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L1 visa to Green Card: The Transition Guide

Author : Phoenix Business Advisory | Published On : 27 Mar 2026

L1 visa is one among the most popular programs in the United States mainly designed for intracompany transferees. Employers, through their L1 visa holders, can look for long-term immigration while exploring more opportunities and growth. With this non-immigrant visa, there are paths for the visa holders to pursue their employment-based green cards.in this article, you will read the process of transitioning from an L1 visa to green card. Keep on reading the guide till the end.

 

  • Transition from an L1 visa to green card requires certain steps. The first step is getting PERM Labor certification from the US department of Labor (DOL).  However, the step not an inclusion for those applying for the EB-1C visa. Next step is to file Form l-140 i.e. Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).  The L1 visa holders can apply green card through the adjustment of status process (Form l-485).
  • The transition from being an employee to the US citizen comes up with a cost. Employers have to pay different amount of processing fee for a different category of form. This cost may also differ from applicants applying from outside the US. For example- applicants in the US have to pay $1440 (plus biometric appointment fee) for Form l-485. For applicants applying outside the US, the DS-260 costs $325.
  • The transition from L1 visa to green card is not done over nights. For form l-140,  the processing time is around 8.1 months as per the times data from USCIS. Employers can also pay a premium processing fee to receive a decision on the same form in just 15 days. The average processing time taken for Form l-485 is 7 to 32.5 months for employment based green card applications. It is important to note that the processing time may have variations depending upon the applicant’s specific situation and their location. So, thinking that one rule fits for all will not help.
  • The eligibility criteria to apply for the green card category fall most commonly under  EB-1C or sometimes EB-2 / EB-3 depending on the role of an employee.  Each of the category comes with a set of different requirements such as basic requirements, employer requirements, job role requirements, key limitations, certificates, and more. Understanding all these areas carefully can save your from letting one’s efforts in vain.

 

Conclusion:

Now that you are quite familiar with the transitioning, you might be willing to take your business to the United States to seek the world of possibilities and opportunities. To accomplish this purpose, you may require one of the most reliable and experience-holding business migration service provider to help you through the way. Business migration can be challenging, but if you collaborate with companies like Phoenix Business Advisory, you can come up with a plan of action moving forward. Empower your path with the best migration services. Contact their professionals and get prompt support today.