A TN visa change of employer requires a new petition approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), or a fresh admission at a U.S. port of entry, before you can begin working for the new company. Unlike H-1B workers who can start a new job the day a transfer is filed, TN professionals have no portability rule. The regulation is direct: employment with a different or additional employer “is not authorized prior to Department approval of the request.”1eCFR. 8 CFR 214.6 – Citizens of Canada or Mexico Seeking Temporary Entry Under USMCA to Engage in Business Activities at a Professional Level That single rule drives every timing decision in this process.
The Two Ways to Change Employers
You have two routes. Your new employer can file Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker, with USCIS while you remain in the United States.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker The employer selects “New employment” as the requested action to signal a change of sponsor rather than an extension. Standard processing takes several months, and you cannot work for the new employer during that time.
The alternative is to leave the country and apply for readmission with the new employer’s documentation. This route is faster, but availability depends on your nationality.
If You Are Canadian
Canadian citizens are visa-exempt. You can present the full application package to a Customs and Border Protection officer at a designated land border crossing, international airport, or pre-clearance station.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. TN USMCA Professionals The officer reviews the job offer, confirms your credentials, conducts a brief interview, and decides on the spot. If approved, you receive a new I-94 record reflecting the new employer and can begin working right after admission.
At a land border port of entry, you pay a $50 TN application fee plus the I-94 processing fee, which increased to $30 in late 2025.4Federal Register. CBP Immigration Fees Required by HR-1 for Fiscal Year 2025 At air and sea ports of entry, CBP does not charge the I-94 fee. This is far cheaper and faster than the USCIS route, which is why many Canadian TN professionals prefer it when geography cooperates.
If You Are Mexican
Mexican citizens cannot simply show up at the border with new employer paperwork. If you need a new TN visa stamp, you must apply at a U.S. consulate before seeking admission.1eCFR. 8 CFR 214.6 – Citizens of Canada or Mexico Seeking Temporary Entry Under USMCA to Engage in Business Activities at a Professional Level The regulation allows presenting documentation from a different or additional employer to a consular officer as evidence for a new TN visa application. Once the new stamp is issued, you can enter at any port of entry.
If you are already inside the United States with valid TN status, you can also change employers by filing Form I-129 through USCIS, which avoids the consular trip entirely.
What the New Employer Needs to File
The core documentation is the same whichever route you choose. The centerpiece is a letter from the prospective employer describing the professional-level work you will perform, how long you will be needed (up to three years per request), the compensation, and proof that the role fits one of the USMCA professional categories.1eCFR. 8 CFR 214.6 – Citizens of Canada or Mexico Seeking Temporary Entry Under USMCA to Engage in Business Activities at a Professional Level A vague description of duties or a missing reference to the specific USMCA profession is one of the fastest ways to draw a denial or a request for more evidence.
You also need to show you have the credentials the profession requires. For most TN categories, that means a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent. If your degree was earned outside of North America, a formal credential evaluation from a recognized service confirms it meets U.S. standards. If the state where you will work requires a professional license for the occupation, include proof of that license.1eCFR. 8 CFR 214.6 – Citizens of Canada or Mexico Seeking Temporary Entry Under USMCA to Engage in Business Activities at a Professional Level Credential evaluations typically run between $110 and $200; licensing fees vary widely by occupation and state.
Round out the package with a valid passport establishing your Canadian or Mexican citizenship and a copy of your current I-94 record showing you have maintained valid nonimmigrant status. If filing through USCIS, include any prior I-797 approval notices from earlier TN petitions.
Timing and Premium Processing
The no-work-until-approval rule turns timing into the reader’s real problem. Standard USCIS processing of a Form I-129 takes several months, and you cannot work for the new employer during that window. To compress the timeline, the employer can file Form I-907 alongside the petition. Premium processing requires USCIS to take action within 15 business days: approve, deny, or issue a request for additional evidence.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. How Do I Request Premium Processing If the agency asks for more evidence, the 15-business-day clock restarts once you respond.
The premium processing fee for I-129 TN petitions is $2,965 as of 2026, on top of the base Form I-129 filing fee.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS to Increase Premium Processing Fees Once USCIS receives the petition, the agency issues a receipt notice (Form I-797C) that you can use to check your case status online.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Checking Your Case Status Online When the petition is approved, USCIS issues a Form I-797A with a new I-94 attached at the bottom. You can begin working once you have that approval notice in hand and the indicated start date has arrived.
For most people changing TN employers through USCIS, premium processing is practically a necessity. Even so, 15 business days is roughly three calendar weeks of no work. The port-of-entry route eliminates the gap entirely for Canadians, since approval and admission happen in the same visit.
If Your Current Job Ends Before You Line Up a New One
Losing your current job before locking in a new employer is stressful, but it does not immediately end your ability to stay in the country. Federal regulations provide a grace period of up to 60 consecutive days after your employment ends, or until your current authorized stay expires, whichever comes first.8eCFR. 8 CFR 214.1 – Requirements for Admission, Extension, and Maintenance of Status During this window you are not considered to have fallen out of status, and dependents in TD status keep their status as well.
The catch: you cannot work during the grace period. It exists only to give you time to find a new employer willing to file a petition, arrange to leave the country, or change to another nonimmigrant status. The 60-day period is available once per authorized validity period, and the government retains discretion to shorten or eliminate it in cases involving unauthorized employment, fraud, or criminal convictions.8eCFR. 8 CFR 214.1 – Requirements for Admission, Extension, and Maintenance of Status
If a new employer files a Form I-129 during the grace period, you still cannot begin working until that petition is approved.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Options for Nonimmigrant Workers Following Termination of Employment Premium processing becomes especially valuable here because you are running down the 60-day clock while the petition is pending. Canadian citizens can also leave the country and apply at a port of entry with the new employer’s documentation, which sidesteps the no-work-during-processing problem.
Travel While a Petition Is Pending
If the new employer has filed a Form I-129 requesting a change of employer while you are inside the United States, leaving the country before the petition is decided is risky. USCIS may treat your departure as abandonment of the change-of-status request. The underlying petition might still be approved, but the portion that updates your status could be denied, forcing you to apply for a new visa at a consulate abroad and re-enter the country fresh.
For Canadian citizens, this is manageable in practice because they can always seek readmission at a port of entry with the new employer’s documentation. If the pending I-129 is abandoned by departure, a Canadian applicant can effectively restart the process at the border on the same trip. Mexican citizens face a harder calculus, since they may need a new visa stamp from a consulate before re-entering, which adds delay and uncertainty. The safest approach is to stay in the United States until the I-129 is decided.
Your Dependents in TD Status
If your spouse or children hold TD status tied to your TN classification, changing employers affects them too. When you file a change-of-employer petition through USCIS, your dependents can file Form I-539 to extend or adjust their TD status alongside your petition.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status Their TD status is derivative of your TN status, so their authorized stay aligns with whatever new period USCIS grants you.
If you change employers by leaving the country and applying at a port of entry, dependents accompanying you receive updated TD admission records at the same time. Dependents who remain inside the United States while you re-enter at the border may need to file Form I-539 separately to update their records, since their existing I-94 will still reflect the old validity period.
I-9 at the New Job
Once your change of employer is approved and you start, the new employer must complete a Form I-9 to verify your identity and work authorization, just like any new hire. You will need documents from the I-9 acceptable documents list. A foreign passport paired with your new I-94 record showing TN status generally satisfies the requirement, and an unexpired Employment Authorization Document or U.S. passport (for dual citizens) also works.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-9 Acceptable Documents Your Social Security number does not change when you switch employers, so there is no need to visit the Social Security Administration for the job change alone.
Adding a Second Employer Instead of Switching
TN status allows you to work for more than one employer at the same time, but each additional employer needs its own authorization. The additional employer files a Form I-129 with the same supporting documentation as a standard change petition, including a detailed offer letter describing the professional role.1eCFR. 8 CFR 214.6 – Citizens of Canada or Mexico Seeking Temporary Entry Under USMCA to Engage in Business Activities at a Professional Level Canadian citizens can alternatively seek admission at a port of entry with the additional employer’s documentation.
The USCIS policy manual confirms a TN professional may apply to “change or add employers” while in the United States.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 2 Part P Chapter 5 – Other Factors to Consider Both positions must independently qualify as USMCA professional roles. Make sure the petition clearly states the role is an addition, not a replacement, so the government does not revoke your original employer’s authorization when approving the new one.