CBP Refusing to Adjudicate Canadian L Visa Renewals at Borders and Port of Entries

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency has implemented policy to no longer process L visa renewal applications for Canadian nationals at border and port of entries. The L nonimmigrant classification permits a U.S. employer to transfer an executive, manager or specialized knowledge employee from one of its affiliated foreign offices to one of its offices in the United States. The U.S. company must have a qualifying relationship with the company abroad, such as a parent, subsidiary, affiliate or branch office relationship. To learn more about L visas, please click here.

Initially, CBP ports of entries accepted all Canadian L applications, However, since March 2019, certain ports of entries began to take the position that they will no longer adjudicate L renewals. Instead, Canadians who wished to extend their L visas must apply through USCIS. This position became increasingly widespread and has now been adopted as the official position on the issue of border L renewals. This applies to both L-1 visa renewals and L-2 dependents of the L visa holders.

This does not apply to initial L applications, including L-1A and L-1B applications. It also does not include intermittent and commuter L applications. Intermittent and commuter L applications are for applicants who enter the U.S. for less than 6 months per year, or work part time. CBP do not consider these to be renewals and therefore will be adjudicated at the border.