US L-1 Visa in 2026: L-1A, L-1B, New Office, Costs and Steps

Short answer: The L-1 lets a company move an employee from an office abroad to a related US office. L-1A is for managers and executives, for up to 7 years. L-1B is for staff with specialized knowledge of the company, for up to 5 years. The employee needs one continuous year of full-time work for the same company group outside the US in the last 3 years. That year must be as a manager, executive or specialized-knowledge employee. The employer files Form I-129 with USCIS; the base fee is USD 1,385 by mail, plus other fees. A company can also send someone to open a new US office; the first approval is for 1 year. Canadian citizens need no visa and can have the petition decided at the border. Most other people need an L-1 visa. ESTA (the Visa Waiver Program for short visits) cannot be used.

Find your situation:

• Canadian citizen: see Canadian citizens.
• Any other passport, including permanent residents of Canada: see Other passports.
• Opening a US office for your own company: see New office L-1 and the first question in the FAQ.
• Already in the US in another status: see “Already in the US?” under Costs and steps.
• Bringing your spouse and children: see our L-2 visa guide.

The rules below are as of November 2026. Comparing routes? See our US work visa options.

Canadian citizens: at the border

• No visa. Canadians need a US visa only for the E, K, S and V categories (8 CFR 212.1). No DS-160, no interview, no USD 205 visa fee.
• Where: a CBP officer can decide the L-1 petition when you ask to enter. This can happen at a “Class A” port of entry on the US-Canada land border (the regulation’s term) or at US preclearance in Canada (8 CFR 214.2(l)(17)(17))). CBP has designated some ports for faster handling of first-time applicants, but you do not have to use them. Some of those land ports handle L-1 only on certain weekdays, so check the hours on the CBP page before you go (CBP).
• What you bring: two copies of Form I-129 signed by the employer (who does not need to come), the fees, the supporting documents and a valid Canadian passport. You pay the petition fees to CBP with the petition. They are the I-129 base fee and the Asylum Program Fee, plus the USD 500 fraud fee for a first L-1 or a change of employer. Covered employers (see Costs and steps) also pay USD 4,500 (8 CFR 214.2(l)(17)(17)), G-1055). An I-94 costs USD 30 at a land border and nothing at air or sea ports (Federal Register).
• Or the employer files first with USCIS, and you show the I-797 approval notice at the border. Premium processing is a USCIS service for petitions filed with USCIS. If your employer has a blanket L approval (see Who qualifies), you present Form I-129S instead (9 FAM 402.12).
• This route is for Canadian citizens only. Permanent residents of Canada need an L-1 visa (unless they are visa-exempt for another reason). They can apply in Canada, at one of the seven US embassy and consulate offices there that process nonimmigrant visas, or in their country of nationality (State Department).
• USMCA (CUSMA) is the trade agreement behind this route. At the 1 July 2026 joint review, the US did not agree to renew it in its current form. USTR says the agreement remains in force (USTR), and the three countries now review it every year (Federal Register). The DHS rule for the Canadian border route has not changed (8 CFR 214.2(l)(17)(17))).

Other passports: you need an L-1 visa

• Petition first. You apply for the visa after USCIS approves the employer’s I-129. If your employer has a blanket L approval, you apply with Form I-129S and the blanket approval notice instead (State Department).
• Each applicant completes a DS-160, pays USD 205 (not refunded) and attends an in-person interview. L-1 applicants cannot get an interview waiver (State Department).
• Apply in your country of nationality or residence. If you book in another country, the fee you paid is not refunded and cannot be transferred (State Department).
• Visa length and any reciprocity fee (an extra fee some nationalities pay when the visa is issued) generally depend on the passport you apply with (reciprocity tables). Permanent residents of Canada who apply in Canada may be given Canada’s terms instead; the consular officer decides (Canada reciprocity page).

Any reciprocity fee is paid only after the visa is approved. Visa validity is how long you can use the visa to enter the US; it does not decide how long you can stay. Officers may issue a shorter visa in an individual case (9 FAM 402.12).

ESTA cannot be used

ESTA is only for short business or tourist visits of up to 90 days, so it cannot be used for L-1, even with a UK or German passport. US Consulate Amsterdam lists intra-company transfers among the purposes that need a visa (US Consulate Amsterdam). Only visa-exempt people, mainly citizens of Canada and Bermuda, can come without an L-1 visa (8 CFR 212.1). Someone who entered on ESTA cannot change to L-1 inside the US.

Travel restrictions: Proclamation 10998, in force since 1 January 2026, suspends or limits visas for nationals of the countries it lists. It covers only people who were outside the US and held no valid visa on the applicable effective date, and it revokes no visa issued before then. Dual nationals are exempt if they apply and travel on the passport of a country that is not listed (State Department).

Who qualifies: L-1A or L-1B

For both types, USCIS says the employer must show four things (USCIS Policy Manual):

1. A company link. The US company and the company abroad that employs you must be connected by ownership and control: the same company (a branch), or a parent, subsidiary or affiliate. Links through contracts, licensing or franchising do not count.
2. Business in the US and abroad. For your whole stay, the company group must keep doing business in the US and in at least one other country, directly or through a parent, branch, subsidiary or affiliate. Doing business means regularly providing goods or services; a registered company or an office alone is not enough. A new US office gets one year to start. A company abroad that is dormant (does no real business) or only holds shares is not enough (Policy Manual Ch. 6).
3. One year abroad. One continuous year of full-time work for the company group, outside the US, in the 3 years before the first L-1 petition. Short business or tourist trips to the US do not break the year, but the days you spend in the US do not count toward it (Policy Manual Ch. 6).
4. Qualifying jobs. That year abroad and the US job must both be managerial, executive or specialized knowledge.

Your education and experience must also fit the US job, but the two jobs do not have to be the same type (except for a new-office L-1A).

• L-1A: a title is not enough. You must spend most of your time managing or directing (Policy Manual Ch. 3), and the petition must describe your daily duties in detail. A manager with no staff can still qualify by managing a key function of the company at a senior level (Policy Manual Ch. 6). The number of staff alone does not decide, but in a very small company USCIS may ask who does the hands-on work (Policy Manual Ch. 8).
• L-1B: special knowledge of the company’s products, or advanced knowledge of its processes. It does not have to be proprietary or unique to the company. Knowledge that is common in the industry or easy to teach does not qualify. USCIS does not require proof that no US worker is available (Policy Manual Ch. 4). State Department guidance, which consular officers use for blanket L-1B workers, still mentions the US labor market (9 FAM 402.12).
• L-1B at a client’s site: if you will work mainly at the site of a company that is not related to your employer, L-1B is not possible in two cases. The first is when that client mainly controls and supervises your work. The second is when the placement is really an arrangement to supply labor for hire, not a product or service that needs knowledge specific to your employer (INA 214(c)(2)(F)). The client may give feedback and even direct some tasks, as long as your employer keeps the final say over your daily work (Policy Manual Ch. 4). This rule is written for L-1B only.
• Owners: you can be the L-1 worker if you mainly manage the company; a title alone is not enough (Policy Manual Ch. 3). The petition must show that your US work is temporary and that you will be transferred to an assignment abroad when it ends (8 CFR 214.2(l)(3)(vii)(3)(vii))). A sole proprietorship cannot file for its own owner, because it is not a separate legal entity from the owner. A corporation or a single-member LLC can (Policy Manual Ch. 5).
• Blanket L: large, established company groups can have their related companies approved once by USCIS. Each worker is then checked individually. A consular officer does this at the visa stage, a CBP officer at the border for a Canadian, and USCIS when the I-129S is filed with it (9 FAM 402.12, Policy Manual Ch. 7). Blanket L cannot be used for a new office.

New office L-1

A foreign company with no US office yet can send a manager, executive or specialized-knowledge employee to set one up (USCIS). In the rules, a “new office” is one that has done business in the US for less than a year (8 CFR 214.2(l)(1)(ii)(F)(1)(ii)(F))). The office does not need to be doing business yet, but on the filing date the petition must show:

• Office space already secured, big enough to house the new office.
• For L-1A:
• a year abroad as a manager or executive (specialized knowledge is not enough);
• a plan showing the office will support a managerial or executive job within one year of approval: its scope, structure and financial goals;
• how much is being invested in the US, and proof that the company abroad can pay you and start the business;
• the organizational structure of the company abroad (8 CFR 214.2(l)(3)(v)(3)(v)(C))).
• For L-1B: a US company related to the company abroad, and the ability to pay you and start doing business in the US.

There is no fixed minimum investment in the regulation or the Policy Manual. The petition must say clearly that it is a new-office case. Otherwise USCIS may treat it as an ordinary petition, which needs an office already doing business (Policy Manual Ch. 8). The first approval is for 1 year. To extend it (for up to 2 years), the company must show it has done business over the past year, with evidence of its staff, wages and finances (8 CFR 214.2(l)(14)(ii)(14)(ii))). The L-1 is not for moving your whole business to the US: State Department guidance says the company must stay international (9 FAM 402.12).

Costs and steps

Sources: USCIS G-1055, 8 CFR 106.2, 8 CFR 106.1, Federal Register, State Department, 9 FAM 402.12.

• USD 4,500 fee: since 9 September 2026 it also applies to extensions. An amended petition that does not ask for an extension does not pay it (Policy Manual Ch. 7). It is set to end on 30 September 2027.
• Blanket L at the consulate: the USD 500 and USD 4,500 amounts are taken off the reciprocity fee for your passport, so you pay only what is left of that fee, if anything, when the visa is issued (9 FAM 402.12).
• Example totals (our own sums of the G-1055 fees, not official figures), filing by mail: first petition USD 2,485 (regular employer), USD 1,495 (small employer) or USD 1,195 (nonprofit); same-employer extension USD 1,985 (regular employer). Add USD 4,500 if the 9-11 fee applies to your employer, and USD 2,965 for premium processing.
• No fee waiver exists for Form I-129 or premium processing. The USD 500 and USD 4,500 fees are never refunded.
• Visa Integrity Fee (not confirmed): a 2025 law created a fee of at least USD 250 for each nonimmigrant visa issued (Public Law 119-21). As of November 2026, the State Department’s visa fee page does not list it (State Department).

Steps:

1. Check the company link, the business on both sides and your year abroad.
2. The employer files Form I-129 by mail or online, no more than 6 months before the start date. It can be a US company, or a foreign company with a US legal entity (USCIS I-129).
3. Optional: premium processing.
4. USCIS approves (Form I-797), asks for more evidence, or denies.
5. Visa interview, if you need a visa. Even with an approved petition, the officer can refuse the visa and send the petition back to USCIS.
6. At the border, CBP decides whether to let you in and sets the end date on your I-94 (your record of stay). Carry the I-797 each time you enter.

Already in the US? If you are in the US in another status, the employer can ask USCIS to change it to L-1, with the same fees as a first petition. You must have entered the US lawfully, must not have worked illegally or broken the rules of your status in another way, and must have an I-94 that has not expired (Policy Manual Ch. 10). The change is not possible if you came on ESTA, in transit, as crew, on any K visa (fiancé(e), spouse or their children), as a J-1 in graduate medical training, or as a J-1 who must spend two years in the home country and has no waiver (I-129 instructions). An approval is not a visa: after a trip abroad you need an L-1 visa to return, unless you are visa-exempt (USCIS I-129).

Premium processing and timelines

• Premium processing (USD 2,965) means USCIS must take action within 15 business days or refund the fee. Action can be an approval, a denial, a request for evidence (RFE), a notice of intent to deny or the opening of a fraud investigation, not only an approval (USCIS).
• The 15 days start again after an RFE. If USCIS asks for more evidence or sends a notice of intent to deny, the clock stops. A new 15 business days start when USCIS receives the answer.
• Fraud investigation: if USCIS opens a fraud or misrepresentation investigation, it may keep the premium fee and not act within the 15 business days, without telling the employer (8 CFR 106.4).
• Suspension: USCIS can suspend premium processing for a category when it cannot meet the deadlines for a large number of cases. It announces this on its website, so check the I-907 page before you count on 15 days.
• Without premium: in November 2026 the USCIS processing-times tool showed that most L petitions reached a first decision within about six and a half months (based on cases from the past six months). The tool counts the days from when USCIS receives the petition to its first decision, and those days can include time spent answering a request for evidence (USCIS processing times).
• Visa interviews: on the State Department table (updated 21 October 2026), the next appointment for work visas such as L-1 was less than half a month away in London, Paris and Berlin. It was 2 months in Toronto and 7 months in Vancouver (State Department). US Mission Canada’s general notice says applicants who do not live in Canada can expect about 600 calendar days for an appointment there (US Mission Canada).
• Family inside the US: premium processing does not cover the family’s Form I-539.

Length of stay and extensions

• Time limits: the first approval is for up to 3 years (1 year for a new office). Each extension is for up to 2 years. The total is 7 years for L-1A and 5 years for L-1B (INA 214(c)(2)(D)). Time in H status counts toward the same total, including time with earlier employers (Policy Manual Ch. 10).
• After the maximum, no further extension is possible, even if a green card case is pending (8 CFR 214.2(l)(15)(15))). You must then spend 1 year outside the US before you can get H or L status again (8 CFR 214.2(l)(12)(i)(12))).
• Commuters: the 5- and 7-year limits do not apply if you live abroad and your US work is seasonal, on and off, or 6 months a year or less. The employer must prove this with clear and convincing evidence, such as arrival and departure records, tax returns and records of work abroad (8 CFR 214.2(l)(12)(ii)(12)(ii))).
• Stay versus visa: CBP can admit you for the dates of the approved petition, plus up to 10 days before and after. If your visa ends earlier, you can still stay until the date on your I-94. You need a new visa only to come back after a trip abroad.
• To extend, the employer files a new I-129 while you are in the US, normally before both the current approval and your I-94 end (8 CFR 214.2(l)(15)(15))). If the extension was filed on time and your I-94 ends while you wait for the decision, you may keep working for the same employer for up to 240 days after the I-94 end date (8 CFR 274a.12).
• Earlier approval (deference): today, when an extension has the same employer, the same worker and the same facts, USCIS generally relies on its earlier approval. It does not do so if the earlier approval had a material error, if the facts or the rules have materially changed, or if there is new material negative information (8 CFR 214.1(c)(5)(5))). Proposal only: on 14 October 2026 DHS proposed removing this rule, so that each extension would get a full new review. The comment period ends on 13 November 2026, and the proposal is not in force (Federal Register).
• Your work is tied to your employer. You may work only for the employer that filed your petition. Another company can file an L-1 for you only if it is related to the company abroad where you did your qualifying year. Otherwise you need a different status (8 CFR 274a.12).
• If the job ends, you and your family do not lose status just because the job ended. This protection lasts up to 60 days in a row, or until your I-94 ends if that is sooner, and only once in each approved period of stay. DHS may shorten it, and you cannot work during this time (8 CFR 214.1(l)(2)(2))). Proposal only: in September 2026 DHS proposed removing this grace period. It is not final (Federal Register).

Family: L-2 for your spouse and children

Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can come with you or join you later, for the same period, without a petition of their own. An L-2 spouse may work for any US employer; children may study but not work. Family members who need a visa pay USD 205 each, plus any L-2 reciprocity fee for their passport. That fee can differ from the L-1 row above: for example, a UK L-2 costs USD 90 per person, and a Dutch L-2 has no fee (reciprocity tables). If the L-1 worker is a Canadian citizen, family members who are also Canadian citizens need no visa and are admitted as L-2. Only a family member who is not a Canadian citizen (for example a permanent resident of Canada) needs an L-2 visa, unless they are visa-exempt for another reason (8 CFR 214.2(l)(17)(17))). Read our L-2 visa guide.

Green card: EB-1C

L-1 allows “dual intent”: you can apply for a green card while on L-1. A green card case cannot be the reason to deny your L-1. You must still intend to leave if your L-1 stay ends without a green card (8 CFR 214.2(l)(16)(16))).

EB-1C (multinational manager or executive) is the green-card category that matches L-1A managers and executives (USCIS EB-1):

• At least 1 year of work abroad as a manager or executive, for a company related to the US employer, in the 3 years before the petition. If you already work in the US for the employer filing the petition, the 3 years run back from your latest entry in temporary status.
• Unlike L-1, this year abroad does not have to be continuous. But if you leave the company group for more than 2 years after you enter the US, that year no longer counts and you would need a new year abroad (Policy Manual Vol. 6).
• The US job must also be managerial or executive: the US employer must plan to employ you as a manager or executive and describe the duties.
• A US employer in business for at least 1 year, related to the company abroad. A new office must wait until it has done business for a year.
• The US employer must be a US legal entity. A branch of the foreign company that is not a separate US entity can file for L-1 but not for EB-1C. The company abroad must keep operating until the green card is granted (Policy Manual Vol. 6).
• Form I-140 (USD 715 by mail, plus the Asylum Program Fee). No labor certification (PERM, a Department of Labor step) is needed.

An L-1A approval does not mean EB-1C approval. USCIS may look at the earlier L-1A, but it is not bound by it and decides the I-140 on its own facts (Policy Manual Vol. 6).

L-1B workers whose work abroad was purely specialized knowledge cannot use EB-1C. An L-1B worker can use it only if the work abroad also counted as managerial or executive and the permanent US job will be managerial or executive. Other routes:

• With an employer: EB-2 or EB-3, which normally need PERM; or EB-1B for outstanding professors and researchers, which needs a job offer from the employer but no PERM (USCIS EB-1).
• On your own: the EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) and EB-1A, which you can file for yourself. An NIW removes the need for a job offer and PERM, but EB-2 still requires an advanced degree or exceptional ability (USCIS EB-2).

Green card waiting times can depend on your country of birth, so check the State Department’s current Visa Bulletin. Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can get green cards with you.

Common myths

• “Any year with the company counts.” It must be one continuous, full-time year outside the US, in a qualifying role.
• “A new office needs USD 100,000.” No minimum figure appears in the regulation or the Policy Manual.
• “A new-office L-1 is approved for 3 years.” The first approval is for 1 year at most.
• “Premium processing means approval in 15 days.” It means action, which can be a request for evidence.
• “The USD 100,000 H-1B payment also applies to L-1.” It applies to H-1B only (Federal Register).
• “Every employer pays USD 4,500.” Only employers with 50 or more US employees, more than half of them on H-1B or L-1 (counted together).
• “An L-1A approval means the EB-1C green card will be approved.” USCIS decides the I-140 on its own facts.

FAQ

Can I open a US office for my own company and transfer myself? Yes, if all of these are true:

• your company abroad employed you full time for 1 continuous year, as a manager or executive, in the 3 years before the petition;
• the US company is linked to it by ownership and control;
• the company that files is a corporation or an LLC, not a sole proprietorship (a business that is not a separate legal entity from its owner);
• the petition meets the new-office rules;
• the company abroad keeps doing business for the whole stay.

You must mainly manage. The petition must also show that your US work is temporary and that you will be transferred to an assignment abroad when it ends.

How long does an L-1 take? With premium processing, USCIS must act within 15 business days, and that action can be a request for evidence. Without it, the USCIS tool in November 2026 showed that most L petitions reached a first decision within about six and a half months, and that time can include answering a request for evidence. Add the wait for a visa interview if you need a visa.

Do Canadians need an L-1 visa? Canadian citizens do not. Permanent residents of Canada do.

Can I change employers on an L-1? Not on your own. Another employer can file a new L-1 petition only if it is related to the company abroad where you worked your qualifying year. Otherwise you need a different status.

Can my spouse work? Yes, for any employer. See our L-2 visa guide.

What happens if my L-1 job ends? You may have up to 60 days in a row, or until your I-94 ends if that is sooner, before you are out of status. You get this only once in each approved period of stay, DHS may shorten it, and you cannot work in that time. DHS has proposed removing this grace period; it is only a proposal and is not final.

Official sources

• USCIS, L-1A intracompany transferee: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/l-1a-intracompany-transferee-executive-or-manager
• USCIS, L-1B intracompany transferee: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/l-1b-intracompany-transferee-specialized-knowledge
• USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 2, Part L, Ch. 2 (L-1 overview): https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-2-part-l-chapter-2
• USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 2, Part L, Ch. 3 (managers, executives, owners): https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-2-part-l-chapter-3
• USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 2, Part L, Ch. 4 (specialized knowledge, work at a client’s site): https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-2-part-l-chapter-4
• USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 2, Part L, Ch. 5 (petitioners and owners): https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-2-part-l-chapter-5
• USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 2, Part L, Ch. 6 (company link, doing business, year abroad, function managers): https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-2-part-l-chapter-6
• USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 2, Part L, Ch. 7 (filing, fees, blanket I-129S): https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-2-part-l-chapter-7
• USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 2, Part L, Ch. 8 (new office, small companies, blanket L): https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-2-part-l-chapter-8
• USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 2, Part L, Ch. 10 (time limits, H and L time combined, change of status): https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-2-part-l-chapter-10
• USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 6, Part F, Ch. 4 (EB-1C): https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-6-part-f-chapter-4
• USCIS Form I-129: https://www.uscis.gov/i-129
• USCIS Form I-129 instructions: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-129instr.pdf
• USCIS fee schedule G-1055: https://www.uscis.gov/g-1055
• USCIS, H and L filing fees for Form I-129: https://www.uscis.gov/forms/all-forms/h-and-l-filing-fees-for-form-i-129-petition-for-a-nonimmigrant-worker
• USCIS, premium processing: https://www.uscis.gov/forms/all-forms/how-do-i-request-premium-processing
• USCIS processing times: https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/
• USCIS, EB-1: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/permanent-workers/employment-based-immigration-first-preference-eb-1
• USCIS, EB-2: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/permanent-workers/employment-based-immigration-second-preference-eb-2
• 8 U.S.C. 1184 (INA 214: time limits, L-1B at a client’s site): https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2024-title8/html/USCODE-2024-title8-chap12-subchapII-partII-sec1184.htm
• 8 CFR 214.2 (L rules): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-214/section-214.2
• 8 CFR 214.1 (deference on extensions, grace period): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-214/section-214.1
• 8 CFR 212.1 (visa exemptions for Canada and Bermuda): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-212/section-212.1
• 8 CFR 274a.12 (work tied to the employer): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/section-274a.12
• 8 CFR 106.1 (small employer and nonprofit definitions): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-106/section-106.1
• 8 CFR 106.2 (USCIS fees): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-106/section-106.2
• 8 CFR 106.4 (premium processing): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-106/section-106.4
• 9 FAM 402.12 (L visas, blanket L fees at the consulate): https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040212.html
• State Department, Temporary Worker Visas: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/employment/temporary-worker-visas.html
• State Department, Fees for Visa Services: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/fees/fees-visa-services.html
• State Department, Reciprocity by Country: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country.html
• State Department, Canada reciprocity page: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/Canada.html
• State Department, interview waiver update (18 Sep 2025): https://travel.state.gov/en/newsroom/visas/2025/interview-waiver-update-sept-18-2025.html
• State Department, applying in your country of nationality or residence: https://travel.state.gov/en/newsroom/visas/2026/adjudicating-nonimmigrant-visa–niv–applicants-in-their-country.html
• State Department, posts that process nonimmigrant visas: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/list-of-posts-niv.html
• State Department, global visa wait times: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/global-visa-wait-times.html
• State Department, visa suspension under Proclamation 10998: https://travel.state.gov/en/newsroom/visas/2026/suspension-of-visa-issuance-to-foreign-nationals-to-protect-the-security-of-the-united-states.html
• US Mission Canada, visas: https://ca.usembassy.gov/visas/
• US Consulate General Amsterdam, ESTA and the Visa Waiver Program: https://nl.usembassy.gov/esta-and-the-visa-waiver-program/
• CBP, Canadians on TN or L-1: https://www.cbp.gov/travel/canadian-and-mexican-citizens/traveling-tn-or-l1-visa-canada
• USTR, USMCA joint review statement (July 2026): https://ustr.gov/about/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2026/july/ambassador-greer-issues-statement-usmca-joint-review
• Federal Register, USMCA operation: request for comments ahead of the 2027 review (5 Oct 2026): https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/05/2026-20341/request-for-public-comments-and-notice-of-public-hearing-relating-to-the-operation-of-the-agreement
• Federal Register, 9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee rule (10 Aug 2026): https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/10/2026-16231/9-11-response-and-biometric-entry-exit-fee-for-h-1b-and-l-1-visas
• Federal Register, premium processing fees (12 Jan 2026): https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/12/2026-00321/adjustment-to-premium-processing-fees
• Federal Register, I-94 fees for FY 2027 (1 Oct 2026): https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/01/2026-20185/certain-dhs-immigration-related-fees-required-by-hr-1-fiscal-year-2027-adjustments-for-inflation
• Federal Register, proposed removal of deference on extensions (14 Oct 2026): https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/14/2026-20941/removing-deference-to-prior-uscis-determinations-of-eligibility
• Federal Register, proposed removal of the 60-day grace period (11 Sep 2026): https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/11/2026-18631/eliminating-the-discretionary-60-day-grace-period
• Federal Register, H-1B entry restriction extended (23 Sep 2026): https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/23/2026-19554/restriction-on-entry-of-certain-nonimmigrant-workers
• Federal Register, Proclamation 10998: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/19/2025-23570/restricting-and-limiting-the-entry-of-foreign-nationals-to-protect-the-security-of-the-united-states
• Public Law 119-21 (Visa Integrity Fee): https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-119publ21/html/PLAW-119publ21.htm

Last checked: 12 November 2026

Aval Visa does not file US work-visa petitions.

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