Good news for anyone planning on getting their American temporary residency visa is that the visa imposed by the former US President has been overturned.
Recent media reports confirmed that the ban on work visas instituted by Donald Trump has since been lifted by his successor Joe Biden. Trump ordered a ban on US employment-based visas (green cards) shortly after the coronavirus outbreak, on the grounds that it would protect the American workforce.
“To the contrary, it harms the United States, including by preventing certain family members of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents from joining their families here. It also harms industries in the United States that utilize talent from around the world,” Biden said.
One such visa is the L-1 visa
Employees of international companies with offices in the USA qualify for the L-1 visa. The visa allows foreign workers to relocate to their employer’s US-based office for a period of at least one year and in some cases for up to 7 years.
This temporary residency work visa allowing the visa holder and their family to enter, live, work and study in the US for up to 7 years in some cases.
L1 Visa Requirements
- The petitioning company may be a corporation, charity (or other non-profit organization), or a religious organization located in the United States.
- The US-based employer sponsoring the applicant must be associated and have a qualifying relationship with the foreign company who currently employs the candidate. Types of qualifying relationships include: parent company, subsidiary, branch, or affiliate.
- The employer must be doing business as an employer in the US and in at least one foreign country. This means they are actively and continually delivering goods or services, simply having an office does not qualify.
- The employee must have completed a minimum of one year’s continuous employment for the company outside of the US within the three years immediately prior to the application. Any time spent working in the United States will not count towards the twelve months.
Consult an immigration consultant who specializes in US immigration law if you are in a position where this visa might be useful to you and your employer / US-based affiliate of your employer.