The classification is capped at seven years in total for a manager or executive, counted cumulatively. Filing makes sense once the qualifying year abroad has been earned, the American staffing supports a managerial role, and the corporate relationship is documented; filing before those three are true usually produces a request for evidence rather than an approval.
Three readiness tests, then a filing date
Treat the seven-year ceiling as a planning horizon rather than a distant technicality, because a group that intends Desmond to stay indefinitely needs to know from the outset that this category has an end. Where the American entity has been operating for less than a year, a new-office petition is approved for one year initially, and the extension will be judged on whether the business actually developed as described, which compresses the timetable further. Against that background the sequence is straightforward.
Establish the date on which a clean qualifying year abroad is complete. Confirm that the American operation will, by the requested start, have the staff that makes the role managerial. Get the corporate documents signed and filed.
Only then choose a filing date, allowing for the seasonal reality that an outfitting business cannot absorb a leadership change in the middle of its peak weeks.