- Who it's for
- Managers and executives transferring within a multinational company
- Initial validity
- Up to 3 years (1 year for a new U.S. office); 7 years maximum
- Annual cap
- None
- Government Processing Time
- 2–4 months regular; 15 business days premium
- Dependents
- L-2 spouses are work-authorized incident to status
- Gale fee
- $8,500
Who qualifies for the L-1
- A qualifying relationship (parent, subsidiary, branch or affiliate) between the foreign and U.S. entities.
- At least one continuous year of full-time employment abroad with the related entity within the past three years.
- A U.S. role that is primarily managerial or executive.
- For a new U.S. office: secured physical premises and a plan to support an executive role within one year.
L-1 timeline
| Stage | Typical timing |
|---|---|
| Corporate relationship and role analysis | 1 week |
| Petition drafting and attorney review | 1 week |
| USCIS decision | 15 business days (premium) or 2–4 months |
L-1 cost: Gale and government fees
Gale charges a flat fee (platform fee plus attorney legal fee) for the initial L-1 filing, and RFE responses are usually included. Government fees are paid directly to the agency at cost. See the full fee schedule or estimate your total with the visa cost calculator.
| Filing | Gale price (platform + legal fee) |
|---|---|
| New petition | $8,500 |
| Extension | $8,500 |
| Change of employer | $8,500 |
| Amendment | $8,500 |
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Form I-129 (L) | $1,385 | $695 for employers with 25 or fewer FTEs and nonprofits |
| Asylum Program Fee | $600 | $300 for 25 or fewer FTEs; $0 for nonprofits |
| Fraud Prevention and Detection fee | $500 | Initial petitions and change of employer |
| Public Law 114-113 fee | $4,500 | Only if 50+ U.S. employees and over 50% are on H-1B or L-1 |
| Premium processing (optional) | $2,965 | 15-business-day decision |
Documents you'll need
- Evidence of the corporate relationship (ownership records, articles)
- Org charts for the foreign and U.S. entities
- Employment verification and payroll for the qualifying year abroad
- Detailed duties for the foreign and U.S. roles
- U.S. office lease and business plan (new offices)
- Company financial statements
How Gale handles the L-1
Gale's software handles intake, document collection, drafting and tracking. An experienced network attorney owns strategy, legal judgment and final sign-off on every petition.
- Intake on the Gale platformHR starts the case in minutes; the employee completes a guided questionnaire and uploads documents to a checklist built for the visa type.
- Attorney strategy reviewA network attorney confirms the qualifying relationship and whether the role reads as managerial, functional-manager or executive, the most common RFE trigger.
- Petition preparationGale collects corporate documents and org charts from both entities and drafts the managerial-capacity narrative from structured inputs.
- Attorney sign-off and filingThe attorney finalizes the support letter, signs off and files, or uses blanket L for consular processing where available.
- Tracking and responseGale tracks the USCIS receipt and status in one dashboard. If USCIS issues a Request for Evidence, the attorney prepares the response, usually included in the flat fee.
Related visa information pages
The EB-1C is an employer-sponsored green card for managers and executives of multinational companies, typically people already in the U.S.
Read more H-1BSpecialty OccupationThe H-1B lets U.S.
Read more O-1AExtraordinary AbilityThe O-1A is a U.S.
Read moreReady to start a L-1 case?
Talk with our team about timing, strategy and cost.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between L-1A and L-1B?
L-1A covers managers and executives (7-year maximum, EB-1C green card pathway). L-1B covers employees with specialized knowledge (5-year maximum).
Can an L-1A lead to a green card?
Yes. L-1A managers and executives often qualify for the EB-1C multinational manager green card, which doesn't require PERM labor certification.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Immigration rules, fees and processing times change frequently. Confirm current details with USCIS or a licensed immigration attorney.