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CAMBRIDGE · L-1B FIELD GUIDE

Does a course completion date establish the earliest work start?

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THE DIRECT ANSWER

No. The actual immigration process and permission govern the proposed U.S. activity. A training milestone does not authorize deployment by itself.

Reassess changed assignment facts

If duties or supervision differ from the training plan, explain the real proposal. A calendar cannot substitute for the qualifying arrangement.

A change in duties, work location, or employing entity may affect the basis for the case, so the revised facts should be reviewed rather than assuming the original filing already covers them. Confirm actual approval and status dates before the employee begins any different assignment, rather than treating a client's delivery deadline as authorization on its own. The transferring employee's permission to work flows from an approved petition for a specific employer and a described assignment, so a change of employer or a materially different role is a legal question rather than an administrative one. Establish the qualifying corporate relationship, collect foreign-employment proof, complete the knowledge explanation, and resolve any client-site control issue before the planned filing date. L-1B eligibility still depends on the related organizations, the worker’s required continuous year of qualifying employment abroad inside the applicable three-year lookback, and special or advanced company knowledge used in the assignment.