Define the function and the managerial role
For a function-manager case, identify an essential function and show how the applicant operates at a senior level concerning it, exercises discretion over its day-to-day operation and primarily manages rather than performs its ordinary tasks. Use the actual responsibilities and operating structure. There is no universal direct-report count that answers the full analysis. Ask which decisions the applicant makes without routine approval, which employees or vendors carry out the work, and what result the applicant is accountable for. A decision log, organization chart, and role descriptions can answer different parts of that question without overstating a title.
Identify who carries out the work
Describe the people or providers performing operational tasks and the applicant’s decisions, accountability and time allocation. Geographic separation does not explain those duties by itself. A list of teams should show their actual contribution, not imply all their work is controlled by the applicant merely because it relates to the same function. For the credential of the record, preserve contemporaneous messages, meeting materials, and approvals that show actual authority. A retrospective letter can explain the evidence, but it should not replace records that reveal who directed the function when the relevant decisions occurred.
Establish the qualifying transfer
The organizations must have a qualifying relationship and meet the doing-business requirements. Assess the required continuous qualifying year abroad within the relevant three-year period. For a new office, sufficient premises and support for a managerial or executive role within one year are required; initial new-office approval is limited to one year. A function description does not replace those conditions. Work backward from the proposed start date to identify the foreign-employment window and remaining L-1A time. The seven-year cap is separate from petition validity, so a calendar of travel, past status, and future duties prevents a business plan from assuming time that is unavailable.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.