There are a number of perks available to those working for a multinational corporation. These could include being paid a great salary, competitive benefits, and the opportunity to work in the United States. 

Many professionals looking to work in the US may already be familiar with the H-1B visa, E-2 visa for international business investment in the US, the Conditional Permanent Residency process, and the EB visa category for exceptional individuals such as royals from another country or major entertainers. 

But there is another type of work visa that many people may be unfamiliar with: the L-1 visa for intracompany transfers. Individuals who are granted this visa typically work in multinational organizations such as Google, Visa, or Starbucks. This visa facilitates the transfer process for individuals to work in the United States for the same organization and in the same capacity they’d been hired for.

Their scope of work in the United States may be to open up a new US-based office, or to work for a short period of time in a US-based office in order to share their expertise with the team. For professionals who don’t want to permanently immigrate to the United States but have a long-term work abroad experience, the L-1 visa may offer that opportunity to them. In case you’re wondering about how family members can accompany holders of this type of visa — that’s where the L-2 visa comes in.. The L-2 visa is issued to qualified family members who are joining their loved one in the United States for a duration of time specific to a work assignment in the United States. 

Who is Eligible for the L-2 Visa?

The L-2 visa is issued to specific family members of L-1 visa holders. It enables L-2 family members to accompany the primary L-1 visa holder to the United States while they work on duties assigned to them during an intra-office work transfer. 

Qualified family members would be a spouse and children under the age of 21 years old. Extended family members such as grandparents, in-laws, or older children would not be eligible for this visa. 

Can You Work and Study on the L-2 Visa?

There are some unexpected benefits for L-2 visa holders that may make professionals give it a second look, depending on their professional situation and the organization that their spouse works for:

• L-2 visa holders can work in a part-time or full-time capacity.
  

• L-2 visa holders are allowed to study while in the United States.
  

• It’s possible to make a change in immigration status while on this visa. Before making these changes, it’s a good idea to walk through the pros and cons of doing this. 
  

• For individuals who’ve changed their view on staying in the United States long-term, it’s possible to begin the Green Card process while holding the L-1/L-2 visa.
  

The duration of stay for this visa is also significantly shorter. Holders of these visas can stay in the United States for a maximum of 3 years. This includes making extension requests after the initial first year. In order to make an extension of stay, you would need to file an I-539 request. 

In fact, given all of the benefits of this visa, it’s surprising that it’s not discussed more in the discourse about work visas that applicants can request in order to work in the United States. This possibility may impact the type of organizations that professionals may consider working for in the future. 

L-2 Visa Application Process

Before starting any request for an immigration benefit, it’s always a good idea to work with an immigration lawyer. Many multinational organizations have access to legal representation to help facilitate the initial L-1 process, or other work-based immigration requests. As you would expect, approval of the L-2 visa depends on approval of the initial L-1 visa request. 

Document Checklist and Fees

It’s likely that the organization that the L-1 spouse works for will help facilitate this process and give guidance on what applicants need to do.

Basically, it’s a good idea to anticipate that USCIS may ask about everything related to your personal life and connection to the L-1 applicant. Documents could include the document receipts for the L-1 request and additional details related to the L-1 applicant’s current work status. 

Here is a suggestion of documents that you may need to have on hand prior to starting the process. Note that it is also important to understand where all your document numbers exist.

• Fee: The L-1 applicant does have to pay a $160 fee to submit their initial immigration benefit request. The employer would typically file on behalf of the employee. However, how the fee is handled may depend on the organization. 
  

• Proof of marriage: Spouses need to provide proof that they are indeed married to the L-1 visa holder. Be prepared to provide several items to prove the validity of your union.
  

• Interview: Prepare for either an in-person or biometric interview, if requested. 
  

• Birth certificate: Submit a proof of birth for all applicants.
  

• Immunization records 
  

For many professionals, the L-1 and L-2 visa options may be a great way to work in the United States for a significant amount of time without permanently committing to changing your residency. When considering what companies to work for in the future, it may be worthwhile to research if they provide opportunities to transfer to US-based offices.