For an L-1A new office, the initial proposal must explain an operation capable of supporting a managerial or executive role within one year of approval. Keep that submitted plan intact and record what actually develops. Extension preparation needs evidence of the business and role, not only a revised version of the forecast.
Describe the resources supporting the launch
Identify the secured premises, financial resources, planned responsibilities and staffing sequence. Hypothetical example: a Calgary company expects its transferee to launch the office and hire operational support later. Explain the initial tasks and the role anticipated as the business develops. A company registration or impressive title is not the whole evidentiary account.
Record a material change when it happens
If a hire is delayed or a service changes, note the date, reason and actual effect on the beneficiary’s work. Identify who now performs the responsibilities and retain the supporting records. Do not edit the original history to make the plan appear exact. Counsel can assess the consequences more usefully from a dated account than from an unexplained new organization chart. The L-1A new-office case specifically requires one continuous full-time foreign year in a managerial or executive role during the relevant three years. Brief U.S. trips need not break continuity, but U.S. days do not count. Establish a qualifying parent, branch, subsidiary or affiliate relationship and continuing regular, systematic and continuous business in the United States and at least one other country.
Prepare the extension from actual evidence
Initial new-office approval is limited to one year. Confirm the individual approval and status dates and the appropriate filing plan. Gather evidence of business activity, staffing, duties, finances and continuing qualifying organizations. A forecast may explain expectations, but it cannot replace records of operations or establish that every transfer condition continues to be satisfied. New-office treatment concerns less than one year of U.S. doing business, rather than incorporation age. L-1A requires sufficient premises and support for the qualifying U.S. managerial or executive position within one year of approval, with initial approval capped at one year. L-1B new offices instead need qualifying specialized knowledge, sufficient premises and financial ability to pay the employee and commence business; that initial approval also cannot exceed a year.
What else is on your mind?
Does being a business owner or director qualify me for L-1A?What employment history should an L-1 transfer review cover?What makes a new-office L-1A case different?Why does an L-2 spouse’s admission record matter for work?Editorial source review: 2026-09-07. General preparation guidance, not an individual assessment.