Obtaining an L-1A visa is certainly not an easy task. Once an applicant has reunited all necessary paperwork, prepared the petition, and submitted it to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), it is necessary to wait until the petition is processed and analyzed by the responsible officials. Unless using an L-1A premium processing.
Nonetheless, USCIS allows applicants of certain visa categories to pay a premium processing fee to expedite the process, which includes the L-1 visa category.
In this article, you will discover how to expedite the processing of an L-1A visa application using premium processing..
L-1A Visa – A Brief Explanation
The L-1 visa is an intracompany transfer visa largely utilized to transfer personnel from a company outside of the United States to a company inside of the United States.
In essence, the L-1 visa requires that the two companies must be related, meaning that they need to be part of the same corporate group (e.g., an affiliate company, a subsidiary company, etc.) or be the same company.
Foreign employees who are eligible for the L-1 visa category can be granted either an L-1A or an L-1B visa. The L-1A subcategory is granted to managers and executives transferred to the United States, while the L-1B subcategory is granted to specialized knowledge personnel.
L-1A Premium Processing – How Can I Use It During the Processing of My L-1A Visa?
USCIS guarantees that applicants of certain visa categories can expedite the processing time of their cases by paying an additional $2,500 fee for premium processing.
Plus, they guarantee processing within 15 calendar days to applicants who choose to pay for the service, and in case they fail to process within the promised period, USCIS will refund the premium processing fee to the applicant and continue with expedited processing.
The promised 15-day period begins once USCIS has received the current version of the Form l-097 (Request for Premium Processing Service), properly filled and at the correct filing address noted on the form.
Once the l-907 is received, USCIS has 15 calendar days to issue an approval, a denial, a Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID), or a Request for Evidence (RFE).
In case the USCIS sends the applicant either an NOID or a REF notice, the applicant is required to submit additional evidence or a response to a notice of intent to deny as soon as possible.
Then, once the applicant has submitted the required information, USCIS has a new 15-day period to issue a new response to the case. There were cases in which USCIS issued a subsequent RFE, but it rarely occurs.
L-1A Premium Processing – Filling a Request for Premium Processing
The first step for L-1A applicants that want to obtain premium processing is to apply by completing and signing Form l-907 (Request for Premium Processing Service), making sure to follow the correct instructions provided in the form.
If the applicant is filing Form l-907 along with Form l-129 (Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker) and Form I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker), he/she will need to file each form according to its own instructions.
In case an applicant has already filed either Form l-129 or Form l-140, but now he/she wants to request premium processing, it is possible to file a Form l-907 with a copy of the Form I-797 (Notice of Action) for the other forms and submit it in the service center where they are currently pending.
However, in case the USCIS has transferred the petition to another service center and sent the applicant a transfer notice, it is extremely recommended to submit Form I-797 to the specific service center that is currently handling the petition.
In such cases, applicants should include a copy of the transfer notice with the request for premium processing to avoid wasting time with delays.
L-1A Premium Processing – Does It Guarantee a Successful Outcome?
Unfortunately, many applicants think that paying a premium processing fee will guarantee a successful outcome for their petition. However, it is not true, as there is no guarantee that a premium processing will affect the way USCIS officials analyze a petition.
However, paying the premium processing fee allows the applicant to save plenty of time when they need to deal with USCIS processing, especially when applying for an L-1A visa.
L-1A Premium Processing – We Can Help You
Undoubtedly, obtaining premium processing when applying for an L-1A visa is excellent. However, the process of preparing the necessary paperwork can be complex and time-consuming.
You can count on Attorney Romy B. Jurado Esq., an experienced immigration attorney to get that weight off your shoulders. Call Attorney Romy B. Jurado today at (305) 921-0976 or send an email to [email protected] to schedule a consultation.