Looking to work in the US? Know the similarities and differences between the H-1B and L-1 visas

The L-1 and the H-1B visas are the two most popular non-immigrant work visas issued by the United States of America. Because of their similarities, it can be difficult differentiate and decide between the two in choosing a route into the States.

While the L-1 is more appropriate for those that work for multinational companies, the H-1B is more appropriate for those that wish to work for American companies and have more flexibility in their job.

What is the L-1 visa?

The L-1 visa, also known as the intra-company transferee visa, is a non-immigrant visa category that is designed to allow multinational companies to transfer employees from foreign branches to locations within the US.

What is the H-1B visa?
An H-1B visa allows US employers to employ new foreign workers in specialty occupations.

Here we look at the key similarities and differences between the two:

Criteria	L-1 visa	H-1B visa
Status	Temporary	Temporary
Dual intent (Do not need to demonstrate any ties to their home country, and can apply for Green Card without jeopardising visa status.	Yes	Yes
Premium processing	Yes ($1,225)	Yes ($1,440)
Who can apply	Employee must have worked for an overseas branch office of the US company for at least one year out of the last three years. Employee must have worked as a manager, executive, or specialized knowledge worker for this time.	Any professional looking to be employed by an American company.
Quota	No	85,000 (every government fiscal year) 65,000 for overseas workers in specialty level occupations with at least a bachelors degree. 20,000 for specialty workers with a postgraduate degree from a US academic institution.
Wage requirements	No	the 'prevailing wage', which means the average wage of similarly skilled workers in the same role or the same wage the employer pays to similarly skilled workers, if higher
Payroll	Can be on the payroll of a US company, or an overseas company.	Must be on the payroll of a US company.
Dependent visas	L-2	H-4
Education requirement	None	At least a US bachelor's degree or equivalent
Duration	L-1A: initially 3 years (one year for a new office); extendable to 7 years L-1B: initially 3 years (one year for new office); extendable to 5 years	Initially 3 years; extendable to 6 years
Green Card	Can apply	Can apply