American Ambassador · Straight Talk For Canadians
A company expansion is not one automatic visa.
L-1, E-2, employment, extraordinary-ability, professional, investment, and family routes use different legal tests.
Start With The Company Facts
- Canadian and U.S. ownership and corporate relationship.
- How long each company has done business.
- The person’s foreign employment history and actual duties.
- The proposed U.S. role, staff, premises, customers, and operating plan.
- Whether the goal is temporary work, business operation, or permanent residence.
Routes Counsel May Screen
L-1 company transfer
A qualifying organization may transfer certain managers, executives, or specialized-knowledge employees if the company and employment requirements are met.
E-2 enterprise
Treaty investors and certain qualifying employees use nationality, investment, enterprise, role, and intent rules rather than L-1 company-transfer rules.
Other categories
O-1, EB-1, EB-2 national-interest, TN, employer-sponsored, family, and investor routes require separate evidence and should not be mixed together.
What This Page Cannot Do
General information only
This overview does not establish a qualifying company relationship, role, credential, national-interest case, profession, family category, or permanent-residence strategy.
Prepare The First Lawyer Conversation
- Current corporate charts and ownership.
- Business history and revenue at a summary level.
- Staff and organizational charts.
- The person’s real duties abroad and proposed duties in America.
- Expansion budget, premises, hiring, and operating plan.
- Family, travel, status, and long-term objectives.
Official Sources And Review Status
USCIS
Official E-2, EB-5, L-1, form, and policy guidance.
Department of State
Treaty countries, visa process, and monthly Visa Bulletin information.
Congress and SEC
Current EB-5 statute plus investor-protection and fraud warnings.
Sources checked August 2026. Recheck forms, fees, policy, Visa Bulletin availability, and processing information before relying on any page.