The L-1A new-office showing must support the managerial or executive role within one year of approval. A later service contract cannot replace that first-year showing.
Date the resources the role depends on
For a qualifying U.S. organization doing business for less than one year, show sufficient premises and qualifying foreign managerial or executive employment, alongside the transfer foundation. Initial approval is at most one year. Identify when genuine reporting support becomes available and who performs the work before then; commercial delay does not extend authorized status.
Preparation of the corporate and employment evidence typically takes weeks; USCIS adjudication depends on the current backlog unless premium processing is purchased. Where the American entity has been operating for less than a year, a new-office petition is approved for one year initially, and the extension will be judged on whether the business actually developed as described, which compresses the timetable further. A new-office approval is generally granted for one year initially, and the extension is assessed on what the operation actually became rather than on what was projected — which makes the first year an evidence period rather than a settling-in period.