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USCIS-compliant certified translations for L-1A and L-1B petitions. Employment contracts, foreign corporate documents, educational credentials — everything your petition needs, translated accurately and certified.
Get Your Free Quote →L-1 petitions rise or fall on the quality of the evidence describing the employee’s role and the qualifying relationship between the foreign and U.S. entities. When that evidence is in a foreign language, USCIS adjudicators read only the English translation — they cannot consult the original. Under 8 C.F.R. § 103.2(b)(3), every foreign-language document in your petition must be fully and accurately translated and certified. A vague or incomplete translation of an employment contract can result in an RFE or denial even when the underlying facts clearly support approval.
For L-1A, USCIS must confirm the employee truly directed an organization or department — not just held a managerial title. Adjudicators look for specific language in employment contracts: who did the employee supervise, what decisions did they make, what was the scope of their authority? Imprecise translation of these duty descriptions is one of the most common L-1A RFE triggers.
Org charts are often submitted alongside employment records to visually demonstrate the employee's position in the management hierarchy. If those charts contain foreign-language position titles, department names, or location labels, all of that text must be accurately translated. Leaving foreign-language text untranslated — or translating titles incorrectly — undermines the narrative of the petition.
L-1 requires a qualifying relationship between the petitioning U.S. entity and the foreign entity where the employee worked. Foreign corporate documents — articles of incorporation, shareholder registers, ownership charts — are used to establish this relationship. Accurate translation of ownership percentages, entity names, and legal structure language is essential for the adjudicator to confirm the qualifying relationship exists.
While L-1 is not a degree-based visa, L-1B cases involving technical or scientific specialized knowledge frequently include educational credentials as supporting evidence. Foreign diplomas or transcripts submitted in support of a specialized knowledge claim must be fully translated — including the field of study, degree awarded, and any honors or distinctions.
Everything USCIS needs to evaluate the qualifying relationship and the employee’s role.
Both subcategories require certified translations, but the documents that matter most differ by category.
Intracompany Transferee — Managerial or Executive Capacity
The L-1A is for employees transferring to a U.S. affiliate, subsidiary, or parent company in a managerial or executive role. Petitioners must demonstrate the employee genuinely directed an organization, department, function, or staff — not merely supervised day-to-day operations. Adjudicators scrutinize duty descriptions closely.
Common documents needing translation:Intracompany Transferee — Specialized Knowledge
The L-1B covers employees who possess specialized knowledge of the company's products, services, research, equipment, techniques, management, or procedures. The "specialized knowledge" standard requires showing the employee's knowledge is not easily transferable — it must be both special to the company and advanced within the company's operations.
Common documents needing translation:Translation requirements apply to both pathways, but the filing process differs significantly.
Who uses it:
Smaller or first-time L-1 petitions; companies without a Blanket L approval
How it works:
Employer files Form I-129L with USCIS for each transferee individually. USCIS adjudicates the petition and approves (or issues an RFE) before the employee may transfer.
Translation note: All foreign-language documents supporting the individual petition — employment contracts, corporate records, educational credentials — must include certified translations before filing.
Who uses it:
Large multinationals that have been approved for a blanket L authorization
How it works:
The qualifying organization is pre-approved by USCIS to transfer L-1 employees without filing a full I-129 for each person. Individual employees present Form I-129S at a U.S. consulate or port of entry.
Translation note: Even under Blanket L, individual employees must present supporting documentation at the consulate or port of entry. Foreign-language documents — especially educational credentials and employment records — still require certified translation for the individual I-129S package.
From upload to USCIS-ready certificate in 3 steps.
Securely upload your foreign-language employment contracts, corporate records, or educational credentials (PDF, JPG, or PNG). High-resolution scans get the fastest turnaround.
Our AI pipeline handles the translation; a professional reviewer checks accuracy and certifies compliance with USCIS standards under 8 C.F.R. § 103.2(b)(3).
Receive your certified translation PDF with Certificate of Accuracy — formatted and ready to include in your L-1A or L-1B petition package.
From $24.99/page · Volume discounts for full petition packages
For L-1A petitions, USCIS must verify that the employee genuinely exercised managerial or executive authority — not just a job title that says "manager." If the employment contract or duty description is in a foreign language, a poor or incomplete translation can obscure the scope of the employee's responsibilities. Adjudicators rely entirely on the English translation to evaluate whether the managerial / executive standard is met. An imprecise translation of duty language can result in an RFE or denial.
Common foreign corporate documents in an L-1 package include the articles of incorporation or company charter, shareholder registers, board resolutions authorizing the transfer, and any operating agreements. If the foreign entity is privately held, financial statements demonstrating the qualifying relationship may also be required. All of these must be translated if issued in a language other than English.
Yes, if they contain foreign-language text. Org charts are frequently included in L-1A petitions to show the employee's position in the management hierarchy — who they reported to, how many people they supervised, and the organizational structure of the foreign entity. Any text on those charts (titles, department names, location labels) must be translated as part of the complete document translation.
For online orders, we currently support Portuguese-to-English and Spanish-to-English translations. If your L-1 package includes documents in another language, contact us before checkout so we can confirm availability and coordinate the package.
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