VISA TN

Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. have a free trade agreement. Although the agreement was initially called NAFTA, it was updated to USMCA in 2018. Under the USMCA, citizens of Canada or Mexico can apply for TN Visa in order to get a professional occupation in the U.S. TN is a non-immigrant visa that allows to work on a temporary basis in the U.S. It is available for Mexican and Canadian citizens only. This kind of visa is not available for those that have a permanent resident card.

If you have the appropriate experience, education, or qualifications in one of the professions on the TN visa list, you can easily cross the border for employment in the U.S. The list of professions includes lawyers, engineers, teachers, accountants, occupational therapists and other professionals (see below).

TN Visa Degree Requirement:

General requirements for this type of visa are the following:

• To be the citizen of Canada or Mexico;
• The occupation should be in the USMCA list;
• You must have the offer of a full or part-time job from an employer in the U.S.
• The job offer should contain one of the occupations from the USMCA list;
• You must meet all requirements for education and work experience defined in your specific application;
• You must provide evidence that you intend to return back home after your visa expires.

Most occupations on the TN visa list require at least a bachelor’s degree. Some of them require a master’s degree. Some professionals may be asked to notarize their diploma if the training has taken place outside of the United States.

TD Visa:

The spouse and unmarried under-age children of the TN Visa holder can get the derivative status or TD Visa. This status doesn’t permit any employment in the U.S.

How TN-1 visa works for Canadians

Citizens of Canada that visit the United States with the purpose of employment on an TN-1 visa must meet the following requirements:

• Proof of Canadian citizenship (a valid passport);
• Evidence of a job offer in the U.S., including the name of the company, the description of the position, work experience, and the education required.
• Pay fees ranging from $50 to $56 required, depending on whether you cross the airport or the land border in the United States.

How TN-2 visa works for Mexicans

Mexican citizens must apply for TN visa online before visiting the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. They can’t just fill out a visa application while at a border crossing point in the United States.

The TN visa status will only be granted if the period of stay is temporary.

TN Visa Extension/ Renewal

The number of TN visa extensions is unlimited. As long as you work in the U.S. and have strong ties to your home country in Canada or Mexico, you should have no problem extending the TN visa indefinitely.

TN Visa Occupation List (NAFTA/USMCA):

60 occupations in the TN list are the following:

1. Accountant
2. Architect
3. Animal Breeder
4. Animal Scientist
5. Apiculturist
6. Astronomer
7. Biochemist
8. Biologist
9. Chemist
10. Computer System Analyst
11. Diary Scientist
12. Dentist
13. Dietitian
14. Disaster Relief Insurance Claims Adjuster
15. Economist
16. Engineer
17. Entomologist
18. Epidemiologist
19. Forester
20. Geneticist
21. Geochemist
22. Geographer
23. Geologist
24. Geophysicist
25. Graphic Designer
26. Horticulturist
27. Hotel Manager
28. Industrial Designer
29. Interior Designer
30. Land Surveyor
31. Landscape Architect
32. Lawyer
33. Librarian
34. Management Consultant
35. Mathematician
36. Medical Lab Technologist
37. Meteorologist
38. Nurse
39. Nutritionist
40. Occupational Therapist
41. Oceanographer
42. Pharmacist
43. Pharmacologist
44. Physician
45. Physicist
46. Physio /Physical Therapist (baccalaureate or state license is required)
47. Plant Breeder
48. Poultry Scientist
49. Psychologist (baccalaureate and state license is required)
50. Range Manager
51. Recreational Therapist
52. Research Assistant (baccalaureate and U.S. job in a post-secondary educational institute)
53. Scientific Technician or Technologist
54. Social Worker
55. Soil Scientist
56. Statistician
57. Teacher - no secondary or elementary school teaching
58. Veterinarian (DVM, DMV, or state/provincial license)
59. Vocational Counselor
60. Writer, Technical Publications