Having been through the process of being on an L-1 and having an L-2 wife who is permitted to work, it creates an interesting dynamic. The primary visaholder is tied to the sponsoring company - if they lose their job, both visas disappear. They clearly have less leverage in negotiating salary with their employer, with really only the visa requirement that they be paid a fair rate to protect their interests. The limited transferability of H1Bs gives them a little leverage - L-1s have no such negotiating power, other than the market rate for their skills overseas.
The working spouse, on the other hand, is a relatively free participant in the employment market, so has far more leverage - able to freely negotiate salary (or to start a company of their own, or whatever). Of course they have hanging over them the risk that the master visa might go away at any time and they would be forced to stop working (and probably sell up and leave the country), but there is at least employment protection law to stop employers discriminating against a person who has the legal right to work on the basis of how they acquired that right.
The whole US immigration process is full of craziness. This is pretty well understood. That being said, in my own experience I feel very fortunate compared to many stories I hear. Came in on an L1 visa just over 2yrs ago, my wife was able to work immediately. In SF where we live, having two incomes is very helpful. Almost to the day, 2yrs after arriving processing completed on the green cards which we both now have.
Whole process was paid for by my employer (a large US multinational) that regularly needs to move people around all over the world and is very well organized and takes good care of it's people (and their families) in that regard.
Despite itself, sometimes the process works and companies act well too. In the current system, L1 is generally confided the best case scenario for coming to the US. Any problems you might run into with L1 are still pretty fancy problems compared with challenges faced by so many others trying to get into the country.
The L-2 work permit is better than not being able to work at all.
Companies (smart or not) can't really leverage an L-1 spouse against the L-2 job applicant in negotiations, although they might consider the L-1 holder a possible risk factor that might count against the L-2 job applicant.
If this happened or played a critical role in candidate evaluation, it would be difficult to prove that the L-2 holder was discriminated against.
The only time that a company could truly "leverage" the L-1 visa against an L-2 applicant is if the L-2 truly had nowhere else to apply except to the same company as the L-1 holder; but I feel that's an unlikely scenario.
EDIT: To your point about upgrading the L-1 into permanent residence status, it's typically easier and quicker on the L-1/L-2 than via H-1B.
> EDIT: To your point about upgrading the L-1 into permanent residence status, it's typically easier and quicker on the L-1/L-2 than via H-1B.
The path from L1A, to EB-1C (Multinational manager or executive) is pretty straightforward, the requirements are very similar, and the quotas are current for every country.
An L1B visa holder, on the other hand, faces a situation much like that of an H1B.
The working spouse, on the other hand, is a relatively free participant in the employment market, so has far more leverage - able to freely negotiate salary (or to start a company of their own, or whatever). Of course they have hanging over them the risk that the master visa might go away at any time and they would be forced to stop working (and probably sell up and leave the country), but there is at least employment protection law to stop employers discriminating against a person who has the legal right to work on the basis of how they acquired that right.