TN Visa Lawyer

Common TN Visa Questions

What is TN status?

Qualified Canadian and Mexican citizens may seek temporary entry and work in the U.S. at a professional level in TN status.

What are the requirements of a TN status?

1. The applicant must be from Canada or Mexico.
2. The applicant must have a job offer from a U.S. employer.
3. Only certain positions qualify for TN status.
4. The applicant must be qualified for the position.
5. The applicant must intend to work temporarily in the U.S. and to return to his/her home country after the completion of his period of stay in TN status

What are the positions which qualify for TN Visa, and what qualifications are required?

• Accountant – Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or C.P.A., C.A., C.G.A., or C.M.A.
• Architect – Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license.^[2]
• Computer Systems Analyst – Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Secondary Diploma^[3] or Post-Secondary Certificate,^[4] 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 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 Degree; or state/provincial license.
• Graphic Designer – Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate, 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 a prerequisite).
• Management Consultant – Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or equivalent professional experience as established by a 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.^[5]
• Range Manager/Range Conservationist – Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.
• Research Assistant (working in a post-secondary educational institution) – Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.
• Scientific Technician/Technologist^[6] – 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 Specialist) – 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 Health 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)^[7] – 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. or 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 Positions

• 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.^[8]
• 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.
• 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 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.

Teacher/Education Professionals

• College – Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.
• Seminary – Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.
• University – Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

^[2] 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 in a regulated activity or profession.

^[3] “Post-Secondary Diploma” means a credential issued, on completion of two or more years of postsecondary education, by an accredited academic institution in Canada or the United States.

^[4] “Post-Secondary Certificate” means a certificate issued, on completion of two or more years of postsecondary education at an academic institution, by the federal government of Mexico or a state government in Mexico, an academic institution recognized by the federal government or a state government, or an academic institution created by federal or state law.

^[5] The term “Mathematician” includes the profession of Actuary. An Actuary must satisfy the necessary requirements to be recognized as an actuary by a professional actuarial association or society. A professional actuarial association or society means a professional actuarial association or society operating in the territory of at least one of the Parties.

^[6] A business person in this category must be seeking temporary entry for work in direct support of professionals in agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology, chemistry, engineering, forestry, geology, geophysics, meteorology or physics.

^[7] A business person in this category must be seeking temporary entry to perform in a laboratory, chemical, biological, hematological, immunologic, microscopic or bacteriological tests and analyses for diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of diseases.

^[8] The term “Biologist” includes the profession of Plant Pathologist.

How many years may one be admitted to the U.S. in TN status?

TN status will be issued for up to 3 years, but it can be extended without limit, so long as it appears that you do not intend to stay permanently in the U.S.

After 2 ½ years, can I file for an extension for TN status?

Yes, with a TN visa you can file for an extension, and if granted, will be for a maximum of additional 3 years.

I am a Canadian citizen and I want to apply for TN status.  Can I apply for TN classification at the border?

Yes.  Unlike a Mexican citizen, a Canadian citizen can apply for TN classification by applying with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer at certain CBP-designated U.S. ports of entry or at a designated pre-clearance/pre-flight inspection station. 

Contact Us to Apply for a TN Visa

If you want more information on TN visas and applying for TN status, contact an experienced immigration attorney at the Immigration Law Office Of Los Angeles. You can contact us by filling out the form on the right side of this page or by calling 213-375-4084.

Have Questions? Give us a Call at (213) 375-4084