The TN visa is available to professional workers from Mexico and Canada, under the North American Free Trade Agreement (also commonly referred to as NAFTA) and the United States-Mexico-Canada ("USMCA") trade agreement. The NAFTA created special economic and trade relationships for the United States, Canada and Mexico. The TN nonimmigrant classification permits qualified Canadian and Mexican citizens with a pre-arranged fulle-time or part-time position to seek temporary entry into the United States to engage in business activities at a professional level in any of the following occupations:
Medical/Allied Medical Professions
- Physician (teaching and/or research only): M.D., or state/provincial license
- Dentist: D.D.S., D.M.D., or state/provincial license
- Occupational Therapist: baccalaureate degree or state/provincial license
- Pharmacist: baccalaureate degree or state/provincial license
- Physio/Physical Therapist: baccalaureate degree or state/provincial license
- Recreational Therapist: baccalaureate degree
- Registered Nurse: state or provincial license
- Veterinarian: D.V.M., D.M.V., or state/provincial license
- Medical Technologist: baccalaureate degree of post-secondary diploma and three years' experience— Must be seeking entry to perform chemical, biological, hematological, immunologic, microscopic, and bacteriological tests, procedures, experiments, and analysis in laboratories for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease
Scientists (i.e., Scientific Professional Occupations)
- Agriculturist (including agronomist): baccalaureate degree
- Animal Breeder: baccalaureate degree
- Animal Scientist: baccalaureate degree
- Apiculturist: baccalaureate degree
- Astronomer: baccalaureate degree
- Biochemist: baccalaureate degree
- Biologist: baccalaureate degree
- Chemist: baccalaureate degree
- Dairy Scientist: baccalaureate degree
- Entomologist: baccalaureate degree
- Epidemiologist: baccalaureate degree
- Geneticist: baccalaureate degree
- Geochemist: baccalaureate degree
- Geologist: baccalaureate degree
- Geophysicist (including Oceanographer in Mexico or U.S.): baccalaureate degree
- Horticulturist: baccalaureate degree
- Meteorologist: baccalaureate degree
- Pharmacologist: baccalaureate degree
- Physicist (including Oceanographer in Canada): baccalaureate degree
- Plant Breeder: baccalaureate degree
- Poultry Scientist: baccalaureate degree
- Scientific Technician/Technologist: (1) must work in direct support of professionals in the following disciplines: chemistry, engineering, geology, geophysics, meteorology, physics, astronomy, agricultural sciences, biology or forestry; (2) must possess theoretical knowledge of the discipline; (3) must solve practical problems in the discipline; and (4) must apply principles of the discipline to basic or applied research
- Soil Scientist: baccalaureate degree
- Zoologist: baccalaureate degree
Other Professional Occupations
- Accountant: baccalaureate degree, C.P.A., C.A., C.G.A., or C.M.A.
- Engineer: baccalaureate degree or state/provincial license
- Research Assistant: (working in a post-secondary educational institution)--baccalaureate degree
- Architect: baccalaureate degree or state/provincial license
- Lawyer: L.L.B., J.D., L.L.L., B.C.L., or Licencuature degree (five years) or membership in a state/provincial bar
- Technical Publications Writer: baccalaureate degree of post-secondary diploma and three years' experience
- Teacher: worker will only qualify if employed by one of the following institutions: (1) College, which requires a baccalaureate degree; (2) University, which requires a baccalaureate degree, or (3) Seminary, which requires a baccalaureate degree
- Technical Publications Writer: baccalaureate degree or post-secondary diploma and three years’ experience
- Urban Planner: baccalaureate degree
- Vocational Counselor: baccalaureate degree
- Economist: baccalaureate degree
- Social Worker: baccalaureate degree
- Mathematician: baccalaureate degree
- Hotel Manager: baccalaureate degree or post-secondary diploma and three years' experience
- Industrial Designer: baccalaureate degree or post-secondary diploma and three years' experience
- Interior Designer: baccalaureate degree or post-secondary diploma and three years' experience
- Librarian: M.L.S. or B.L.S. (for which another baccalaureate degree was a prerequisite)
- Animal Breeder: baccalaureate degree
- Sylviculturist (including forestry specialist): baccalaureate degree
- Range Manager (range conservationist): baccalaureate degree
- Forester: baccalaureate degree, or state/provincial license
- Graphic Designer: baccalaureate degree, or post-secondary diploma and three years' experience
- Land Surveyor: baccalaureate degree or state/provincial/federal license
- Landscape Architect: baccalaureate degree
- Nutritionist: baccalaureate degree
- Dietician: baccalaureate degree or state/provincial license
- Computer Systems Analyst: baccalaureate degree, or post-secondary diploma and three years' experience
- Psychologist: state/provincial license
- Disaster Relief Insurance Claims Adjuster: baccalaureate degree, or 3 years' experience in the field of claims adjustment (admissible only when a disaster has been declared)
- Management Consultant: baccalaureate degree or 5 years' experience in consulting or related field
If you are a Canadian or Mexican citizen in one of the above professions, you can apply for TN nonimmigrant status, either by applying for a nonimmigrant visa at a U.S. Consulate abroad or through a change of status if you are already in the United States. We help also assist with other aspects of the immigration process as well, including derivative visas for your family members, nonimmigrant waivers under Section 212(d)(3), and the eventual process of seeking permanent residence, if that is your goal. Our goal is to ensure that you can get the status you need to help you achieve your American dream.