An L-1 visa of the US is a non-immigrant visa that permits foreign nationals to work in the United States for a limited time, which can range from 3 months to 5 years, depending on the applicants’ origin countries. This is valid for individuals employed in a corporation with offices in the US and abroad.

An L-1 visa is sub-divided into two types:
1. L-1A (Applicable for Executives & Managers)
The validity of this visa is 7 years. After its expiry, holders can gain L-1 status after working abroad for at least 1 year in a parent, subsidiary, branch, or affiliate of a US company.

2. L-1B (Applicable for Workers With Specialised Knowledge)
The validity of this permit is 5 years. After its expiry, the holder can become eligible to gain L-1 status after having 1 year of experience working in a US corporation’s branch, subsidiary, affiliate or parent located abroad.

The L1 Visa processing time varies depending on the USCIS service center and the country from where the applicant applies. Right now California service center has wait time of two months. Generally, for applicants filing blanket petitions under form I-129 have an estimated time 4-6 months.

Typically, the average processing time for the I-129 petition is around six months. Consulate processing varies based on the home country but can be expected to take up to six months or longer.