L2 Visa - for Dependents of L Visa Holders
If you are an L1 Visa holder you can bring your spouse and children under 21 years of age to the U.S. with you under the L2 Visa.
If you need help with submitting an L2 visa application or another US Visa application contact Total Law immigration lawyers on +1 844 312 4979 for immediate assistance with your situation. We’re available in-person, via phone or online.
What is an L2 visa?
An L-2 Visa is a non-immigrant visa issued to eligible dependants of foreign workers employed in the United States under an L-1 Visa. An L-2 Visa allows you to join a family member who is living and working in the US under an L-1 Visa. Eligible family members include spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21.
Because L-2 status depends on the principal applicant’s L-1 status, it is useful to understand the two main types of L-1 Visa.
What Is an L-1 Visa?
There are two main types of L-1 Visa: the L-1A Visa and the L-1B Visa.
L-1A Visa
The L-1A Visa is for employees being transferred to the US to work in an eligible managerial or executive role.
Applicants must show that their role meets the US immigration definition of managerial or executive capacity. L-1A status can normally be granted for an initial period of up to three years and extended in two-year increments, up to a maximum total stay of seven years.
L-1B Visa
The L-1B Visa is designed for employees with specialised knowledge of the organisation’s products, services, research, equipment, techniques, management or other business processes.
- L-1B status can normally be granted for an initial period of up to three years and extended up to a maximum total stay of five years.
- L-1 status is temporary, but it does not prevent an applicant from later pursuing permanent residence. In particular, some L-1A managers and executives may later qualify for an EB-1C employment-based Green Card if they meet the separate requirements for that category.
- L-2 spouses and children are generally admitted for the same period as the principal L-1 holder. Qualifying L-2 spouses can also be authorised to work in the US, while dependent children do not receive the same employment rights.
Get in touch if you are unsure whether an L-1 or L-2 route is appropriate for your circumstances.
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L2 Visa requirements
Who Is Eligible for an L-2 Visa?
The L-2 Visa is available to certain dependants of an L-1 Visa holder. If the principal L-1 holder later changes immigration status, the L-2 dependant cannot simply continue indefinitely on L-2 status and may need to qualify for a different status in their own right. L-1 Visas are generally used for employees being transferred to a US branch, parent, subsidiary or affiliate of the same organisation in a managerial, executive or specialised knowledge role.
If your spouse or parent is living in the US under L-1 status, you may be eligible to apply for an L-2 Visa. Only certain immediate family members qualify. This means you must be:
- The spouse of an L-1 Visa holder; or
- The unmarried child under the age of 21 of an L-1 Visa holder.
Other relatives, including parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins, are not eligible for L-2 status.
If you do not qualify as an L-2 dependant, you may still be able to travel to the US under another visa category. For example, an eligible relative may be able to apply for a B2 Tourist Visa for a temporary family visit. Contact us if you are unsure which US visa route applies to your circumstances.
L2 Visa required documents
To apply for an L2 Visa, you can submit your l 2 visa application form together with the L1 Visa petition, or you can file it at a later date.
In either case, you will need to submit certain documents to support your L2 visa application and to prove your eligibility.
L2 required documents include:
- Completed Form DS-160, the ‘Online Non-immigrant Visa Application’
- A valid passport for you
- A valid passport for each of your children and/or spouse, if they are travelling with you
- One photograph of each applicant, showing the full face. It must comply with the photograph guidelines provided by your local U.S. consulate
- An original birth certificate for every applicant under the age of 14
- An original marriage certificate (if you are the dependent spouse of an L visa holder)
- A copy of the approved L petition
- A confirmation letter from the primary L1 visa holder
- A letter from the L1 visa holder’s employer
You may be required to submit further information to USCIS depending on your circumstances.
Missing documents are one of the common reasons for a U.S. visa application to be rejected so all necessary documents should be compiled and submitted promptly.
How can I work under an L2 Visa?
The L2 Visa allows spouse holders to work, although children of L1 visa holders do not qualify to work, only spouses do. Dependent spouses of L1 Visa holders can live and work in the U.S. under an L2 visa.
In the U.S. you need to apply for an EAD (Employment Authorization Document) before you can seek employment. This is called an L2 visa work permit. If your EAD is approved, you should then apply for a Social Security Number (SSN). The SSN is a document that will be requested by employers in the U.S.
Once you have your EAD, you will be able to apply for part-time or full-time jobs at any U.S. business. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) refers to this as ‘open market employment authorization.’ Note that your EAD will only be valid for two years but you can extend it as many times as you need, as long as your L2 visa remains valid.
How long does the L2 Visa last?
Your L2 Visa will last for the same length as the principal of L 1 visa holder/1 Visa holder’s L1 Visa lasts. In other words, you can stay in the U.S. for as long as your parent or spouse holds a valid permit. As a general rule, an L1 Visa is valid for up to three years.
Can the L2 visa be extended?
If the L1 Visa is extended, then the L2 dependent Visa is also eligible for extensions, and in most cases, if the L1 Visa has been extended, the L2 Visa will also be extended. The length of time an L2 Visa can be extended for depends on the type of L Visa held by your relative, this being a maximum of five or seven years.
In order to apply for a new visa, the visa holder will need to spend at least 12 months outside the U.S. before they can apply for a new visa. This is the same for primary visa holder for both L1 and L2 visas. If you wish to spend more time in the U.S., you may be able to apply for a different permit while your current visa is still valid. Note that when the visa of the L1 holder expires, the L2 Visa holder must also return to their home country.
Can you switch to a new visa?
Yes, generally you will be eligible to switch from the L2 Visa to another U.S. visa category. Depending on your circumstances and which new visa you wish to apply for, you could switch to the F1 Student Visa, the H1B Visa, the H4 Work Visa, or even the L1 Visa if you meet the eligibility requirements.
Again, depending on your circumstances, if you have an Employment Authorization Document (EAD), you could request that your employer sponsors you for the H1B Visa. If your L1 Visa holder switches their visa category while you are resident in the U.S., your status will also change.
For example, if your relative moves from an L1 to an H1 Visa, you can similarly switch from the L2 to the H2 Visa. Note that your EAD issued under the L2 Visa status will not be valid after you switch visas, and you will need to apply for a new one.
What are the benefits of an L2 Visa?
An L2 Visa affords several benefits, including being able to do the following:
- Attend school in the U.S.
- Work either part-time or full-time. (After obtaining an EAD)
- Open a bank account
- Apply for another non-immigrant status visa
- Apply for an adjustment of status and get an immigrant permit (Green Card)
- Travel freely within and outside the U.S.
If you wish to have the further benefits of settling in the U.S. with the aim of applying for U.S. citizenship, you will need to change your status and apply for a different visa once in the country.
How Do You Apply Outside the US Compared With Inside the US?
The process depends on whether you are applying from abroad, already in the United States, or joining the L-1 visa holder at a later stage.
Applying From Outside the US
If you are outside the United States, you will normally apply for an L-2 visa through a US embassy or consulate, unless you are exempt from the visa requirement based on your nationality.
You will generally need to provide evidence of your relationship to the L-1 visa holder, together with documents showing the principal applicant’s valid L-1 status or approved petition.
Applying From Inside the US
If you are already in the United States in another valid nonimmigrant status, you may be able to apply to change to L-2 status or extend an existing L-2 stay.
This will often involve filing Form I-539 with USCIS. Whether you qualify will depend on your current immigration status, whether you have maintained that status and the circumstances of your application.
Joining the L-1 Visa Holder Later
If you are applying after the principal L-1 worker has already moved to the United States, you will need to show that the qualifying relationship still exists and that the principal continues to hold valid L-1 status.
The evidence required may differ depending on whether you are applying for an L-2 visa abroad, requesting a change of status in the US or seeking admission at the border.
A visa issued by a US consulate and an approval of immigration status inside the United States are not the same thing. You should check the current Department of State and USCIS requirements for the procedure that applies to your circumstances.
How can Total Law help me?
Total Law immigration lawyers can work with you to compile a robust L2 Visa application (or any other U.S. visa application) so that it has the best chance of being accepted whilst reducing delays.
In order to submit a successful U.S. visa application, you must submit a comprehensive batch of evidence. For example, it is crucial to properly demonstrate your relationship with the main L Visa holder, and to ensure no key documents are missed out.
Total Law can remove the stress from your L2 Visa application process, as you will be paired with one of our experienced U.S. and UK immigration lawyers, who will:
- Review your case
- Ensure you are eligible
- Prepare a Letter of Representation to highlight the merits of your visa application
- Liaise with USCIS throughout the visa application process
- Liaise with your L1 Visa holder
- Support you and your loved ones through the entire L2 application process
Call us today on +1 844 312 4979 to speak with one of our immigration experts and learn more about our services. Alternatively, complete the quick online enquiry form.
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Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
On average, it takes about 30 days to get a decision about your L2 visa, after submitting the application and required documents.
No, the L2 Visa holder can only stay in the U.S. as long as the L1 holder continues to maintain their L1 status. However, you could switch to another visa type.
Yes, spouses on an L2 Visa can work after they receive their EAD.
They can work in any job role or in self-employment.
Note that it can take months to have your EAD approved.
An L2 EAD is valid for 2 years but can be renewed indefinitely so long as you retain the L2 Visa status.
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