Doing business means the regular, systematic, and continuous provision of goods and/or services by a qualifying organization and does not include the mere presence of an agent or office of the qualifying organization in the United States and abroad.
Specialized knowledge means either special knowledge possessed by an individual of the petitioning organization’s product, service, research, equipment, techniques, management, or other interests and its application in international markets, or an advanced level of knowledge or expertise in the organization’s processes and procedures.
The L-1B visa cannot be used to staff the initial opening of a new U.S. entity. It can, however, be used for an early-stage employee once the U.S. company can evidence that it is operating and doing business inside the U.S. as defined above. An initial L-1B visa can be requested for a three-year period followed by a two-year extension for a total of five years of validity.