To qualify for an L-1A visa, you must be either a manager or an executive. To qualify as a manager, you must manage the organization, or a department, subdivision, function, or component of the organization. You can be either a “personnel manager” and manage employees of the company, or a “function” manager and manage an essential function of the business, without any subordinate staff. You must be able to exercise authority, commit the company to a particular course of business, have hiring/firing power, etc. To qualify as an executive, you must manage, thorough subordinates, all activities of the entire company, report to the Board of Directors, etc.