That depends on prior time spent in the United States in L or H status, which counts toward the limit. Collect the full admission history before scoping an assignment, since the remaining period may be shorter than the project.
Check the history before promising the schedule
Hypothetical example: the specialist spent eighteen months commissioning a plant in the United States four years ago on an earlier petition. That period is counted, so a three-plant programme scoped at four years may not fit within what remains. Gather admission records and prior petition approvals, confirm which categories they were in, and calculate the balance before committing to a client schedule.
If the role changes into managing a commissioning team, an L-1A analysis carries a seven-year limit instead, but that requires evidence of managerial duties rather than a new title. Each extension re-examines the same requirements: the corporate relationship, both entities operating, the continuing need for the knowledge, and the assignment not being labour for hire. There are also provisions about recapturing time spent outside the United States, which should be assessed on the actual travel record.