In today's world, L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2004 has gained unprecedented relevance, gaining more and more attention and generating all kinds of opinions, debates and research. Since L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2004 arrived on the scene, it has deeply impacted various areas of society, influencing everything from popular culture to politics and technology. In this article, we will explore in detail the impact of L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2004 on different aspects of everyday life, analyzing its consequences and possible implications for the future. Without a doubt, L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2004 has been and will continue to be a topic of great interest and importance for our contemporary society.
The L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2004, referred to more briefly as the L-1 Reform Act, was a part of Title IV of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 (sometimes also called the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2005) in the United States that focused on changes to regulations governing L-1 visas. The Consolidated Appropriations Act was signed by George W. Bush, then President of the United States, in early December 2004. Title IV of the Consolidated Appropriations Act also included the H-1B Visa Reform Act of 2004, that focused on H-1B visas.
The L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2004 had two main provisions and a slight change to the fee structure.
According to the new rules of the act, a player is now explicitly ineligible for classification as a specialized knowledge worker nonimmigrant (L-1B) visa if the worker will be "stationed primarily" at the worksite of an employer other than the petitioner or an affiliate, subsidiary, or parent and either of the following occurs:
This new ground of ineligibility would begin applying for petitions starting June 6, 2005, and includes petitions for initial, amended, or extended L-1B classification.
The Act amended section 214(c)(2)(A) of the Act to restore prior law requiring that the L-1 beneficiary of a blanket petition have been employed abroad by the L entity for a period of 12 months. In doing so, the L-1 Reform Act eliminates the 6-month exception that had been the law for blanket beneficiaries since 2001.
Like the H-1B Visa Reform Act of 2004 that accompanied it, the L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2004 instituted a $500 anti-fraud fee over and above existing fees.
The Act and its implications for applicants was discussed by Cyrus Mehta in an article for Immigration Daily in August 2005.
A report by Morrison Foerster reviewed the L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2004 and its implications for U.S. companies. It came up with three risk factors:
The review suggested the following action items: