Standing up operations
New U.S. Office Setup
Opening your first U.S. office is where immigration, corporate structure, and data protection all meet at once. The L-1 “new office” route lets a European company send an executive or manager to build U.S. operations from the ground up — if the foundations are laid correctly first.
What it is
Building U.S. operations from scratch
The L-1 new-office route allows a qualifying foreign company to transfer an executive or manager to establish a brand-new U.S. entity. Because there is no established U.S. operation yet, immigration authorities apply specific expectations about the entity, the premises, and the first year of activity.
Get the structure right first
The visa depends on a qualifying corporate relationship between the European parent and the new U.S. entity, secured physical premises, and a credible plan to support an executive or managerial role within the first year. Decisions about ownership and structure made now determine whether the visa — and the later green card — will work.
The first year and beyond
New-office L-1s are usually granted for one year, then extended on evidence that the operation is real and growing. Planning the renewal and the eventual move to permanent status (often EB-1C) from day one avoids painful resets later.
What Privello handles
- Entity and ownership structure that supports the visa
- Realistic first-year staffing and premises evidence
- Sequencing the transfer with payroll and tax setup
- Planning renewals and the move to permanent status
- Standing up a lawful EU–U.S. data-transfer mechanism in step
Your new office will move data — see transfers
Common questions
Questions European companies ask
Can one person open the office on an L-1?
Yes — the new-office route is built around transferring a single executive or manager to establish operations, then growing the team. The first-year plan needs to show the role will be genuinely managerial or executive.
What do we need in place before filing?
At minimum a qualifying corporate structure, secured U.S. premises, and a credible business and staffing plan. Getting these right before filing is the difference between approval and refusal.
Does opening a U.S. office trigger GDPR steps?
Yes. A new U.S. entity handling EU personal data needs a lawful transfer mechanism. Privello sets this up alongside the immigration work so nothing is left exposed.
Begin
Talk through your move with Privello
Tell us what you're planning. We'll outline the realistic options — and how the immigration and data-protection steps line up — in a first conversation.