Mary,
I wanted to drop you a line and let you know that my L-1A Visa has been approved. You have worked diligently and professionally on this matter and made this daunting process very easy for me.
Please let Michael Niren know how much I appreciate your effort and my kindest thanks to you.
Best regards,
Lyle
Lyle A. Booth
Vice President of Sales, Synel - Americas
Q. I have a manufacturing business in Brampton, Ontario. I wish to expand my business to the USA. I am a Canadian citizen. My business has been running for over 10 years. Do I need a L-1 Visa?
_________
A. Depending on whether you or your employees wish to actually work in your business in the US, you may or may not require an L-1 Visa. Further in order to qualify for an L1 Visa, the applicant has to either be an executive, manager or a person of “specialized knowledge” and has to have been working for the Canadian company for at least one year within the last three years proceeding the Visa application. There are other requirements for L-1 Visas which can be found here.
L-1 Visas can fall under NAFTA for Canadian citizens which means you can obtain the Visa at a US/Canada port of entry rather than applying for it at a US Service Center. L-1 Visas are generally valid for one year for “start up” ventures and can be extended for a total of 7 years for executives or managers and 5 years for persons of specialized knowledge. In some cases, L-1 Visas can also be transferred to an application for US Permanent Residence (Green Card) through he adjustment of status process.
As you all know, we are in the midst of a economic recession on both the US and Canadian side of the borders. Unemployment is up, business profits are down and people are rightly concerned about their futures. Many of our clients are asking about whether the US is still “open for business” for Canadians wishing to get US Work Permits like TN Visas, L-1 or E-2 Visas to the US.
Well the good news is that the answer is a resounding “Yes”! We are still seeing a high volume of applications for US Visas from qualified Canadians wishing to live and work in the US. It seems that despite the recession, US Employers are still and always will be in search of qualified and competent workers and Canadians certainly fit the bill! We at Niren and Associates Immigration Lawyers are proud to be a part of the Visa process for our Canadian clients who, in most cases, report great success in the US.
Hi Mary
We are in Sunny Tennessee. Thanks so much for your help with our L-1 Visa Application. You are a very nice person to deal with and we are grateful for your personal assistance as well as that of the immigration law firm.
It was kind of scary at the border. However, in the end I answered the questions the US Customs officer asked. We thank God we brought our mortgage documents which turned out to be the key.
Thanks so much.
Annette & Tom
Fadi:
Thanks for all the help to obtain my L-1 visa. I think my documentation was
great and the questions you asked were very relevant.
I had to wait for 45 minutes. But after that, the officer was very
friendly and asked me some basic questions and approved the L-1 Visa.
As a next step, I would like to understand what is the process now to
obtain a US Green Card? I would like to apply for it ASAP.
Thanks again and look forward to hearing from you.
Regards
Mike D
At our immigration law offices in Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo, we receive inquires, many from Canadians, with US job offers. Even with the slowing economy Canadians are still getting jobs state-side. This is a testament to our very talented labor pool who still is in demand in the US.
