The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) makes temporary employment with TN visas easier for certain professionals who are citizens of Canada or Mexico.
NAFTA created the TN visa category for eligible Canadian and Mexican professional workers and also affected terms of admission for Canadians admitted to the U.S. under other nonimmigrant classifications. TN employment must be in a profession listed in the chart below and the TN employee must possess the credentials required. There is no annual limit on the number TN admissions.
TN visas permit qualified Canadian and Mexican citizens to seek temporary entry into the United States to engage in business activities at a professional level. Unlike Mexican citizens, Canadian citizens are generally eligible for admission as nonimmigrants without a visa.
Since there are no temporary work visas for most registered nurses in the U.S., many RNs immigrate to Canada and become citizens. This allows them to work in the U.S. in TN status.
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You may qualify for a TN visa if
- You are a citizen of Canada or Mexico;
- Your profession qualifies under the regulations;
- The position in the United States requires a NAFTA professional;
- You have a prearranged full-time or part-time job with a U.S. employer, but not self-employment; and
- You have the qualifications to practice in the profession in question.
If you wish to remain in the US beyond your initial period of stay without first departing from the US, you must seek an extension of stay. If you are in the US, your employer may file Form I-129 on your behalf.
Alternatively, you may depart from the US before the date your status expires, and then, once abroad, you may apply at a CBP-designated U.S. port of entry or at a designated pre-clearance/pre-flight inspection station using the same application and documentation procedures required at the time of your initial application for admission as a TN nonimmigrant.
TN Visas – General Resources
- List of TN Occupations, 8 CFR 214.6 (NAFSA)
- For Canadian and Mexican Citizens (CBP)
- Traveling on a TN or L1 Visa from Canada? (CBP)
- TN NAFTA Professionals (USCIS)
TN Visas – Occupations
| PROFESSION | MINIMUM EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS AND ALTERNATIVE CREDENTIALS |
|---|---|
| Accountant | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or C.P.A., C.A., C.G.A., C.M.A. |
| Architect | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license |
| Computer System Analyst | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post Secondary Certificate and three years experience |
| Disaster Relief Insurance Claims Adjuster (Claims Adjuster 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; or three years experience in claims adjustment and successful com pletion 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 Degree; or state/provincial license |
| Graphic Designer | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or post-secondary diploma and three 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 years experience in hotel/restaurant management |
| Industrial Designer | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or post-secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate, and three years experience |
| Interior Designer | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or post-secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate, and three 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 of Quebec) | L.L.B., J.D., L.L.L., B.C.L., or Licenciatura degree (five years); or membership in a state/provincial bar |
| Librarian | M.L.S. or B.L.S. (for which another Baccalaureate or Licenciatura degree was prerequisite) |
| Management Consultant | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or equivalent professional experience as established by statement or professional credential attesting to five years experience as a management consultant, or five 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 of any of those disciplines to basic or applied research |
| Social Worker | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
| Sylviculturist (including forestry) | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
| Technical Publications Writer | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or post-secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate, and three 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 years experience |
| Nutritionist | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
| Occupational Therapist | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state provincial license |
| Pharmacist | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura 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 |
SCIENTISTS |
|
| Agricultural (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 |
| Chemist | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
| Dairy Scientist | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
| Entomologist | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
| Epidemiologist | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
| Geneticist | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
| Geochemist | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
| Geophysicist (including Oceanographer in Mexico and the United State) | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
| Hosticulturist | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
| Meteorologist | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura 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 |
TEACHERS |
|
| College | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
| Seminary | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
| University | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
| TN Canadian or Mexican Citizen under NAFTA | ||
| The TN classification applies to a Canadian or Mexican citizen seeking classification as a professional temporarily under the North American Free Trade Agreement. | ||
This classification does not require a petition for employment. Canadian citizens need not obtain TN-1 consular visas, and may apply directly at Class A U.S. ports of entry. Mexican citizens must apply for TN visas at an appropriate U.S. Consulate. Both must provide:
|
||
| Dependents | ||
| Dependents (spouses and unmarried children under 21 years of age) of TN professionals are entitled to TD status with the same restrictions as the principal. Dependents may be students in the U.S., but may not be employed under the TD status. | ||
Extending Your TD Nonimmigrant Stay
If a Canadian or Mexican TN nonimmigrant applies for an extension of stay in the United States at the end of his or her period of admission or authorization as a TN, any eligible TD family member may also apply to extend their status without the need to travel abroad.
If a Mexican TD dependent wishes to travel abroad following approval of any such extension of stay and expiration of the TD visa, the family member will be required to apply for a new TD visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate before being permitted to return to the United States in TD status.
TN Visas – Additional Resources
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Immigration Attorney Carl Shusterman has 40+ years of experience. He served as an attorney for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) from 1976 until 1982, when he entered private practice. He has testified as an expert witness before the US Senate Immigration Subcommittee. Carl was featured in SuperLawyers Magazine. Today, he serves as Of Counsel to JR Immigration Law Firm.