Read the general business expansion overview
A new-office L-1A is approved for one year and must show that premises have been secured and that the U.S. entity will be able to support a managerial position within that year. Hypothetical example: a trucking company in the Rural Municipality of Sherwood forms a U.S. subsidiary to open a cross-dock terminal and sends its Canadian operations director to establish it. The petition is judged on the lease, the funding, the staffing plan and the manager's own history, and the extension a year later is judged on whether the plan actually happened.
Secure the premises and the money before filing
The regulation requires evidence that sufficient physical premises have been secured for the new office. A signed lease for the terminal yard and office, with the term and the square footage, is the core document; a letter of intent is weaker and a virtual office is not enough for an operation that needs a yard. Alongside the lease, the petition needs the U.S. subsidiary's formation documents, its ownership by the Canadian carrier, and proof of the capital the parent has committed: bank statements for the subsidiary, a funding resolution and any intercompany loan agreement. Include the parent's financial statements to show it can carry the subsidiary through the first year. Equipment already positioned, such as trailers or a yard tractor, should be listed with purchase or transfer records.
Show that the role will be managerial within a year
In a start-up the manager will do some of everything, and the regulation accepts that, but it requires evidence that within one year the U.S. operation will support a position that is primarily managerial or executive. That means a staffing plan with hiring dates and titles for dispatchers, drivers, a yard supervisor and administrative staff, an organizational chart showing the director at the top, and a business plan with revenue projections tied to real customer commitments, such as freight contracts the parent already holds that will route through the terminal. The director's own history matters too: the petition must show she held a managerial or executive role with the Canadian carrier for one continuous year within the past three, so include her position history and payroll.
Run the first year as if the extension were already being written
The initial approval lasts one year, and the extension petition must show that the new office is doing business and that the director is now primarily managing. Keep monthly evidence from the start: payroll for U.S. hires, invoices to customers, the lease payments, equipment purchases, and updated organizational charts. Record the director's actual duties and how they shift from hands-on set-up to supervision as staff are hired. If the plan changes, document why; an extension that explains a slower ramp with candour fares better than one that ignores the gap between projections and results. The director's spouse may work incident to L-2 status during this period, and the seven-year L-1A limit runs from the first admission, so the family's longer-term intentions should be discussed before the extension is filed.
What else is on your mind?
Does being a business owner or director qualify me for L-1A?What employment history should an L-1 transfer review cover?What makes a new-office L-1A case different?Why does an L-2 spouse’s admission record matter for work?Editorial source review: 2026-09-07. General preparation guidance, not an individual assessment.