The cost of a TN visa runs from $80 for a Canadian professional walking up to a land border to well over $1,600 when a large employer files a petition through USCIS, before optional add-ons like premium processing or an attorney. What you pay depends on three things: your citizenship, whether you apply at the border, at a consulate, or through USCIS, and which extras you choose. Several key fees changed in late 2025 and early 2026, so older figures online are often wrong.
What Each Application Route Costs
Canadian citizens have the cheapest path. You apply directly at a U.S. port of entry, and CBP decides on the spot. At a land border, you pay a $50 TN processing fee plus a $30 I-94 fee, totaling $80. The I-94 fee jumped from $6 to $30 on September 30, 2025, so the “$56 at the border” figure still circulating is out of date.1U.S. Customs and Border Protection. I-94 – Payment Process At an airport, the fee is just $50 because the I-94 is handled electronically and the separate land border I-94 fee doesn’t apply.
Mexican citizens can’t apply at the border. You need a TN visa stamp from a U.S. embassy or consulate first, which means the DS-160 online application and an interview. The nonrefundable application fee is $185, and it covers both TN and TD (dependent) categories.2U.S. Department of State. Fees for Visa Services3U.S. Department of State. Visas for Canadian and Mexican USMCA Professional Workers
The third route is an employer petition filed with USCIS on Form I-129. This is less common for Canadians because the border is cheaper and faster, but some employers prefer it, and Mexican citizens sometimes use it to get status resolved before traveling. Under the March 2026 fee schedule, the I-129 filing fee for a TN petition is $1,015 for most employers and $510 for small employers (25 or fewer full-time equivalent employees) and nonprofits.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055 Fee Schedule On top of that, most employers pay an Asylum Program Fee of $600, or $300 for small employers, or $0 for nonprofits.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. H and L Filing Fees for Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker
One misconception worth clearing: TN petitions do not require the $500 Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee. That fee applies only to H-1B and L-1 filings.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. H and L Filing Fees for Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker
Premium Processing if You Need Speed
When an employer files I-129, you can request faster adjudication through Form I-907. For TN petitions the fee is $2,965, effective March 1, 2026.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS to Increase Premium Processing Fees USCIS guarantees action within 15 calendar days: an approval, denial, request for evidence, or notice of intent to deny.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-907, Instructions for Request for Premium Processing Service Premium processing is also available for Form I-539 at $2,075.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055 Fee Schedule
Costs for Your Spouse and Kids
Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can join you in TD (Trade Dependent) status. TD holders can attend school but cannot work in the U.S.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. TN USMCA Professionals
Canadian dependents entering at a land border pay $30 per person for the I-94. Mexican dependents each need a TD visa stamp, at the same $185 DS-160 fee.2U.S. Department of State. Fees for Visa Services If your family is already in the U.S. and needs to extend TD status or change from another category, they file Form I-539: $470 on paper or $420 online.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055 Fee Schedule
What Renewals Cost
TN status is granted for up to three years at a time, with no cap on the number of renewals as long as your work stays genuinely temporary.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 4 – Extension of Stay and Change of Status Each renewal has its own fees.
Canadians can re-apply at a port of entry with updated documents for the same $80 (land) or $50 (airport). Or your employer can file a new or amended I-129 with USCIS, which runs $1,015 plus the Asylum Program Fee, matching the initial petition costs.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055 Fee Schedule The USCIS route is slower but lets you stay in the country.
Mexican citizens renewing through a consulate pay the $185 DS-160 again. If you’re already inside the U.S., an employer-filed I-129 extension uses the same USCIS fees.
Attorney Fees and Credential Evaluations
Hiring an immigration attorney is optional but common, especially when your credentials don’t map cleanly onto the USMCA professions list or the employer support letter needs careful drafting. TN attorney fees generally run $750 to $4,000, with most straightforward cases falling between $1,000 and $2,500. The range depends on complexity, experience, and geography.
What you’re paying for is document preparation: matching your job offer to USMCA occupation requirements, drafting the employer support letter, and coaching you for the port of entry or consular interview. For Canadians applying at the border, a well-prepared support letter is the single most important factor in a smooth admission.
If your degree was earned outside the U.S. or Canada, you may also need a credential evaluation showing equivalence to the degree required for your profession. A basic evaluation typically costs $80 to $150, and a detailed course-by-course evaluation runs $150 to $300. Rush service adds to those numbers. Certified translations of any non-English documents run roughly $25 to $40 per page. Then there’s the trip itself: reaching a port of entry or a consular city, plus lodging if the interview isn’t same-day.
Employer or Worker: Who Pays
Unlike the H-1B program, where employers are generally required to cover government filing fees, there is no equivalent rule for TN petitions. Employers can and often do ask workers to reimburse fees. Negotiate this upfront, particularly since total USCIS filing costs for a large employer now exceed $1,600 before premium processing.
For premium processing specifically, the fee can be paid by the employer, the employee, or an attorney. The only restriction is that the employee cannot sign or file Form I-907 themselves.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. How Do I Request Premium Processing?
How to Actually Pay the Fees
Payment methods changed in late 2025, and using the wrong one will get your filing rejected. For USCIS filings (I-129, I-539, I-907), the agency stopped accepting personal checks, money orders, and cashier’s checks on paper filings as of October 28, 2025. You now pay by credit or debit card using Form G-1450, or by ACH bank transfer using Form G-1650. Online filings accept credit, debit, and prepaid cards through Pay.gov.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Transition to Electronic Payments – Policy Alert A narrow exemption for paper-based payments exists through Form G-1651, but most filers won’t qualify.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Filing Fees
At a U.S. port of entry, CBP accepts cash or credit card for the $50 TN fee. The $30 I-94 fee can be paid at the border or in advance online through Pay.gov with a debit or credit card, and it is nonrefundable. For consular applications, the $185 DS-160 fee goes through each consulate’s designated payment system, so check your embassy’s website for the specific process.
One Cost That Isn’t a Fee: FICA Taxes
This isn’t a visa fee, but it catches TN workers off guard. Unlike some nonimmigrant categories with an initial exemption, TN holders owe Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes from their first day of U.S. employment.13Internal Revenue Service. Alien Liability for Social Security and Medicare Taxes of Foreign Teachers, Foreign Researchers and Other Foreign Professionals The only potential relief is a totalization agreement between the U.S. and your home country, which can prevent double payment into both systems. Both Canada and Mexico have totalization agreements with the U.S., so check whether your situation qualifies.