U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has changed how receipts are issued for L-1 nonimmigrant intracompany transferees (executives, managers, or specialized knowledge professionals) under a previously approved blanket L petition [USCIS, USCIS Updates Receipts Process for Form I-129S, 3 August 2023].
USCIS said the change will provide petitioners with faster, more organized, and more secure processing of Form I-129S, Nonimmigrant Petition Based on Blanket L Petition, by eliminating the need for the agency to print, stamp, sign, and annotate the paper form.
What Is an L-1A, L-1B Visa?
The L-1A nonimmigrant classification allows a U.S. employer to transfer an executive or manager from one of its affiliated foreign officers to one of its offices in the U.S. It also allows a foreign company that does not yet have an affiliated U.S. office to send an executive or manager to the U.S. with the purpose of establishing one.
The L-1B nonimmigrant classification is similar and applies to a professional employee with specialized knowledge relating to the organization's interests (e.g., a lawyer, physician, engineer).
Two Notices Will Be Provided
Petitioners who file Form I-129S with Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, will now receive two notices: the receipt notice and the approval notice (if approved). Petitioners will no longer receive a stamped and signed Form I-129S in conjunction with the Form I-129 approval. Petitioners now will receive a separate approval notice for the Form I-129S, which serves as their endorsement.
The approval notice will serve as evidence that the beneficiary is eligible for L-1 status based on an approved blanket L petition and also constitutes an endorsement of Form I-129S. Beneficiaries will be provided a copy of the approval notice that should be included with their visa and/or admission papers.
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Jyme Mariani, Esq., is Senior Manager of Payroll Information Resources for PayrollOrg.