Record the actual dates even when they differ. The qualifying employment period and proposed U.S. assignment are distinct parts of the assessment.
Build an accurate role chronology
Identify promotions, interim responsibilities and the planned transfer. In a new-office case, the initial year and extension evidence must reflect actual operations rather than a restarted timetable chosen for convenience.
The first clock is the beneficiary's: one continuous year of qualifying employment abroad must fall within the three years immediately preceding the petition, so a long-serving manager has flexibility, while someone recently promoted may not. A new-office approval runs for one year, which sets the clock for demonstrating that the role has become managerial in substance, so starting at a point when the person can genuinely build the operation matters more than starting early. No waiting period applies, but assembling the charts and payroll evidence generally takes several weeks, and USCIS processing follows. If the four-month secondment falls in the middle of the only candidate period, options include waiting until a fresh twelve months accumulate in Canada or documenting that the secondment was intermittent business travel rather than a US placement.