New DOS Rule - L Visas to be issued for up to 5 years

[nancymervin]

New DOS Rule - L Visas to be issued for up to 5 years

DOS has passed a new rule that permits the issuance of L visas with validity periods based on the visa reciprocity schedule, which for certain countries, can be for a period up to 5 years. Under the current DOS regulations, L visa duration is limited to the validity period of the L-1 petition. DOS has now passed a new rule, changing this regulation to delink visa and petition validity periods. Thus, under the new rule, L visas shall have the validity period based on reciprocity.

Specifically, L-1 beneficiaries from countries like Australia, Argentina, Japan, Germany, UK, Italy, South Korea, and India, among others, can now be issued L visas with validity periods of up to 5 years, even if validity period of their L-1 petitions is for a lesser duration.

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