Read the general pathway comparison overview
View Royal applicants should determine whether they are transferring into a qualifying business or investing in an enterprise whose final terms may have changed. The decision is which set of facts is real today. A US company registered by the Canadian business years ago but never operated is a new office for L-1, with a one-year initial approval; a purchase whose listing excludes the building and the equipment leaves less capital irrevocably committed than the headline price suggests for E-2.
Review L-1 on its actual history
Qualifying entities, foreign service and managerial/executive or specialized-knowledge duties are required. An old registration does not alone establish operations, and an industry certificate does not automatically establish company knowledge.
Review E-2 on effective rights
At least 50% relevant national enterprise ownership, development and direction, substantial at-risk capital with lawful source/path and a real nonmarginal business remain necessary. Excluded assets should not remain in the operating plan without a genuine alternative basis.
Avoid relying on contingent facts as completed
Identify the agreement, activity and duties that actually exist. Neither a certificate date nor an advertised sale package supplies every requirement of the chosen route.
Hypothetical example: an auto-repair shop owner's two routes
Hypothetical example: a View Royal automotive-repair shop owner has two proposals. Her Canadian company registered a US limited liability company two years ago when a supplier suggested it, but the LLC has no bank account, staff or customers. Route one: transfer herself as L-1A to run it. Because the LLC has never done business, this is a new-office petition: she needs premises secured, a plan showing the shop will support a primarily managerial role within a year, one continuous year of employment with the Canadian company in the last three, and both companies trading throughout; approval is for one year initially and L-1A time is capped at seven years. Route two: buy a US repair shop advertised at a price that excludes the building, which the seller will rent to her, and whose diagnostic equipment is leased from a finance company. For E-2 only the funds she actually pays or irrevocably commits count, so the purchase price of goodwill and inventory, plus rent and lease payments already made, form the investment, and it must be substantial relative to the true cost of running that shop. She must own at least half and direct it.
Questions that separate the two files
Will the Canadian shop keep operating with someone else in charge, which L-1 requires and E-2 does not? Is the money the company's or her own? Would she rather manage mechanics or turn wrenches; the L-1A role must be primarily managerial, while an E-2 investor may work in the business she directs. Does the business plan describe a time-limited posting or a longer operating role? E-2 can be renewed while the enterprise qualifies but gives no direct path to permanent residence. Whichever route she chooses, the old LLC certificate and the listing brochure are starting points, not evidence.
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?How should an owner compare L-1 and E-2?Editorial source review: 2026-09-07. General preparation guidance, not an individual assessment.