Immigration Alert: Bundle Filings of L-1 Petitions

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) announced recently that L-1B petitions may be bundled together to streamline the process for beneficiaries coming to the United States to work on the same project, where the location and specialized knowledge duties are the same.  In order to qualify for “bundling,” the following conditions must be met: (1) the L-1B petitions must be from the same petitioner, (2) the beneficiaries must be employed at the same foreign entity, (3) the beneficiaries must be working on the same project at the same location performing the same specialized knowledge duties, and (4) the petition must be filed under the same service (premium processing or regular processing).

In addition, L-1A managers who will be managing the L-1B beneficiaries and any dependents of the L-1A and L-1B beneficiaries may also be included in the bundle.  When bundling, it is important to note that each petition should still contain its own fees and supporting evidence. 

To identify the bundle, a cover sheet should be included with each petition.  The cover sheet should include the words, “L-1 Bundle” in addition to the name of the petitioner, the name and location of the project, and the number of the petition (e.g., 1 of 10 petitions, 2 of 10 petitions, etc.).  If USCIS is unable to identify the bundle, the petitions will be adjudicated separately. Additionally, petitioners may submit multiple bundles if there are more than one specialized knowledge occupations related to a project.  If multiple bundles are filed simultaneously, the petitioner may number each bundle on the cover sheet (e.g., 1 of 3 bundles, 2 of 3 bundles, etc.) along with all other information.