A TN visa is a work authorization under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement that lets Canadian and Mexican citizens take professional jobs in the United States. There is no annual cap and no lottery, so a qualified applicant can pursue one at any time of year. In exchange, the list of eligible professions is narrower than under the H-1B, and you have to intend your stay to be temporary.
Who Qualifies
Three conditions have to be met. You must be a citizen of Canada or Mexico; permanent residents of either country who hold a different citizenship do not qualify. You need a prearranged job with a U.S. employer in one of the professions the USMCA lists, and the work must be at a professional level, though it can be full-time or part-time. And your stay must be temporary.
That last piece trips up more applicants than any other requirement. Federal law presumes every visa applicant intends to immigrate permanently, and the burden is on you to prove otherwise. Officers look at whether you still have a home, family ties, or bank accounts in your home country. If the evidence suggests you plan to settle in the United States for good, your application will be denied.
Which Professions Are Covered
Not every white-collar job qualifies. The USMCA lists roughly 60 specific professions in Appendix 2 to Annex 16-A, grouped into general professions, medical and allied professions, scientists, and teachers at the college, university, or seminary level. Commonly used categories include accountants, engineers, computer systems analysts, management consultants, graphic designers, economists, and lawyers. Pharmacists, registered nurses, dentists, psychologists, and physical therapists appear on the medical side. The scientist category is broad, covering biochemists, geologists, epidemiologists, meteorologists, and others.
Most listed professions require at least a bachelor’s degree in a related field. Accountants, for instance, need a bachelor’s degree or a professional designation like a C.P.A. or C.A. A few professions accept alternatives. Computer systems analysts can qualify with a post-secondary diploma or certificate plus three years of experience. Management consultants can substitute five years of professional experience for a degree. Scientific technicians need theoretical knowledge in a qualifying discipline along with the ability to solve practical problems, rather than a specific degree.
Your actual duties have to line up precisely with one of the listed professions. A software developer is not on the list, but the same person might qualify as a computer systems analyst or engineer depending on their day-to-day work. Getting the match wrong is one of the fastest paths to a denial at the border or the consulate.
Documents You’ll Need
The single most important document is a letter from your U.S. employer. It should describe the professional activities you’ll perform, explain how the role fits one of the USMCA professions, state the length of the assignment, and lay out your compensation. Vague job descriptions invite follow-up questions or denials, so the more specific the letter, the better.
You also need a valid passport proving Canadian or Mexican citizenship and your academic credentials. Bring original diplomas and transcripts. If your degree is from a school outside the United States, Canada, or Mexico, get a formal credential evaluation from a recognized evaluation service confirming your degree is equivalent to the USMCA requirement for your profession. Professional licenses, certifications, and letters from prior employers documenting experience can strengthen your case, particularly for professions that accept alternative credentials.
How to Apply
Canadian Citizens
Canadians have the simplest path. You can show up at a U.S. port of entry or a preclearance facility at a Canadian airport with your documents and apply on the spot. A Customs and Border Protection officer reviews your paperwork, interviews you, and often decides the same visit. You pay applicable inspection fees at the time of admission. If approved, you receive an I-94 arrival record showing your TN classification and authorized stay.
A Canadian citizen’s employer can also file Form I-129 with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services instead of having the worker apply at the border. This route takes longer but gives the employer advance certainty of approval before the worker travels.
Mexican Citizens
Mexican citizens must obtain a TN visa stamp at a U.S. embassy or consulate before traveling to the border. The process starts with filing the DS-160 online nonimmigrant visa application, then scheduling and attending an in-person interview. The nonimmigrant visa application fee is $185. Once the visa is issued, you present it at a U.S. port of entry for admission.
Mexican citizens can also have their employer file Form I-129 with USCIS. USCIS offers premium processing for an additional $2,965, which guarantees a response within 15 calendar days. Without premium processing, regular I-129 adjudication can take several months.
How Long TN Status Lasts
Your initial TN admission lasts up to three years. As it approaches its end, you have two options for extending. Your employer can file Form I-129 with USCIS requesting an extension, which lets you stay and keep working while the petition is pending. Or you can leave the country and re-enter at a port of entry with a fresh employer letter and updated documentation.
There is no cap on how many times you can extend or re-enter. Some people have maintained TN classification for a decade or more through successive renewals. The catch is that each renewal still requires proof of temporary intent, and the longer you’ve been in the United States, the harder that argument becomes. Officers have wide discretion to push back on renewals that look like permanent residence in disguise.
Changing Employers
TN status is employer-specific. You can’t simply switch jobs. If you want to work for a new employer or take on a second employer at the same time, you need fresh authorization before you start. The new or additional employer must file Form I-129 with USCIS, and you cannot begin working for that employer until the petition is approved.
Canadian citizens have an alternative: leave the country and re-apply at a port of entry with documentation from the new employer. Mexican citizens can depart and obtain a new visa at a U.S. consulate. If your current employer transfers you to a different office or branch of the same company to do the same work, no new petition is needed. A transfer to a separately incorporated subsidiary or affiliate does require a new I-129.
If You Lose Your Job
If your employment ends before your authorized stay expires, federal regulations give you a grace period of up to 60 consecutive days, or until the end of your authorized validity period, whichever comes first. During this window you remain in valid immigration status, but you cannot work. You can use the time to find a new TN employer who will file an I-129 for you, apply to change to a different visa status, or prepare to leave the country.
The grace period is discretionary and can only be used once per authorized validity period. USCIS decides whether to honor it when reviewing any new petition filed during that window. If your employment ends on the exact expiration date of your TN approval, you do not get the 60-day cushion and must depart by the date shown on your I-94.
Family Members
Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can accompany you in TD nonimmigrant status. They do not need to be Canadian or Mexican citizens themselves; their eligibility flows from their relationship to you. TD status lets dependents live in the United States and attend school for as long as your TN status remains valid.
The main limitation: TD dependents cannot work. A spouse who wants a U.S. job must independently qualify for a separate work-authorized visa. TD status ends automatically when the principal TN holder’s status ends, so a non-renewal takes the whole family down with it.
Self-Employment Is Not Allowed
TN status is for working on behalf of a U.S. employer, not for running your own business. The State Department’s guidance is explicit: you cannot use TN classification to establish a business or practice in which you are, in substance, self-employed. That includes providing services to a company you own or control. Working for yourself in the United States requires a different visa category, such as an E-1 treaty trader or E-2 treaty investor visa.
TN Status and a Future Green Card
TN is not a “dual intent” visa. Categories like H-1B and L-1 are specifically exempted from the legal presumption that every applicant intends to immigrate, but TN is not. Pursuing permanent residency while holding TN status creates real risk. A border officer who sees a pending green card petition can refuse entry on the theory that you no longer intend to leave. A USCIS adjudicator reviewing your TN extension can reach the same conclusion.
You are legally allowed to change your mind about staying permanently after you’ve entered. Many TN holders do eventually pursue green cards, but timing matters. Filing for adjustment of status too soon after a TN entry can look like preconceived intent, which can sink both the green card application and your current status. Many immigration attorneys recommend keeping TN status throughout the process and separating the stages of the green card application to reduce any appearance of having planned permanent residency from the start.