A TN visa is a temporary work authorization that lets citizens of Canada and Mexico take jobs in the United States in specific professional occupations listed under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which took effect on July 1, 2020 and continues the classification originally created under NAFTA.1USCIS. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 2 Part P Chapter 1 There is no lottery and, for Canadians, no petition wait: a qualified professional with a job offer and the right paperwork can often start working within days.
Who Qualifies
Three things have to line up. You must be a citizen of Canada or Mexico. Permanent residents of either country who hold a different citizenship do not qualify, no matter how long they have lived there.2U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. 9 FAM 402.17 USMCA Professionals – TN and TD Visas You must have a prearranged job with a U.S. or foreign employer. And the job must appear on the USMCA’s list of professional occupations, with your credentials matching what that specific profession requires.
Self-employment is out. A professional cannot enter on TN status to start a business, work as a sole proprietor, or provide services to a company they own or control.3eCFR. 8 CFR 214.6 – Citizens of Canada or Mexico Seeking Temporary Entry The employer has to be a separate legal entity. Part-time work is fine.
Eligible Professions and Credentials
The USMCA lists roughly 60 professional occupations across four broad groups. If your job title and duties do not match one of the listed professions and its stated minimum qualifications, TN status is not available, no matter how impressive your resume looks.2U.S. Department of State Foreign Affairs Manual. 9 FAM 402.17 USMCA Professionals – TN and TD Visas
The general category includes accountant, architect, computer systems analyst, economist, engineer, graphic designer, hotel manager, lawyer, management consultant, and urban planner. Medical and allied professions cover dentist, pharmacist, registered nurse, psychologist, veterinarian, and physical therapist. Physicians are limited to teaching or research roles. Scientists make up the largest group, ranging from biochemistry and genetics to meteorology and soil science. The teacher category applies only to college, seminary, and university positions.4Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. USMCA Chapter 16 Temporary Entry for Business Persons
Most professions require at least a bachelor’s degree in a related field. A few accept equivalent professional experience. Management consultants can qualify with five years of consulting experience in a relevant specialty even without a degree. If you are relying on experience, you will need strong external documentation such as letters from former clients or employers. A resume by itself is not enough.
Documents You Need
The paperwork is the case. Prepare three things:
- A valid Canadian or Mexican passport.
- An employer support letter that names the professional activity, uses the exact job title as it appears on the USMCA list, states the length of stay, describes the educational qualifications required, and sets out compensation.
- Credential evidence: original diplomas, degrees, professional licenses, and transcripts showing relevant coursework. Degrees earned outside North America may need an official credential evaluation to confirm equivalency.
The support letter carries most of the weight. Immigration officers use it to decide whether the position genuinely fits a treaty profession and whether your qualifications line up. Vague job descriptions or titles that do not track the USMCA list are the most common reason applications run into trouble.
How Canadians Apply
Canadian citizens do not need a visa stamp. You apply for TN status directly at a U.S. Class A port of entry, a preclearance facility in Canada, or a U.S. airport that handles international flights.1USCIS. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 2 Part P Chapter 1 A Customs and Border Protection officer reviews your documents, asks some questions, and makes a decision on the spot. Bring funds for any applicable inspection fees.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. TN USMCA Professionals If approved, the officer issues an I-94 arrival record confirming TN status and work authorization, and you can start working immediately.
The tradeoff is that a denial at the border sends you home the same day, so preparation matters.
How Mexicans Apply
Mexican citizens have to get a TN visa stamp first. Complete the DS-160 online nonimmigrant visa application and pay the $185 application fee.6U.S. Department of State. Fees for Visa Services Then attend an in-person interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate, where a consular officer evaluates the job offer and your qualifications against the USMCA categories.
You can choose between a 12-month visa with a $104 reciprocity fee or a 48-month visa with a $382 reciprocity fee. The reciprocity fee is charged only if the visa is approved. Once you have the stamp, you travel to a U.S. port of entry, where a CBP officer issues the I-94 record and admits you.
How Long TN Status Lasts
Each admission is granted for up to three years.3eCFR. 8 CFR 214.6 – Citizens of Canada or Mexico Seeking Temporary Entry There is no lifetime cap on how many times you can renew, as long as you still qualify and still maintain temporary intent.7USCIS. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 2 Part P Chapter 4 – Extension of Stay and Change of Status Two routes to extend:
- Your employer files Form I-129 with USCIS before your current status expires. You must be physically in the United States when the petition is filed. While the petition is pending, you can keep working for up to 240 days or until USCIS decides, whichever comes first.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Handbook for Employers M-274
- You leave the country and re-apply for a fresh three-year admission at the border (Canadians) or through a consulate and then the border (Mexicans). You need a new employer support letter and the same documentation used for the initial application.3eCFR. 8 CFR 214.6 – Citizens of Canada or Mexico Seeking Temporary Entry
Bringing Your Family on TD Status
Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can accompany or later join you under TD (Trade Dependent) status. Dependents do not need to be Canadian or Mexican citizens themselves. Canadian citizen dependents apply for TD status at a U.S. port of entry. Mexican citizens and dependents of other nationalities need a TD visa stamp from a U.S. embassy or consulate first.
TD status does not authorize employment. A dependent who wants to work must independently qualify for a different visa classification that permits work. TD dependents can attend school full-time.
Changing Employers
You are not locked in for the full three years, but switching jobs requires a new authorization before you start. Once you are already in the United States, your new employer can file Form I-129 with USCIS. You cannot begin working for the new employer until USCIS approves the petition.9USCIS. Chapter 5 – Other Factors to Consider Starting early costs you your status.
Canadians can also leave the country and re-apply at a port of entry with documentation from the new employer. Mexicans can depart and apply for a new TN visa at a consulate. Either route avoids the I-129 timeline but requires a trip across the border.
Moving within the same employer to a different office does not need a new petition, as long as the duties stay the same. A transfer to a separately incorporated subsidiary or affiliate does require a new Form I-129.9USCIS. Chapter 5 – Other Factors to Consider
If You Lose Your Job
Ending your TN job does not immediately end your status. Federal regulations give you a grace period of up to 60 consecutive days after employment ends, or until your I-94 expires, whichever comes first.10eCFR. 8 CFR 214.1 Use that window to find a new TN employer who can file Form I-129, apply for a change to a different visa category, or arrange to leave.
Two catches. USCIS can shorten or eliminate the grace period at its discretion, and you cannot work during it unless you have separate authorization. The grace period is available only once per authorized validity period.
Temporary Intent and the Green Card Question
TN status is strictly temporary. Unlike the H-1B, which allows dual intent, TN status requires you to maintain the intent to eventually leave. Every extension and every re-entry is another moment when you need to be able to show that your stay is temporary.
This does not make a green card impossible, but it complicates the timing. An approved immigrant petition (Form I-140) on file does not automatically disqualify you from TN status, though a consular officer or border agent who sees one may question your intent. Filing an adjustment of status application (Form I-485) while in TN status is especially risky if done soon after entry, since it can be treated as evidence you entered with undisclosed immigrant intent. Work with an immigration attorney to sequence these steps.
Time compounds the problem. Someone renewing TN status for the fifteenth year faces more scrutiny than someone on a first term. Officers look for ties to your home country, such as property, family, or ongoing professional commitments, that back up the claim you plan to return.
Taxes for TN Workers
Working in the United States on TN status brings U.S. tax obligations. What you owe and which forms you file depend on whether the IRS treats you as a resident or nonresident alien for tax purposes. The dividing line is the Substantial Presence Test: at least 31 days of physical presence in the current year, and a weighted three-year day count of 183 or more.11Internal Revenue Service. Substantial Presence Test The formula counts all days in the current year, one-third of the prior year, and one-sixth of the year before that.
Most full-time TN professionals meet the test in their first full calendar year and file Form 1040 reporting worldwide income, like U.S. citizens. Those who do not meet it file Form 1040-NR and report only U.S.-source income. Canadian TN holders who technically meet the test but remain Canadian tax residents may claim nonresident status under the treaty tie-breaker provision by filing Form 8833. Regular commuters from Canada or Mexico may also qualify for a commuter exception that excludes certain days. A cross-border tax professional can sort out which rules apply to your situation.