frequently due to the shorter review timeframe.

No. The $2,805 premium processing fee is the same for all H-1B petitioners.

This includes both for-profit and non-profit organizations.

Yes, in certain cases.

• If the H-1B petition is filed online, the premium processing fee may also be paid electronically.
• If the petition is filed on paper, USCIS generally requires Form I-907 to be submitted in paper form with a physical payment.

Based on FY2026 data shared by USCIS, there is approximately a one in three chance of being selected in the H-1B lottery.

Out of 336,153 unique beneficiaries, 120,141 (35.7%) were selected to meet the annual H-1B quota of 85,000.

Legal guidance from experienced immigration attorneys helps ensure your registration and petition are strategic, compliant, and error-free.

Attorneys can also assist in responding to requests for evidence (RFEs), improving your overall chances of approval under the new wage-based lottery system.

Yes. Individuals with a master’s degree or higher from a U.S. institution of higher education receive two chances in the H-1B lottery.

They are first entered into the regular H-1B cap of 65,000 and, if not selected, entered again into the H-1B master’s cap of 20,000.

No. The H-1B lottery is not a first-come, first-served process.

Selections are made randomly after the registration window closes.

There is no separate lottery process for F-1 students.

They enter the same capped H-1B lottery as other applicants.

If an F-1 student holds a U.S. master’s degree or higher, they benefit from two chances: one under the regular cap and another under the master’s cap.

Yes, but you'll need to meet all the L-1A visa requirements independently.

That means you'd need a qualifying multinational employer, at least one year of qualifying employment abroad in a managerial or executive role within the past three years, and a U.S. entity with a qualifying relationship to the foreign employer.

Simply holding an E-2 doesn't give you any advantage in the L-1A petition process.

The L-1A offers a clearer path to permanent residence because of its dual intent status and direct EB-1C green card category.

The E-2 allows indefinite renewals but has no built-in route to a green card.

Business owners who want to stay in the U.S. permanently often find the L-1A more strategically valuable for their immigration process.

The L-1A is tied to employer sponsorship by a qualifying multinational organization.

The beneficiary can't use it to launch an independent venture.

However, if you own a company abroad and open a U.S. branch or subsidiary, you may be able to petition yourself as an L-1A intracompany transferee, provided all eligibility requirements are met.

An L-1A manager either supervises professional or supervisory staff (personnel manager) or manages an essential function (function manager).

An L-1A executive directs the management of the organization or a major component, makes wide-latitude decisions with limited oversight, and establishes goals and policies.

The executive role requires broader authority and a higher position in the organizational hierarchy.

Yes. The functional manager category was specifically created for individuals who manage an essential function rather than a team.

However, USCIS applies heightened scrutiny to these petitions.

You'll need to demonstrate that the function is essential to the organization, that you operate at a senior level, and that your work involves directing and planning rather than performing the function's core tasks yourself.

The most frequent denial reason is that the beneficiary performs primarily operational or hands-on duties rather than managerial or executive functions.

USCIS looks at how you actually spend your time, not just your job title.

If the majority of your workday involves performing the same tasks as your subordinates or doing production-level work, the adjudicator may conclude your role doesn't qualify.

Yes. USCIS requires that the beneficiary worked abroad in a managerial or executive capacity for at least one continuous year within the three years before the transfer.

The proposed U.S. position must also be managerial or executive.

Both positions are evaluated independently, so you'll need to submit evidence and supporting documents for each role.

No. Blanket petitions are only available to organizations engaged in commercial trade or services.

Nonprofits, religious organizations, and other noncommercial entities must use the individual petition route for L-1A transfers, even if they meet the other size and volume requirements.

USCIS initially approves blanket petitions for three years.

After that, you can renew the blanket indefinitely as long as your organization continues to meet the eligibility requirements.

The blanket covers future transfers, so you don't need to refile the organizational petition each time you move a new employee.

There's no published data comparing blanket and individual visa approval rates directly.

Consular officers adjudicating blanket beneficiaries can sometimes apply stricter scrutiny to the individual's role.

Well-prepared cases with clear managerial documentation typically do well.

The key is providing strong organizational charts and detailed role descriptions that distinguish the position from hands-on technical work.

No. Blanket petition beneficiaries must go through consular adjudication at a U.S. consulate abroad, which means they need to attend an in-person L-1 visa interview outside the United States.

If your employee is already in the U.S. and you want to avoid international travel, you'll need to file an individual petition on Form I-129 with USCIS.

No. Unlike the H-1B, where an approved I-140 enables three-year extensions beyond the six-year cap under AC21, there is no equivalent provision for the L-1A.

The seven-year maximum is a hard limit.

An I-140's value for L-1A holders is that it establishes your priority date and enables you to file I-485 when that date becomes current.

Not based on the I-140 alone. Your L-1A status is tied to your sponsoring employer.

However, if you've filed I-485 and it has been pending for 180 days or more, AC21 portability allows you to switch to a new employer in the same or a similar occupational classification without affecting your green card application.

Each L-1A extension can be granted for up to two years at a time.

The total time you can spend in L-1A status is seven years, including your initial period and all extensions combined.

Time previously spent in H-1B status also counts against this seven-year cap.

Yes, but there are constraints.

You must make the switch before reaching the sixth year of combined H/L time, the H-1B lottery may apply, and there's no special conversion process for L-1A holders.

The advantage of switching is that H-1B holders with an approved I-140 can get three-year extensions beyond the normal six-year H-1B cap, a benefit that isn't available on the L-1A.

Technically, yes. There's no legal prohibition against holding two full-time H-1B positions.

However, USCIS may question whether you can realistically work 80 hours per week for two different employers.

The agency could deny a petition if the arrangement seems implausible.

Under H-1B portability rules, you can begin working as soon as the second employer files a proper petition with USCIS.

However, if USCIS ultimately denies that petition, USCIS would consider your work for that employer unauthorized retroactively.

Some workers prefer to wait for approval to avoid this risk.

Yes. Each employer must pay the filing fees for their own H-1B petition, including the base fee and any applicable fraud prevention or American Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act (ACWIA) fees.

If the employer wants expedited processing, they also pay the premium processing fee.

Working for multiple employers doesn't prevent you from pursuing permanent residence.

You must demonstrate that you maintained lawful status throughout your time in the U.S.

Keep pay stubs, approval notices, and other documentation from all employers to support your adjustment of status application.

Yes. If your first job is with a cap-exempt nonprofit and you want to add a concurrent role at a for-profit company, you can do so even if the annual H-1B cap has been reached.

Just remember that your eligibility for the cap-subject position depends on maintaining your cap-exempt employment.

Regular L-1A visa processing time is approximately 3 to 8 months depending on the USCIS service center handling your case.

Processing times fluctuate, so check the USCIS processing times tool for current estimates.

With premium processing, USCIS guarantees an initial action within 15 calendar days.

A standard employer filing an initial L-1A petition pays approximately $2,485 in government fees.

Adding premium processing brings the total to around $5,290 through February 2026, or $5,450 starting March 1, 2026.

Large employers subject to the Pub. L. 114-113 fee pay roughly $6,985 before premium processing.

Attorney fees and relocation costs are additional.

The $500 Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee applies in specific situations.

Petitioners must submit this fee when seeking initial approval of L nonimmigrant status for a beneficiary.

The fee also applies when seeking approval to employ an L nonimmigrant who is currently working for another petitioner.

For blanket petitions, the fee is required when seeking approval for an L nonimmigrant to continue employment with an entity different from the previous petitioner.

In standard extensions with the same petitioner and no qualifying change, this fee is generally not required.

However, the I-129 base filing fee and the Asylum Program Fee still apply to extensions.

For many employers, yes.

Premium processing costs $2,805 (rising to $2,965 on March 1, 2026) and guarantees a USCIS response within 15 calendar days.

If your transfer has a firm start date or you are coordinating relocation logistics, the predictability often justifies the cost.

Without premium processing, regular adjudication may take 3 to 8 months with limited visibility into case timing.

Yes, if you meet the L-1A visa requirements.

You'll need to have worked for a qualifying multinational organization for at least one continuous year in the past three years, and the U.S. role must be managerial or executive.

Keep in mind that time spent in H status counts toward your L-1A maximum stay of seven years, so the sooner you switch, the more time you'll have.

It does.

The H-1B lottery selection rate has been roughly 25 to 30 percent in recent registration periods, meaning most candidates are not selected.

If your beneficiary is not picked, the employer cannot file the H-1B petition for that fiscal year.

This unpredictability is one reason many multinational employers prefer the L-1A for qualifying employees, since it has no cap and no lottery.

The L-1A generally leads to a faster green card through the EB-1C category, which does not require PERM labor certification.

H-1B holders typically go through EB-2 or EB-3, which require PERM and often involve longer processing times.

However, visa bulletin backlogs still apply to both categories depending on the beneficiary's country of birth.

Yes. Time spent in H and L nonimmigrant visa status counts toward the maximum stay for both categories.

If you've used four years on an H-1B and switch to an L-1A, you'll have three years remaining on the L-1A's seven-year maximum, not a fresh seven years.

This combined-time rule makes early green card planning essential for any foreign national on either visa.

Yes. If a beneficiary's role evolves from specialized knowledge work into a managerial or executive position, the employer can file a new Form I-129 petition to change the classification from L-1B to L-1A.

USCIS will evaluate the new role on its own merits, so the petition must demonstrate that the position genuinely meets the managerial or executive standard.

A successful reclassification carries two benefits.

First, the maximum stay extends to seven years (minus any time already spent in L status).

Second, the employee gains access to the EB-1C green card category, which can reshape the entire permanent residence timeline.

For companies that promote intracompany transferees into leadership, this switch is worth building into workforce planning.

No. Neither the L-1A nor the regular (individual) L-1B petition has a formal education requirement.

The L-1A is based on managerial or executive capacity, and the L-1B is based on specialized knowledge of the company rather than academic credentials.

However, L-1B petitions filed under a blanket L program do require the employee to meet additional criteria, including specific educational or experience thresholds.

This distinction sets the L-1 apart from the H-1B visa, which generally requires at least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent as a core eligibility requirement.

Yes. Both L-1A and L-1B holders can bring their spouse and unmarried children under 21 on L-2 dependent visas.

L-2 spouses can apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), which grants work authorization with any U.S. employer.

L-2 children can attend school but are not authorized to work.

In most cases, yes.

The L-1A offers two extra years of maximum stay and access to the EB-1C green card pathway, which skips PERM labor certification.

However, the petition must accurately reflect the role.

Filing an L-1A for a role that does not meet the managerial or executive standard risks a denial and delays the transfer.

If the role is genuinely a specialized knowledge position, the L-1B is the correct and stronger filing.