The L-1 visa is a nonimmigrant work visa that allows international companies to relocate certain workers from offices outside the U.S. to an office, affiliate, subsidiary, or branch inside the U.S. It also allows those employees to start new branches for their employers. When the initial validity of the L-1 visa ends, you must apply for an L-1 visa extension. Learn all about the process in our complete guide.
What is an L-1 Extension
An L-1 visa extension grants an additional two-year increment to the L-1 Visa, up to the maximum duration for each visa category:
- The L-1A visa for managers and executives has a maximum period of stay of seven years
- The L-1B visa for workers with specialized knowledge has a maximum stay of five years.
These refer to the actual time spent in the United States, which means that any time spent outside the U.S. for business or pleasure can be recaptured while seeking an extension.
How to Apply for an L-1B Extension
The process for obtaining an L-1 visa extension is very similar to the process of obtaining the initial L-1 visa. Essentially, your employer needs to file a separate petition on your behalf before the I-94 expires.
Step One: Confirm Eligibility
First, you must confirm you are eligible. This means you haven’t exceeded the 5-year maximum stay for an L-1 Extension.
If you are seeking an L-1b visa extension past the five-year limit, you can:
- Recapture time spent outside the U.S.
- Or change your status/get an adjustment of status.
You must also be currently employed with the same employer in the qualifying position.
Step Two: Gather Documents
Gather all required evidence and documents for the Form I-129 petition. See our full list below.
Step Three: File Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker
The employer files the Form I-129 before your I-94 expiration date, and marks the correct basis for classification (ie, continuation of previously approved employment without change with the same employer).
Step Four: Track Your Petition
You can track the petition using the receipt notice, Form I-797C.
Step Five: Await a Decision From USCIS
With all evidence submitted in an accurate and timely manner, you should receive notice from USCIS regarding their decision.
What are the Required Documents for L-1 Visa Extension
To file an L-1 visa extension, you must submit several documents to USCIS, including:
- Proof that the beneficiary has been employed since living in the country
- Evidence of the beneficiary’s degree or foreign equivalent relevant to his or her work in the U.S.
- A letter from a foreign qualifying employer detailing the beneficiary’s dates of employment, responsibilities, and salary in the previous three years of employment
- A support letter from the petitioner, including the beneficiary’s salary, work schedule, job duties, and terms of employment.
- USCIS L-1 Visa filing fee
- Recapturing Time Outside the U.S.
- To recapture time spent outside the country, you must submit a summary of your travel itinerary, including the number of days overseas.
- You’ll also need evidence showing your physical presence outside the country. Examples include boarding passes, plane tickets, passport stamps, and other departure records.
- What happens if you don’t submit evidence? If you fail to submit these documents, USCIS will deny your request to recapture time straightforwardly and not even bother sending a request for evidence.
- A completed I-129 Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker
If you are applying for an L-1 visa extension and you wish for your L2 spouse and/or dependents to have their visas extended as well, your employer must file an I-539 form along with your I-129.
When Should You Apply for an L-1 Visa Extension?
You must apply for your L-1 visa extension before your current status expires. The expiration date of your current status is clearly stated on your I-94 Arrival/Departure Record. If you don’t have a copy of your I-94, you can access information about your status expiration through the Customs and Border Protection Website.
Your employer can submit your extension request to the USCIS as early as six months before the expiration date indicated on your I-94. You can apply even a month before the expiration—what matters is that your petition reaches the USCIS before your status expires.
Tip: When it comes to any immigration process, especially visa extension, it’s always best to submit your petition as early as possible.
Benefits of L-1 Visa
There are several advantages to having an L-1 visa, including:
- Authorization to work and live in the United States for the validity period of the visa
- You can bring immediate relatives (minor children and husband/wife) to the United States on the L-2 visa
- A spouse can get employment authorization, and children can be enrolled in school
- Acts as a dual intent visa – L-1 employees can apply for permanent residency via the Green Card, and it does not affect L-1 status
- Premium processing available
Difference Between Regular and Blanket Visa Extensions
There are two major types of L visa petitions: regular and blanket petitions. Just as they have two different application processes, there are also two different types of procedures for the L-1 regular visa and the blanket program.
- The regular extension requires an application and approval for each beneficiary.
- In contrast, the blanket visa extension is for employers that hire a significant number of intra-company transfer employees, allowing them to file one petition for many workers rather than just one.
Because it is critical to file the appropriate paperwork for an L-1 visa extension, it is always highly recommended to work alongside a qualified immigration attorney to ensure you make the right decisions for your L-1 visa extension.
L1 Visa Extension Processing Time
The L1 visa extension processing time varies depending on the service center that is processing your I-129 petition. In 2025, the average processing time is 3.8 months, according to USCIS data. Using premium processing, this reduces processing to 15 business days.
Because all L visa extensions require the same I-129 petition, the processing times usually do not differ, including the L-1A and L-1B extension processing times.
What Happens to My Status While My L1 Visa Extension Petition Is Being Processed?
Submitting your petition to the USCIS doesn’t automatically extend your L-1 status. You will need to wait for the USCIS to adjudicate the request and make a decision as to whether or not you merit an extension.
If your status expires while your case is still pending with the USCIS, you will have an extra 240 days after your I-94 expiration to continue working with the same company (must be the same position). If your petition is approved within the 240 days, the added years in the extension will start counting immediately after you receive the approval notice.
If, after 240 days, your case is still pending without an approval or denial notice, you can continue staying in the United States, but you may not be allowed to continue working. Though your stay has expired, this won’t be counted as unlawful presence as long as the case remains pending. However, if your petition is denied, you must leave the U.S. immediately after you receive the denial notice.
L-1 Premium Processing Cost
L-1 premium processing is available (for an additional fee) when the employer is filing the petition. According to USCIS, your petition should be addressed within 15 calendar days. The cost is $2,805.
Opting for premium processing will not guarantee that your L1 visa renewal will be approved. It only guarantees a 15-day processing time for your petition. If the USCIS fails to process your petition in this timeframe, you will be refunded the premium processing fee.
What is an L-1B Blanket Visa Extension?
An L-1 blanket petition is used by large companies to pre-qualify L-1 employees for a transfer. The benefit of an L-1 blanket petition is that once it’s approved, the company can transfer employees rather quickly without the need to file separate petitions. These blanket petitions streamline the process significantly, but they do not override the 5-year max stay limit for L-1B holders.
To qualify for an L-1 blanket extension petition, the U.S. company must have at least 1,000 employees, must have obtained L-1 visas for at least 10 employees in the past year, and have combined sales of at least $25 million.
Spouses and Relatives of L-1 Workers
Transferring employees (L-1 workers) can have their spouses and children (unmarried) accompany them by seeking an L2 nonimmigrant status. If their petition is approved, they will be granted the same period of stay as the L-1 worker.
However, it is important to note that filing for an extension on your L-1 visa does not automatically grant an extension to your L2 dependents or spouse. To request a change of status or extension of stay under L2 status, while in the U.S., the relatives may apply together on Form I-539, Application to Change or Extend Nonimmigrant Status.
As of 2022, USCIS, along with CBP, started issuing Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Records with a new Class of Admission code for L-2 spouses. If you have an unexpired Form I-94 with the L-2S designation, then you do not need a separate Employment Authorization Document (EAD)
What about L-2 spouses who received Form I-94 before January 30, 2022? For these individuals, USCIS issued a notice in April 2022 that confirmed their employment authorization. You can present this notice alongside the unexpired Form I-94 indicating L-2 status as acceptable I-9 verification. Learn more about employment authorization for L-dependent spouses.
From L-1 Visa to Green Card
If you aim to change your visa status from L-1A to EB-1C green card, your employer will first need to submit a Petition for Alien Worker (I-140 form) to the USCIS. If you are in the U.S. and your priority date is current, you can file Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status, at the same time (concurrently) as the I-140. If you are outside of the U.S. your case will continue through consular processing after your I-140 is approved.
For individuals on L-1B status, the path to a green card normally involves the PERM Labor Certification process followed by the I-140 under the EB-2 or EB-3, depending on your eligibility. A qualified immigration attorney can help you determine which option is most appropriate.
L1 Visa Extension Fees
Filing for an L-1A or L-1B visa extension is very similar to filing for the initial visa. Therefore, the fees are also very similar. Your employer will be responsible for these costs:
Form I-129 Filing Fee (Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker):
Fee: $1,385; $695 for small employers (25 or fewer full-time U.S. employees) and qualifying nonprofits
Asylum Program Fee:
Fee: $600; $300 for small employers
*Nonprofit organizations are exempt
Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee: $500
Required for initial L-1 petitions and when changing employers; not required for extensions with the same employer.
Public Law 114-113 Fee: $4,500
Applicability: Applies to employers with 50 or more U.S. employees, where over 50% are in H-1B or L-1 status, and filing an initial L-1 petition or changing employers; not applicable for extensions with the same employer
It is important to note that the Public Law 114-113 fee and ACWIA fee are only applicable to the initial filing. As for the premium processing fee, it can be paid by either you or your employer. Depending on your situation, premium processing may or may not be appropriate for your case.
It is also important to note that filing for an extension for any L-2 dependent visas will subject your employer to a $420 filing fee for the I-539 petition.
Do I keep my status if I am fired from my job while under L-1 status?
If you happen to lose your job while on L-1 visa status, you need to immediately find another job from an employer who will sponsor you for another work visa, such as an H-1B. In some instances, you may be required to return to your home country since L-1 to H-1B transfers are subject to a numerical cap each year.
Fortunately, if you are able to transfer your status to H-1B, you will be given a 60-day grace period after H1B employment termination to find a new employer, transfer your status, or leave the country.
Can I renew my L-1 visa after a seven-year stay?
While L-1 visa holders are allowed to renew their status, the overall period of stay is a maximum of seven years for L-1A holders (L-1B holders can only stay for a maximum of five years). This is the three-year initial period plus every other added year in the extension request. Once you have reached the seven-year validity period and you still want to continue living and working in the U.S. with an L-1 visa, you will need to reapply for a new visa.
This means that you must leave the United States and work abroad for at least one year to be qualified to request another L-1 petition. Reapplying for an L-1 visa will require the same procedure as the original process. However, instead of exhausting your entire seven-year validity period and risk being out of status, you can apply for an employment-based green card for L-1 holders, which will afford you the opportunity of permanent residency in the United States.
Recapturing time on an L-1 Visa
Be aware that if you’ve spent any time outside of the United States, this doesn’t count towards your total time limit, so you can recapture it along with your form I-129. For example, if you spent five months outside the U.S., you can recapture that time and have your visa extended by that amount.
Your employer must file a petition to extend your L1 visa by the recaptured amount (including relevant evidence showing the time was spent overseas).
As an added benefit, dependents of an L1 visa holder can also recapture time they’ve spent out of the U.S. The other option is to get a change of status. Be sure to file for the change of status while your L1 status is still valid.
Check out this guide on L-1 Visa Process for Dependents.
L-1 Visa Extension Denial
The USCIS reserves the right to approve, reject, or deny an L-1 visa extension request. Keep in mind that rejection and denial are two different things. Rejection means there are certain missing elements in your petition packet. If your petition is rejected, you have the opportunity of refiling it, and ensure the missing documents in the former petition are added this time around.
However, if you receive a denial notice, this indicates that an evaluating officer has looked at your case and deemed either you, your employer, or both of you unqualified for the extension, and has thereby denied your request.
Discuss with your immigration attorney about presenting new evidence or appeal to reopen the case if viable.
Common Reasons for L-1 Visa Extension Denial
If the USCIS suspects anything suspicious from a sponsor or beneficiary of an extension petition, they can issue a denial notice. The following are some of the common reasons for L-1 visa extension:
- Job Change: This may occur if you have changed job positions in the last three years and the current position and job description do not match the description of an executive, manager, or specialized employee as indicated by the USCIS.
- Suspicion of Fraud: If the USCIS suspects that your visa extension was filed fraudulently or you gave deliberate misinformation or misrepresentation in your petition, your request may be denied.
- Criminal Charges: Generally, a past criminal record is a red flag that can impact your immigration case. Regardless of how minor the crime might seem, it may have a negative effect on your visa application, whether you are applying afresh or you are seeking an extension.
What to Do If Your L-1 Visa Extension Petition Is Denied
Visa extension denial is, of course, a big disappointment. However, it doesn’t mean the end of your petition, as there are some options to explore to possibly turn around the situation. U.S. immigration law gives visa applicants two options. The first is to seek a motion to reopen or reconsider the case or file an appeal to the Administrative Appeals Office (AAO).
Keep in mind, however, that each of these two options usually involves a very long process and doesn’t guarantee a favorable outcome. This might eventually put you at risk of being out of status should your I-94 expire while waiting for a decision.
To avoid this, you can also consider another nonimmigrant visa alternative, provided you still have enough time on your I-94 to process it. Whether you are opting for an appeal or reopening of the case or you are filing a new alternative visa, you will need to work closely with an immigration attorney. Your attorney is in the best position to help you evaluate the denial, and recommend the best option to explore for the best and fastest outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I apply for a green card after receiving L-1A approval?
You can receive permanent residency after being issued an L-1A visa because it is considered a “dual intent” visa. This means that, under L-1A visa extension status, you are able to apply for lawful permanent residency without jeopardizing your nonimmigrant status. Therefore, it doesn’t have the issues that some other visas have (such as the H-1B or J-1) when it comes to transferring to immigrant status. Learn more about L-1A to EB Green Card process.
How does L-1 Visa Taxation work?
Nonimmigrants who work in the United States are still required to pay taxes on the money they make while in the United States. It is called U.S. Effective Connected Income. For those who have resided in the U.S. long enough to meet the Substantial Resident Test, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will tax them on their worldwide income. Check out this L1 visa taxation guide for more information.
Do I keep my status if I am fired from my job while under L-1 status?
The first thing to keep in mind is that there is a grace period in which you can use that time to find a new U.S. employer that will sponsor your visa, you can apply to change status or get your affairs in order to depart the United States. If no new status is approved during the grace period you will need to leave the country.
Can I renew my L-1 visa after a seven-year stay?
After you reach the maximum stay, you cannot renew your visa.
Can I apply for a green card after receiving L-1A approval?
Yes! This is a dual intent visa, which means you can apply for the green card without jeopardizing your status. It’s best to start the process early since the green card processing time can be lengthy.
How does L-1 Visa Taxation work?
Yes, any source of income you make working in the U.S. is subject to taxation. You will be responsible for federal and possibly state income taxes if it applies. Did you know some countries have tax treaties with the U.S., which may make part of your income exempt? Discuss this with your immigration attorney to learn more!
How We Can Help
VisaNation Law Group’s immigration attorneys can help you file an L-1 visa extension or renewal for yourself or your dependents. They’ve handled thousands of cases with an exceptional approval rating. What’s more, they will update you on the status of your case in a timely manner.
Schedule an immigration consultation or get assistance with any other immigration-related matter.