L-1 Visa approvals on Visa Ban during Covid-19

L-1 Visa Approvals as Trump’s Covid-Related Ban on the Visa Expires

As President Trump’s temporary ban on the L-1 Visa lifts, our firm is seeing a rise in L-1 visa approvals.

By advocating for our clients, they have been able to overcome the challenges and difficulties created by governmental policies and the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are the stories of two of our clients who secured their respective L-1A visas, as well as L-2 visas for their dependents.


The L-1 Visa Employee Transfer Visa route to the US was shut down by President Trump as part of measures to fight Coronavirus introduced in June 2020. The L-1 visa is used to transfer employees between the overseas office and the US office of the same multinational company. However, our firm also specializes in “New Office” L-1 Visas, which allow overseas business owners and managers to move to the US to establish and grow a new US office of their existing business.

Reopening of the L-1 Visa Route to the United States

The ban on the L-1 Visa (together with the H-1B visa) elapsed naturally on March 31, 2021 and President Biden chose not to renew it. While some L-1 visa issuances were permitted during Covid, the end of the ban means the L-1 Visa category has reopened without restriction. That said, Covid-related challenges still persist: Applicants continue to face COVID-related travel bans/restrictions as well as reduced Embassy operations.

Here are the stories of two of our clients.

L-1 Intracompany Transfer Visa Approval: Travel & Tourism Sector

One of the clients is a full-time as Managing Manager of a travel and tourism company. The company is engaged in in the online B2B hotel booking market, which offers over 300,000 hotels and 50,000 apartments globally, with facilities to book transfers and sightseeing tours. With their innovative software products, with over 25,000 registered agents in 35 countries, they have decided to expand the concept to the US market.  With the L-1A visa in hand, he can now enter the US to manage the US company and take advantage of the opportunity in the travel and tourism sector as the world slowly reopens.

L-1 Intracompany Transfer Visa Approval: Fashion & Wholesale Sectors

The other client is a Market Research Manager of a wholesaler and exporter of singular jewelry and stylish evening bags of the finest quality as well as beautifully hand-constructed pillows, cushions and table mats. The foreign company has enjoyed success in terms of both revenue and opportunity. Given the international nature of the market in which the foreign company conducts its business, together with its growing roster of U.S. based clients, they have decided to establish presence in the US through an affiliate company and transfer the client to the US as Business Development Manager.

The range of handcrafted home furnishings, handbags, jewelry, scarfs and other merchandise are truly uniquely designed, differentiating themselves from others engaged in the accessories’ marketplace. These timeless pieces are created by artisans with a history of crafting products not ordinarily found online or being mass-produced. The L-1A beneficiary will incorporate management of essentially all substantive areas, functions and processes to be followed by the U.S. affiliated company. She will also serve as the ultimate director and manager of all U.S. employees.

What is the L-1 Intracompany Transfer Visa?

The L-1A visa allows international managers and executives to move to work in the US office of the same company for up to a maximum of seven years. If there is not yet a US office, our firm can help set one up and ensure it is L-1 compliant. The L-1B visa allows an employee with specialized knowledge to move to the US office for a maximum of five years. The initial visa validity will not be granted for the full five or seven years. The initial validity for a New Office L-1 is up to one year, and for all other L-1s depends upon your country of origin. After this it is possible to renew in installments up to 7 years, or switch to another visa which offers permanent residency (Green Card) – see EB1(c) visas. Spouses and children under the age of 21 can move to the US with you and spouses can apply for work authorization.

Watch Another one of our L-1 Clients Explain how we Helped him Obtain an L-1 Visa During Covid.

This article is published for clients, friends and other interested visitors for information purposes only. The contents of the article do not constitute legal advice and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Davies & Associates or any of its attorneys, staff or clients. External links are not an endorsement of the content.