The maximum period of stay in L-1A is seven years, counted from admission in the classification rather than from the petition's approval. A petition for a new American office is approved for one year initially, and any extension is judged against what the first year actually produced.
Seven years is a ceiling, and time abroad can restore some of it
The limit matters most for people who intend to pursue permanent residence eventually, because the seven years can pass while a queue moves slowly. Time spent physically outside the United States can generally be recaptured with evidence, so travel records are worth keeping from the first admission rather than assembled in year six. Halina's file has a further wrinkle.
If the American elevator has been operating under the group for less than a year at the time of filing, the petition is treated as a new office and is approved for one year, with the extension assessed on whether the business developed as described, whether staffing arrived, and whether her role became genuinely managerial rather than hands-on. Planning that first year against the description in the petition is therefore not merely good practice; it is the evidence for the extension.