# Moving to US with L1B visa



## DblDmg (Sep 29, 2010)

Hi All

I am currently in negotiations with my employer to move to our head office in San Francisco and have a few questions. 

My wife and I are moving and dont have any children. We both have engineering degrees but we will be going with the L1b so that my wife can work there as well on a L2 without having to deal with getting her own visa. 

1) How long does it take to get a L1b visa. 
2) How long before I can apply for a Green Card. I understand my employer has to do this on my behalf under an E3B. Can I start the process as soon as I arrive or do I have to wait a year or longer. 
3) Does my wife have to be in the US before applying for her L2 visa and how much does it cost and how long does it take. 
4) I may have to move to the US before my wife. Is it possible for her to come over on holiday for a week or so, start the L2 visa process and then return home to continue working and then move over to the US later. 

Thanks


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Someone with more experience will be by in a mo - but for the L1 and L2 visas, it's the employer that has to do most of the legwork to get things moving, both for you and for your wife. If the head office is in SF, they probably have plenty of experience with it, and I'd leave it up to them to handle it and tell you what you need to do next.
Cheers,
Bev


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

DblDmg said:


> Hi All
> 
> I am currently in negotiations with my employer to move to our head office in San Francisco and have a few questions.
> 
> ...


1/ If it's a big employer, a couple of months. Smaller employers may take longer. If you have an Islamic name, you could be stuck in processing for a year or more.

2/ No idea. But there's an awful long wait in the EB3 category anyway -- 5 years or more. At least it's moving. Until recently the category was at a standstill.

3/ Wife needs to get her L2 visa BEFORE she comes to the US. When she arrives in the US, she needs to file for an EAD if she wants to work.

4/ She may as well come over on the L2. She can file for the EAD and a social security number. The EAD requires biometrics, so she'll have to remain here at least until she gets the appointment for this.


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