Keep dated evidence of actual operations throughout the initial period, rather than waiting to reconstruct the business when an extension is approaching. The company's development and the transferred employee's real duties will matter to that later assessment.
Give the business plan an evidence trail
Set a monthly reminder to retain the records the company ordinarily produces: staffing changes, contracts, invoices and management responsibilities. Note where actual results differ from forecasts and preserve the explanation. Review authorized immigration dates separately from commercial milestones such as a grand opening or first customer delivery. A delayed business launch does not, by itself, move the expiry date on immigration documents.
L-1A status is subject to a seven-year maximum, and a new office is normally approved initially for one year with evidence of secured premises and the capacity to support the role, after which continuation depends on what the branch has actually become. After the ownership documents are in order, the qualifying year is evidenced and the US operation is genuinely ready for the transferee, and with enough margin before the intended start for a request for further evidence.