Client Login

TN Visas

The TN visa classification enables U.S. employers to bring professionals in specific occupations from abroad to work temporarily in the U.S. pursuant to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (“USMCA”), formerly known as NAFTA.

Basic Requirements:

The TN visa category is available to Canadian and Mexican citizens. It requires that:

  • the foreign national enter the U.S. for a stay of limited duration;
  • The foreign national intend to depart the U.S. at the end of his/her stay. The foreign national must continue to maintain a foreign residence of which s/he has no intention of abandoning;
  • The foreign national must have made adequate financial arrangements to travel to, in, and from the U.S.; and
  • The foreign national engage solely in authorized business or pleasure activities while in the U.S.

The U.S. may grant temporary entry to such individuals who are engaging in a business activity at a professional level on behalf of a U.S. employer. NAFTA defines “business activities at a professional level” as undertakings which require that the individual have at least a Bachelor’s degree or appropriate credentials demonstrating status as a professional. The terms ‘state/provincial license’ and ‘state/provincial/federal license’ mean any document issued by a state, provincial, or federal government, as the case may be, or under its authority, but not by a local government, that permits a person to engage.  The professions included at Appendix 1503.D.1 of NAFTA are as follows:

  • Accoun­tant-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; C.P.A., C.A., C.G.A., or C.M.A.
  • Architect-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license
  • Computer Systems Analyst-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate and three (3) years’ experience
  • Disaster relief insurance claims adjuster (claims adjusted em­ployed by an insurance company located in the territory of a Party, or an independent claims adjuster)-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree and successful completion of training in the appro­priate areas of insurance adjustment pertaining to disaster relief claims
  • Economist-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Engineer-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license
  • Forester-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Decree; or state/provincial license
  • Graphic Designer-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Second­ary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate and three (3) years’ experience
  • Hotel Manager-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree in hotel/restaurant management; or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate in hotel/restaurant management and three (3) years’ experience in hotel/restaurant management
  • Industrial Designer-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; Or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate, and three (3) years’ experience
  • Interior Designer-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate, and three (3) years’ experience
  • Land Surveyor-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree or state/provincial/federal license
  • Landscape Architect-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Lawyer (including Notary in the province in Quebec)-L.L.B., J.D., L.L.L., B.C.L., or Licenciatura degree (five (5) years); or membership in a state/provincial bar
  • Librarian-M.L.S., or B.L.S. (for which another Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree was a pre-requisite)
  • Management Consultant-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or equiva­lent professional experience established by statement or professional cre­dential attesting to five (5) years’ experience as a management consultant, or five (5) years’ experience in a field of specialty related to the consulting agree­ment
  • Mathematician (including Statistician)-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura De­gree
  • Range Manager/Range Conservationist-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree Research Assistant (working in a post-secondary educational institution)-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Scientific Technician/Technologist-Possession of (a) theoretical knowledge of any of the following disciplines; agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology, chem­istry, engineering, forestry, geology, geophysics, meteorology, or physics; and (b) the ability to solve practical problems in any of those disciplines, or the ability to apply principles or any of those disciplines to basic or applied research
  • Social Worker-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Sylviculturist (including Forestry Specialist)-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Technical Publications Writer-Baccalaureate of Licenciatura Degree, or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate, and three (3) years’ experience
  • Urban Planner (including Geographer)-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura De­gree
  • Vocational Counselor-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

Medical/Allied Professionals

  • Dentist-D.D.S., D.M.D., Doctor en Odontologia or Doctor en Cirugia Den­tal or state/provincial license
  • Dietitian-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license
  • Medical Laboratory Technologist (Canada)/Medical Technologist (Mexico and the United States)-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Sec­ondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate, and three (3) years’ experience
  • Nutritionist-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Occupational Therapists-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license
  • Pharmacist-Baccalaureate of Licenciature Degree; or state/provincial li­cense
  • Physician (teaching or research only)-M.D. Doctor en Medicina; or state/provincial license
  • Physiotherapist/Physical Therapist-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license
  • Psychologist-state/provincial license or Licenciatura Degree
  • Recreational Therapist-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Registered Nurse-state/provincial license or Licenciatura Degree
  • Veterinarian-D.V.M., D.M.V., or Doctor en Veterinaria; or state/provincial license

Scientist

  • Agriculturist (including Agronomist)-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Animal Breeder-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Animal Scientist-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Apiculturist-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Astronomer-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Biochemist-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Biologist-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Chemist-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Dairy Scientist-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Entomologist-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Geneticist-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Geochemist-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Geologist-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Geophysicist (including Oceanographer in Mexico and the United States)-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Horticulturist-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Meteorologist-Baccalaureate Degree
  • Pharmacologist-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Physicist (including Oceanographer in Canada)-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Plant Breeder-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Poultry Scientist-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Soil Scientist-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Zoologist-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Teacher

  • College-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • Seminary-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
  • University-Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

A business person seeking temporary employment under this Appendix may also perform training functions relating to the profession, including conduct­ing seminars.

Period of Stay:
  • Initial entry of up to three (3) years, with three (3) year extensions available as long as the foreign national can demonstrate nonimmigrant intent.
Dependent Family Members:
  • Spouses and unmarried children under the age of 21 may accompany the transferring employee.
  • Work authorization is not permitted.
Procedure:
  • Mexican nationals must first obtain a TN visa at a U.S. consulate abroad before being admitted to the U.S.
  • Canadian citizens are considered visa-exempt and may submit the TN Visa Petition directly to U.S. Customs & Border Protection at a qualifying port-of-entry instead of to USCIS for same-day adjudication.
Processing Times:
  • Visa appointment availability is subject to change but appointments are generally available within 1-2 weeks, with visas being issued within 7-10 days following, assuming no government administrative processing delays.
Maintaining TN Visa Status:
  • The visa is employer-specific, meaning that an employee cannot change employers without government authorization.
  • The visa is job-specific, meaning that an employee cannot change positions without government authorization if a material change in job duties will occur.
Menu