The eligibility requirements for the EB-1C green card closely align with those of the L-1A visa.
As a category designated for multinational executives and managers, the petitioner must demonstrate the existence of at least two legally operating entities—one in the United States and one abroad—with a qualifying corporate relationship as recognized by U.S. immigration law (e.g., parent, subsidiary, affiliate, or branch).
Typically, the qualifying relationship requirement is satisfied through a parent-subsidiary connection between the overseas company and the U.S. entity. Additionally, the U.S. entity must have been actively conducting business for at least one year at the time of petition filing.
The applicant must have been employed abroad by the qualifying foreign entity in an executive or managerial role for at least one continuous year within the three years preceding entry into the U.S.
L-1A visa holders typically satisfy these requirements. However, EB-1C petitions undergo heightened scrutiny, essentially re-evaluating criteria previously approved during the L-1A visa process. Therefore, applicants planning to pursue an EB-1C Green Card are strongly advised to retain comprehensive documentation originally submitted with their L-1A petition.
