What is an L visa?

The L visa is for those people that wish to live and work in the United States temporarily. Company employees who are being transferred temporarily to the parent company, partner company or branch of the same company in the United States, will need L1 visas. The company can be foreign or American. To begin the process, the future employer has to file an I-129 petition (petition for temporary workers) with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). If approved, USCIS will send an original form I-797 (“Notice of Action”) to the employer. The beneficiary will then be able to apply for an L visa at the Embassy of the United States in Montevideo.

To qualify for an L-1 visa, the employee must be in an executive or managerial job or have specialized knowledge and must have been appointed to occupy a similar position in the company in the United States. Additionally, the employee must have worked for the company outside the United States for at least one year continuously, during the three years prior to applying for a visa to the United States. The L-1 visa is also the appropriate type of visa for qualified employees of an international company that desire to establish a company or branch office of their company in the United States (in other words, to initiate business in the United States).

Companies that wish to appoint multiple employees to be transferred to the United States may qualify for a “blanket petition”. “Blanket petitions” are designed for companies that are already established, are relatively big, with multiple levels of organization and diverse commercial entities. “Blanket petitions” are exclusively for managers, executives and professionals with specialized knowledge, that are traveling to the United States to work in an already established office.

L2 Visa (Spouse and children of an L1 visa holder):

Spouse and single children under age 21 can receive an L2 visa, to accompany the L1 visa holder to the United States. Spouses can accept employment with the authorization of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the United States. Under aged children with L2 visas can attend public or private schools.

Required Documentation:

1. The original I-797 Form (“Notice of Action”), sent to you by the prospective employer in the United States;

2. A copy of the entire approved I-129 petition;

3. Evidence of job, academic or other qualifying credentials, as required by the occupation;

4. Proof that the company exists in Uruguay as well as in the United States. (For example taxation documents, bank statements, registration from the chamber of commerce, purchase and sale receipts of goods and services.)

5. Only for Blanket L petition applicants:
   a. The original I-797C form and the I-129S form;
   b. The principal applicant must pay a US$ 500 Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee at the Consular Section at the time of the non-immigrant visa interview.

6. Only for Derivative Applicant(s) L2:
  a. If the principal applicant is not applying at the same time: A copy of the principal applicant’s documents;
  b. Proof of relationship, such as a birth certificate for children traveling and marriage certificate;
  c. A copy of the principal applicant’s visa, along with proof that the principal applicant is maintaining status, such as current job letter or pay stubs.

7. General Application Documents

Important Notes:

• Due to limited resources, the Consular Section cannot process petition based cases from applicants who are not legal residents of Uruguay.

• As a result of strict security measures, some visa applications might take longer than others to be processed. This process cannot be accelerated so do not make final plans for your trip or buy your tickets until you receive your visa. Visa applicants should never assume that their visa applications will be approved.