L Visa

Guidance on L Visas and Specialized Knowledge

Reference Document:

STATE 002016, 01/11

1. The following guidance is in response to a request [redacted] for specific guidelines for L visa adjudications, particularly in regard to evaluating claims of "specialized knowledge," and will be useful to all posts. There is a concern about the potential for inconsistent adjudicatory standards at different constituent posts and clear standards would allow for more consistent adjudication.

State Dept. issued a visa policy update on an FAM change to clarify that posts may annotate blanket L visas with the name of the actual employer on the I-129-S even if that subsidiary or affiliate employer name is not in PIMS.