Read the general business expansion overview
Hypothetical example: a Centre Wellington manufacturer of seed-cleaning and grain-conditioning equipment wants to open its first US sales and service office and send its service manager to run it. Because the US entity has been doing business for less than a year, this is a new-office petition: approval is limited to one year. The petition must also show a qualifying parent, branch, subsidiary, or affiliate relationship, an active foreign entity, and the transferee's one continuous year of qualifying employment abroad within the prior three years, together with secured premises and the financial and staffing capacity to support the proposed role.
Secure premises and fund the entity before filing
A new-office petition must include evidence that physical premises have been secured, typically a signed lease for a service bay and office, and evidence of the financial ability to start doing business and pay the transferee. That means the US entity is formed, has a bank account funded by the Canadian parent, and has a budget. Photographs of an empty shop are not a plan; the petition needs the lease, the capitalization record, and a business plan that explains what the office will sell and service, to whom, and with what staff. The Canadian parent's financial statements show it can support the office through the first year.
Describe the role as it will exist after the first year
In a new office the transferee often does hands-on work at the start, which is expected, but the petition must show that within one year the operation will support a primarily managerial or executive role for an L-1A, or that the transferee's specialized knowledge is what the office needs for an L-1B. For the service manager, describe the technicians and administrative staff to be hired, the dates, and the authority he will hold over them. Draw the organization chart as it will look at month twelve and be candid about month one. An examiner who sees a realistic ramp is more persuaded than one who reads an inflated chart.
Plan the extension from the first day
The one-year approval will need to be extended, and the extension petition must show that the office is doing business and that the role has become what the plan promised. Keep evidence as it accrues: invoices for equipment sales and service calls, payroll registers for hired staff, the lease renewal, tax filings and photographs of operations. If the plan slips, the extension is where it shows. The service manager should also keep his own qualifying-year evidence from the Canadian company, and the family should note that L-2 spouses are employment-authorized incident to status. Total L-1 stay is capped at seven years in managerial or executive capacity and five years in specialized-knowledge capacity.
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.