Start when the customer contract is being negotiated, not after it is signed, because the contract's supervision terms decide the case. Allow time for evidence assembly, then USCIS processing for Form I-129 with optional premium processing.
Negotiate the contract with the petition in mind
Hypothetical example: The single largest delay in offsite L-1B cases is a customer contract that was written for commercial convenience and has to be reopened because it describes staffing rather than a controlled service. If the affiliate is still negotiating, it should build the supervision and deliverables language in now. Evidence assembly follows: training records, project histories, internal documentation, Canadian payroll for the foreign year and the corporate ownership chart. USCIS then adjudicates within its published processing time for Form I-129, or within the premium-processing window if that fee is paid. An initial L-1B approval for an established affiliate can run up to three years; the customer's two-year commissioning period fits inside that. As a Canadian citizen Ines can present the approval at a port of entry without a visa stamp. She should not sublet her Logan Lake home or give notice until the approval notice is in hand.
Hypothetical example: A hydropower-turbine diagnostics firm needs its specialist for a planned outage. Start with the employee’s qualifying-year dates and any prior time in L classification, then work backward from the outage window. Training records and assignment history should be assembled before the contract promises a start date. If the remaining L-1B time is short, a multi-year client commitment may require another lawful staffing solution rather than an extension request built on hope.