A new-office proposal should explain how the qualifying business continues abroad while the U.S. operation develops. A Canadian handover and a U.S. launch forecast provide context, but the particular L-1A or L-1B requirements need their own evidence. A new office needs more than a registration: the U.S. organization must have premises and evidence tailored to the L-1A or L-1B role, while the transferee needs the qualifying foreign employment period. Hypothetical example: a robotics-parts manufacturer has leased workshop space but has not decided whether its first transferee will manage staff or bring proprietary production knowledge. That choice determines the evidence plan.
Draw two operating pictures
Hypothetical example: a manager’s deputy assumes Canadian responsibilities while the manager launches a U.S. operation. Show who performs ongoing foreign work and how the proposed U.S. role will function. Document the qualifying company relationship and foreign employment. Registration alone does not establish doing business; actual regular, systematic and continuous goods or services matter. Make the foreign-operation picture concrete with invoices, payroll, customer work and a current organizational chart. The key decision is whether the overseas business will continue doing business while the U.S. operation launches, rather than simply retaining a corporate registration.
Distinguish the launch standards
For L-1A, examine the required foreign managerial or executive employment, sufficient premises and the ability to support the intended managerial or executive role within one year of approval. For L-1B, assess specialized knowledge, premises and the financial ability to pay the employee and begin doing business. Do not apply a generic manager checklist to a specialist’s new-office proposal. Choose the classification from the actual first-year role. An L-1A plan must credibly support a managerial or executive position within the initial period; an L-1B plan must explain specialized knowledge and financial ability to begin operations. Do not switch labels to fit a forecast.
Plan to show actual results
The new-office framework concerns an organization doing business in the United States for less than one year, with initial approval limited to at most one year. Preserve real operating, staffing and role records as the business develops. An extension requires its own evidence; achieving a commercial milestone does not automatically establish every immigration requirement. Preserve monthly operating evidence from the start: premises use, staffing, sales, payroll, role changes and financial records. The business must decide early who owns this recordkeeping, because the initial new-office period is limited and later extension evidence cannot be recreated reliably.
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.