TN Visa

The visa is available for Canadian and Mexican business visitors, treaty traders and investors, intra-company transferees, and professionals to work in the U.S.

The applicant must be coming to work in the U.S. under one of the following occupations and must also possess a bachelor’s or licensure degree from a college or university (unless otherwise stated):

• Accountant
• Agriculturist/Agronomist
• Animal Breeder
• Animal Scientist
• Architect (degree or license)
• Astronomer
• Biochemist
• Biologist
• Chemist
• Computer Systems Analyst
• Dairy Scientist
• Dentist (professional degree or license)
• Disaster Relief Insurance Claims Adjuster (degree or three years experience)
• Economist
• Engineer (degree or license)
• Entomologist
• Forester (degree or license)
• Geneticist
• Geochemist
• Geographer
• Geologist
• Geophysicist
• Graphic Designer (degree and three years experience)
• Horticulturist
• Hotel Manager (licensure degree/diploma or certificate plus three years experience)
• Industrial Designer (degree, certificate, or diploma plus three years experience)
• Interior Designer (degree, certificate, or diploma plus three years experience)
• Land Surveyor (degree or license)
• Landscaping Architect
• Lawyer (member of Canadian, Mexico, or U.S. bar)
• Librarian (master’s degree)
• Management Consultant (degree or five years experience)
• Mathematician
• Medical Lab Technologist
• Medical Technologist (degree, certificate, or diploma plus three years experience)
• Meteorologist
• Nutritionist
• Occupational Therapist (degree or license)
• Oceanographer
• Pharmacist (degree or license)
• Pharmacologist
• Physician (teaching or research position only)
• Physicist
• Physio/Physical Therapist (degree or license)
• Plant Breeder
• Poultry Scientist
• Psychologist
• Range Manager/Range Conservationist
• Recreational Therapist
• Registered Nurse (license)
• Research Assistant (for colleges/universities only)
• Scientific Technician/Technologist (degree not required if you are working under professionals in: agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology, chemistry, engineering, forestry, geology, geophysics, meteorology, physics)
• Social Worker
• Soil Scientist
• Statistician
• Sylviculturist/Forestry Specialist
• Teacher (college, university, or seminary only)
• Technical Publications Writer (degree, diploma, or certificate plus three years experience)
• Urban Planner
• Veterinarian (professional degree or license)
• Vocational Counselor
• Zoologist

Canadian and Mexican nationals avoid possibly long filing delays.

• You may only work under certain types of occupations.
• You may not be self-employed in any occupation while in the U.S.
• Successful applicants must intend to return to Canada or Mexico when their work in the U.S. is complete.
• Extensions are available in one-year increments.

The following documents must be presented to the CIS or NAFTA officer when applying at the U.S. port of entry (along with a fee):

1. Evidence of Canadian citizenship (birth certificate, passport, or naturalization certificate);
2. A description of the proposed employment activity (may be described in the job offer letter);
3. Proof of qualification to work at a professional level (via degrees, license, diploma, work experience, etc.) and a resume (optional);
4. Evidence of qualification for specific occupation (as listed above); and
5. A letter from the prospective employer should also be included, indicating that the applicant will work for them in the listed professional occupation, along with information about the job description, salary etc. Encouraged also is a description of the need for professional services and how the applicant’s education and work experience confirm his/her professional status.

Canadian TNs may present themselves at a Port of Entry or Preclearance facility at an airport for issuance of an I-94 arrival/departure card documenting TN status. Standard duration of status for Canadian TNs is three years; no visa is required for either Canadian TN principals or their Canadian TD dependents.

Non-Canadian dependents must obtain a TD visa from a US consular post of the Dept of State.

Mexican nationals are not visa-exempt. Therefore, all Mexican “TN”s and both Mexican and non-Mexican national “TD”s dependents must obtain nonimmigrant visas a US consular post of the Dept of State. Visa validity is one year.