When we were approached by the Vice President of a start-up mobile app developer who had just established a small office in NYC, we were naturally skeptical of his chances for an L-1A Visa. The Parent Company did show complexity in management, but had little by way of a management structure established in the U.S. Be this as it may, a “New Office” can demonstrate viability by documenting the managerial/executive nature of a position through a solid business plan with projections of growth that encompass a managerial position in the future. Therefore, we went about advising the U.S. representative to put together a checklist that we then passed on to a professional business plan writer for elaboration. Within a few weeks, we were able to come up with a solid plan for growth as envisioned by the Company and this was the foundation for the L-1A Petition that followed. The USCIS sought clarification of the size and scope of the new Office and wanted to see capacity to grow. This was achieved by obtaining a letter from the current landlord showing growth potential and backed by a floor plan identifying areas to grow. The Petition was premium processed and approved immediately.
Careful planning and execution are hallmarks of a good L-1 Petition. Skimping on detail will lead to lengthy RFEs and potential denial.