TN Visa

TN Visas are non-immigrant work visas granted under NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement. The TN allows citizens of Canada or Mexico, who belong to certain professions, to work in the United States on a temporary basis. The NAFTA professional must be coming to the United States to work for a US employer (self-employment is prohibited). Canadian citizens can apply for TN status at the border. Mexican citizens can apply for TN status at a US consulate in Mexico.

 

TN Visas are good for up to three years and must be renewed (either by returning to Canada or Mexico or through a petition filed at a USCIS Service Center). Although the number of renewals that can be granted is not limited, TN renewals can be denied if the government believes the applicant has the intent to become a permanent resident of the United States.

Below is a list of qualifying positions under NAFTA:

 

PROFESSION MINIMUM EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS AND ALTERNATIVE CREDENTIALS

 

GENERAL

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          Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree and successful completion of training

(Claims Adjuster employed by an insurance       in the appropriate areas of insurance adjustment pertaining to disaster relief

company located in the territory of a Party,       claims; or three years experience in claims adjustment and successful 

or an independent claims adjuster)                       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 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 license        

 

Landscape Architect                                               Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

 

Lawyer (including Notary in                                  L.L.B., J.D., L.L.L., B.C.L., or Licenciatura degree (five years); or membership

the province of Quebec)                                       in a state/provincial bar

 

Librarian                                                                    M.L.S. or B.L.S. (for which another Baccalaureate or Liceciatura 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                             Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

a post-secondary educational institution)

 

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                        Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or post-secondary diploma or

(Canada)/Medical Technologist                          post-secondary certificate, and three years experience

(Mexico and the U.S.)

 

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                                                             Licenciatura degree; or state/provincial license

 

Recreational Therapist                                           Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

 

Registered Nurse                                                    Licenciatura degree; or state/provincial license

 

Veterinarian                                                             D.V.M., D.M.V., or Doctor en Veterinaria; or state/provincial license     

 

SCIENTIST

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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            Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

 in Mexico and the United States)

 

Hosticulturist                                                           Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

 

Meteorologist                                                          Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

 

Pharmacologist                                                       Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

 

Physicist (including Oceanographer in               Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Canada)

 

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