Expand Your Global Workforce in the U.S. | L-1 Blanket Visa
L1 Blanket Visa: Complete Guide to the Blanket L1 Visa, Requirements, Fees & Processing Time
Transfer executives, managers, and specialised knowledge employees under a pre-approved L1 blanket visa framework—built for companies that move people to the US often, not once.
Pay only after approval. Competitive pricing. Clear deliverables.
L1 Blanket Visa at a Glance
- Visa type: Intra-company transfer route using a blanket L1 visa approval framework
- What is L1 blanket visa: A company-level approval that allows eligible organisations to transfer multiple employees using Form I-129S, rather than filing a full individual petition for every transferee
- Who it’s for: Larger groups with recurring transfers (HR mobility pipeline)
- Main employee categories: L-1A blanket (executives/managers) / L-1B blanket visa (specialised knowledge)
- Blanket validity: 3 years initially, extendable indefinitely if compliant
- Consular standard: “Clearly approvable” applications under the blanket process
- Employee visa step: The employee can use I-129S to apply for visa issuance within 6 months of the I-129S date
- UK-market focused support
- Fixed-fee options
- Clear document checklists
- Secure handling
- Pay after approval (terms apply)
What Is L1 Blanket Visa?
What is a blanket L1 visa? In practice, it’s a company-level USCIS approval (a “blanket petition”) that pre-establishes qualifying organisations in the group. Then, for each transfer, the company completes Form I-129S and the employee uses it to apply for an L visa (or to request L status, depending on the scenario).
Key point: the blanket is a process advantage, not an eligibility shortcut. The transferee must still clearly meet L-1A (executive/manager) or L-1B (specialised knowledge).
At Corporate Visa Solutions, we assess upfront whether the blanket route is operationally appropriate before using it for individual transfers.
L1 Blanket Petition: Requirements & Company Eligibility
The L1 blanket petition route is intended for larger organisations. The regulation sets specific thresholds, including (among other requirements) having three or more domestic and foreign branches, subsidiaries, or affiliates and meeting one of the size or volume tests (10+ L approvals in 12 months, $25M US sales, or 1,000 US employees).
Your blanket approval is valid for 3 years initially and can be extended indefinitely if the qualifying organisations have complied.
Blanket L1 Visa vs Individual: What’s the Difference?
People search this as blanket L1 vs individual, l1 visa blanket vs individual, difference between l1 blanket and individual, etc. Here’s the clean explanation:
Blanket L1 vs individual
Individual L-1: You file a full petition for one employee.
Blanket L-1: You first secure a company-level approval, then issue I-129S for multiple transferees, with consular officers reviewing each case against the blanket framework during the consular interview.
What changes for decision risk?
Under the blanket process, consular officers may grant L classification only in clearly approvable applications—and if they find the person ineligible, the decision is final at the consular stage, with the case typically redirected to an individual petition route if needed.
This is exactly why blanket cases demand very clean role fit and consistent evidence.
Our role at CVS is to flag early when a case should stay under the blanket—or when an individual petition is strategically safer.
Difference Between General L1A and Blanket
“General” L-1A (individual petition): USCIS adjudicates the person’s petition as filed by the company.
L1A blanket visa (under the blanket process): The company relationship framework is pre-approved, but the employee’s I-129S must still demonstrate that the U.S. role is managerial or executive and with an organisation named in the blanket approval.
Bottom line: same core L-1A legal standard, different workflow and where the friction sits (often consular review and the “clearly approvable” threshold).
L1 Blanket Visa Requirements (Employee-Level)
Even with a blanket, the transferee must still qualify. Officers assess whether:
The U.S. job is for a manager, executive, or specialised knowledge professional, and is with an organisation listed in the blanket approval
The employee’s prior year of continuous employment abroad was in a qualifying role with a listed organisation
For L-1B, USCIS guidance clarifies that “specialised knowledge” is not a generic labour market test; it must be organisation- or industry-specific and supported with credible evidence.
Blanket L1 Visa Documents Checklist
We structure submissions into two packs:
1) Company pack (blanket coverage)
Proof the U.S. entity and group entities are covered and qualifying (per the blanket approval notice and entity list)
2) Employee pack (I-129S + “clearly approvable” support)
Completed Form I-129S and required approval notice copies
Role narrative, organisational chart, and reporting lines tailored to L-1A or L-1B
L1 Blanket Visa Fees
From the U.S. Department of State fee table:
$205 visa application processing fee (petition-based nonimmigrant categories, including L)
$500 fraud prevention and detection fee for L blanket principal applicants
Additional $4,500 fee for certain large petitioners (where applicable)
We separate government fees from professional fees and provide a clear cost forecast once the employer profile is confirmed.
Work with a team that manages L-1 Blanket programmes at scale.
Book a call with Corporate Visa Solutions.
L1 Blanket Visa Processing Time
Two timelines matter:
Blanket petition processing time (company-level USCIS step)
Post-blanket timeline (consular appointment, interview, and any administrative processing)
For official USCIS status estimates, applicants are directed to the USCIS processing time tool by form, type, and service center.
Premium Processing (if relevant)
USCIS has confirmed premium processing fee adjustments effective March 1, 2026 for requests postmarked on or after that date.
L1 Blanket Visa Interview
Because officers may grant blanket L only in clearly approvable cases, interview preparation should be evidence-led:
Are you transferring to an organisation listed in the blanket approval?
Are you truly an L-1A manager/executive or L-1B specialised knowledge employee?
Does your overseas role align with the claimed category and continuity requirement?
L1 Blanket Extension
A blanket petition is valid for 3 years initially and may be extended indefinitely if compliance is maintained.
Extensions are managed as a compliance exercise, focusing on entity list accuracy, documented qualifying relationships, and consistent transfer records.
L1 Blanket Visa to Green Card
The blanket does not create a green card pathway by itself; it is a transfer mechanism.
For managers and executives, a common long-term route is EB-1C (multinational manager or executive), which has its own evidentiary requirements and standards. Green card planning is typically addressed as a separate strategy layer once the nonimmigrant stage is stable.
Corporate Visa Solutions supports U.S. expansion strategies from initial L-1 transfers through long-term permanent residence planning.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The main advantage of the L1 Blanket visa is procedural efficiency. Once the company-level blanket approval is in place, eligible employees can be transferred using Form I-129S without filing a full individual petition for each transferee.
No. The blanket is a process advantage, not an eligibility shortcut. Each transferee must independently meet all L-1A or L-1B eligibility requirements and be clearly approvable at the time of adjudication.
Under an individual L-1, USCIS adjudicates a full petition for one employee. Under the blanket process, the corporate relationship is pre-approved, but each employee is still assessed individually through Form I-129S and, in many cases, a consular interview.
Yes. Consular officers may grant L classification under a blanket only in clearly approvable cases. If the officer finds the individual ineligible, the refusal is final at the consular stage and is typically redirected to the individual petition route.
The blanket route is intended for larger organisations with multiple related entities. The company group must meet specific regulatory thresholds related to structure, size, or transfer volume to qualify.
The same roles as under a standard L-1:
Executives or managers (L-1A)
Specialised knowledge professionals (L-1B)
The role must be clearly defined, well documented, and with an organisation listed in the blanket approval.
Yes. The legal standard for specialised knowledge does not change under the blanket. The role must involve advanced or proprietary knowledge specific to the organisation or its processes and be supported with credible evidence.
A blanket approval is valid for three years initially and may be extended indefinitely, provided the qualifying organisations remain compliant and eligible.
Two timelines apply:
Company-level blanket petition processing
Individual transfer processing, including consular appointment, interview, and any administrative processing
Actual timelines depend on USCIS processing and local consular availability.
Documentation typically includes:
Proof that the U.S. entity and related organisations are covered by the blanket approval
Form I-129S for the transferee
Role description, organisational charts, and supporting evidence tailored to L-1A or L-1B
Fees may include the standard visa application processing fee, the fraud prevention and detection fee, and, for certain employers, an additional statutory fee. The exact fee structure depends on the employer’s profile.
The blanket itself does not create a green card pathway. However, for qualifying managers and executives, a common long-term route is EB-1C (multinational manager or executive), which requires a separate application and its own evidentiary standards.