A: The largest categories of working visas (including H and L visas) require petitions to be filed with the USCIS (formerly the INS or BCIS), by a company or organization in the United States.

A petition is the process by which the USCIS determines that you meet the basic qualifications for a particular visa. For example, it is through the petition process that the USCIS determines you have the educational background or its equivalent to qualify as an H-1B "skilled worker". Petitions cannot be filed with the Embassy; they must be filed in the U.S.

A: Yes. The USCIS must be notified of any change in one's employment status.

A: L1/L2 revalidation has ended in US since July 2004. Drop box facility has also ended at the consulates since July 2004. You must make an appointment as usual for L1/L2 stamping.

A: Your spouse's name should be entered in your passport if you are applying for a L2 visa. You do not, however, need to have the same last name.

A: No, they are prohibited from working in the U.S. while in status on a dependent visa.

Once in USA, L2 visa holders can apply for work permit.

A: No, there is no limit.

A: Yes

A: While it takes 2 to 4 months for regular L1 petition, it takes only 1 to 3 weeks for an L1 petition covered by blanket petition.
However, you can speed up the process by paying extra money and doing Premium Processing.

A: It is possible, but you are strongly discouraged from doing so. You may run the risk of doing some work that you are not supposed to do while on visitor/business visa and get into trouble for L1 processing with USCIS or L1 visa stamp in home country.

A: Yes, as long as they are under your control and management.

A: While strictly not required, if you pay significantly lower wages, you may get into the trouble with USCIS or Department of Labor.

A: According to the Department Of Homeland Security (DHS), 3 years of progressively responsible work experience equals 1 year of education in an accredited US degree program. While the US Bachelor degree takes four years, obtaining an Indian Bachelor degree requires only 3 years. Hence, the Indian H1B or L1 applicant must ordinarily present a valid Bachelor degree and proof of 3 years work experience in a field related to the proposed job duties. In special cases, the Consular Officer may waive this requirement.

A: After a personal interview, the Officer may require additional information. In that case, the Officer will refuse your application under a law, known as INA Section 221(g) - which means "pending for administrative processing." You can return to the same Embassy/Consulate where you were interviewed, on any working day with the required documents. If the Officer determines that the applicant cannot fulfill the duties, outlined in the Form I-129, then he or she refuses the application, again under INA Section 221(g). But, this time, the Officer writes a letter to the DHS recommending that Form I-129 be revoked. Along with the letter, all related documents are sent to the DHS Service Center, where the Petition was originally filed. At this point, the embassy/consulate no longer handles the case. All further inquiries must be directed by mail to the appropriate DHS Service Center. The Centers and their mailing addresses are listed on the Form I-797.

A: It is recommended that the spouse and dependent children go for their visa interview at the same time as the principal applicant.

A: Renewal: Visa renewals apply to applicants who reapply for H, I, L, O or P visas outside of the U.S.

Revalidation: Revalidations are not available outside the U.S. and relate only to visas for diplomats and officials.

Re-stampign: U.S. visa is not currently a stamp and so a passport cannot be "re-stamped". Instead, a visa foil made of paper is stuck inside your passport.