Blanket L-1 Visa Applications in India

As of December 1, 2011, the U.S. Consulate General in Chennai began processing all blanket intra-company L visa petitions for India; though, visas for a dependent spouse and/or children (L-2) and individual L visas (L-1B and L-1A) continue to be processed at all Indian posts – Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and New Delhi. 

It is noteworthy to mention that the consular officers apply close scrutiny to all blanket L petitions for signs of “job shop” positions, focusing on three major issues:

• Is the petitioner a job shop placing information technology workers at a third party site or will there be any kind of placement at client sites?
• Is the Indian salary of the L-1B beneficiary so low that it is indicative of a worker being an ordinary programmer and not an individual with “specialized
  knowledge”?
• Is the nature of work being done in India indicative of a job that is not specialized?