The recent announcement from the United States explains that individuals who run their own single-person businesses are not eligible to apply for an L-1 foreign worker’s visa. The reason behind this decision is that a sole proprietorship, which refers to a business owned and operated by a single person, is not considered a distinct legal entity separate from its owner.
The L-1 visa, in normal circumstances, permits a US employer to temporarily transfer employees from their related foreign offices to various locations within the United States. However, the current policy doesn’t allow sole proprietorships to file L-1 petitions on behalf of their owners.
As a result, if you are the sole owner of a company and wish to work in the United States, you would need to find a US employer who is willing to sponsor you for a different type of work visa, such as the H-1B visa. This clarification underlines the specific restrictions on the eligibility criteria for single-person company owners applying for certain types of US work visas.
L1 visa eligibility, single-owner company, visa changes, foreign worker visa, visa regulations