Background
Our client is from Italy and is a seasoned executive with over a decade of leadership experience within a major multinational management consultancy. Before their transfer, the client served in South America as the CEO of the group’s operations for 14 years. Because of his abilities, he was selected to lead a newly acquired advisory firm to spearhead the group’s expansion into the American financial services market. To take up their role as CEO, we advised the L-1A visa for intracompany transferees.
The primary legal hurdle in this case was managing a “Change of Employer” petition within a complex multinational corporate structure. We had to definitively prove the qualifying relationship between the European parent company, the South American subsidiary, and the newly acquired U.S. entity. Additionally, because the U.S. office operated as a boutique firm, we had to prove that the client’s role was strictly executive, focusing on high-level strategy and governance rather than day-to-day operational tasks.
VisaNation Case Strategy
To ensure a swift approval, our legal team implemented a strategy focused on three key areas of evidence:
- We compiled an exhaustive list of 26 exhibits in total, including stock transfer records and acquisition documents. This proved that the U.S. entity was a 100% subsidiary of the global parent group, satisfying the L-1A qualifying organizational requirements.
- We translated the client’s complex executive functions into a clear narrative for USCIS. Using detailed organizational charts and payroll records, we demonstrated that he would supervise a tier of professional and managerial-level employees, all of whom held advanced degrees. This proved he had the authority to “manage managers” and was relieved of non-executive duties.
- We leveraged the firm’s multi-million dollar gross annual income and detailed tax returns to demonstrate the U.S. entity’s stability and its capacity to support a high-level executive salary.
The Verdict
We filed the I-129 petition using Premium Processing, and after clearly demonstrating the corporate relationship and the executive nature of the role, we secured approval in just 10 days without a single Request for Evidence (RFE). This successful filing allowed the executive to transition into his new role.
