L-1 Evidence
Evidence of the L-1 Corporate Relationship
How to document parent, subsidiary, affiliate, branch, ownership, and control relationships in an L-1 petition.
Direct answer
What the governing framework requires
An L-1 petition should establish the qualifying corporate relationship through primary organizational evidence. The exact documents depend on whether the relationship is based on parent and subsidiary ownership, affiliate ownership, a branch of the same entity, or a more complex indirect ownership structure.
01 · Primary Evidence
Use records created for the actual corporate relationship
Corporate registries, stock ledgers, ownership records, formation documents, and governing agreements generally carry more value than unsupported organizational charts.
A chart should summarize the evidence rather than replace it.
02 · Direct Ownership
Direct ownership usually requires fewer links
Where a parent directly owns the subsidiary, the record may be relatively simple.
The evidence should still identify both legal entities and the ownership percentage.
03 · Indirect Ownership
Every material entity in the chain should be documented
If the foreign employer and U.S. petitioner are separated by holding companies, each level should be shown.
Skipping an intermediate entity can leave the claimed relationship unsupported.
04 · Affiliates
Affiliate filings should compare the ownership of both companies
The same owners or parent must be shown across both entities under the applicable affiliate definition.
Side by side capitalization tables can help explain the relationship.
05 · Branches
Branch filings should establish that the offices are the same legal organization
A branch relationship requires evidence of common legal identity rather than common ownership between separate entities.
Foreign qualification or branch registration records can be important.
06 · Evidence Checklist
Match the documents to the claimed regulatory relationship
- Formation documents
- Corporate registry records
- Stock ledgers
- Membership ledgers
- Share certificates
- Operating agreements
- Shareholder agreements
- Tax ownership records
- Annual reports
- Ownership charts
Questions and answers
Frequently asked questions
Is an organizational chart enough to prove the L-1 relationship?
Usually it should be supported by primary ownership and corporate records.
What proves direct ownership?
Stock, membership, registry, formation, and governing records can establish the relationship.
How do I prove indirect ownership?
Document each intermediate entity and ownership link in the chain.
What proves an affiliate relationship?
The filing should establish the ownership and control of both entities under the applicable affiliate definition.
What proves a branch relationship?
The evidence should establish that both offices are part of the same legal organization.
Should documents be current?
Yes. Current records are important because ownership and control may have changed since earlier filings.
Case-specific review
Build the corporate relationship record before filing
A review can identify missing ownership links, stale records, unsupported charts, and inconsistencies among corporate documents.
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