Read the general business expansion overview
Hypothetical example: a Selwyn custom-cabinetry manufacturer opens a U.S. showroom and warehouse, transferring the person who will run it. A new-office L-1 approval runs for one year, so the petition describes a plan and the extension asks what the plan produced. Treating that year as an evidentiary period from the first day is the difference between a straightforward extension and a difficult one.
What the initial petition has to show
For a new office the petitioner must establish that physical premises have been secured, that the qualifying relationship between the entities exists, and that the U.S. entity will support a managerial or executive position within one year of approval — or, for a specialized-knowledge role, that the entity can support the beneficiary's work. The beneficiary still needs the continuous qualifying year of employment abroad within the preceding three years. A lease or equivalent premises evidence, a business plan with staffing and financial projections, and proof of capitalisation are the practical core of the filing.
What the year has to produce
The extension is assessed on what happened rather than on what was intended. That means hires actually made and documented, revenue actually earned, premises actually occupied, and duties the beneficiary actually performed. A Selwyn manufacturer whose transferred manager spent the year personally selling and installing has evidence of a hard-working operating employee, which is not the same as evidence of a manager directing staff and functions. Where the commercial reality requires the manager to do that work initially, the plan should show when and how it shifts, and the records should capture the shift as it occurs.
The dates that decide the outcome
Three dates govern the project: the filing date, against which the qualifying year abroad is measured; the approval date, from which the one-year period runs; and the extension filing, which must be prepared before that year expires. Around them sit commercial dates — lease commencement, first hire, first sale — that the extension evidence will rely on. Total time in L-1A is capped at seven years and L-1B at five, and the new-office year counts. A Selwyn company should put all of these on one calendar at the outset, because the extension file is assembled from what the first year actually recorded.
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.