NAFTA / USMCA Professionals

Transfer or hire workers from Mexico or Canada to the US with a TN Visa.

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If you are a professional worker from Canada or Mexico, you may be eligible for a visa through the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), formerly known as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

The USMCA allows for the temporary entry of certain professionals, such as accountants, engineers, scientists, to work or engage in business activities in the United States.

TN Visa Overview

TN Visas allow Canadian and Mexican citizens to work in the United States temporarily in certain qualifying professions, such as architects, engineers, accountants, and more. The complete list of available professions is listed below.

To qualify for a TN visa, the applicant must have a job offer from a U.S. employer in a qualifying profession, possess the necessary education and experience for the position, and intend to work in the United States temporarily only.

TN visas do not provide a direct pathway to permanent residence, but TN visa holders may be eligible to apply for a green card if they otherwise meet the necessary eligibility requirements.

The visas are classified as follows:

  • TN-1 Visas for Canadian citizens
  • TN-2 Visas for Mexican citizens
Permanent residents who are not yet citizens of Canada or Mexico do not qualify to work as a USMCA professional.

TD visas are available to dependents (spouses and children under the age of 21) of TN visa holders. They allow the dependents of TN visa holders to accompany them to the United States while they are working temporarily. TD visa holders are not authorized to work in the United States, but they may study while in the U.S. 

TN Visa Benefits

  • Obtaining a TN Visa allows you to live and work in the United States on a temporary basis, usually up to 3 years at a time
  • There is no cap on the number of TN Visas issued per year
  • Relatively fast and straightforward application process
  • It can be renewed indefinitely
  • Spouses and children may accompany the professional to the U.S.

Eligible Professions

👨🏻‍💼 Accountants
👷🏽 Engineers
🧑‍💼 Lawyers
👨🏼‍⚕️ Pharmacists
🧑🏼‍🔬 Scientists
👩🏼‍🏫 Teachers
🧑‍💻 Computer Systems Analysts
👩‍🎨 Interior Designers
🩺 Doctors/Nurses
🧮 Mathematician

Below is a list of all the professions listed by USMCA, along with their requirements 

  • Accountant

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or C.P.A., C.A., C.G.A., or C.M.A.

  • Architect

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license. (2)
    (note 2) The terms "state/provincial license" and "state/provincial/federal license" mean any document issued by a state, provincial, or federal government, as the case may be, or under its authority, but not by a local government, that permits a person to engage in a regulated activity or profession.

  • Computer Systems Analyst

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Secondary Diploma (3) or Post Secondary Certificate (4) and three years' experience.
    (note 3) "Post Secondary Diploma" means a credential issued, on completion of two or more years of post secondary education, by an accredited academic institution in Canada or the United States.
    (note 4) "Post Secondary Certificate" means a certificate issued, on completion of two or more years of post secondary education at an academic institution, by the federal government of Mexico or a state government in Mexico, an academic institution recognized by the federal government or a state government, or an academic institution created by federal or state law.

  • Disaster relief insurance claims adjuster

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree and successful completion of training in the appropriate areas of insurance adjustment pertaining to disaster relief claims; or three years experience in claims adjustment and successful completion of training in the appropriate areas of insurance adjustment pertaining to disaster relief claims.

  • Economist

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Engineer

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license.

  • Forester

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license.

  • Graphic Designer

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate and three years experience.

  • Hotel Manager

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree in hotel/restaurant management; or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post Secondary Certificate in hotel/restaurant management and three years experience in hotel/restaurant management.

  • Industrial Designer

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post Secondary Certificate, and three years experience.

  • Interior Designer

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate, and three years experience.

  • Land Surveyor

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree or state/provincial/federal license.

  • Landscape Architect

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Lawyer (including Notary in the province of Quebec)

    Requirements

    L.L.B., J.D., L.L.L., B.C.L., or Licenciatura degree (five years); or membership in a state/provincial bar.

  • Librarian

    Requirements

    M.L.S., or B.L.S. (for which another Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree was a prerequisite).

  • Management Consultant

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or equivalent professional experience as established by statement or professional credential attesting to five years experience as a management consultant, or five years experience in a field of specialty related to the consulting agreement.

  • Mathematician (including Statistician)

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree. (5)
    (note 5) The term "Mathematician" includes the profession of Actuary. An Actuary must satisfy the necessary requirements to be recognized as an actuary by a professional actuarial association or society. A professional actuarial association or society means a professional actuarial association or society operating in the territory of at least one of the Parties.

  • Range Manager/Range Conservationist

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Research Assistant (working in a post-secondary educational institution)

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Scientific Technician/Technologist (6)

    Requirements

    Possession of (a) theoretical knowledge of any of the following disciplines: agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology, chemistry, engineering, forestry, geology, geophysics, meteorology, or physics; and (b) the ability to solve practical problems in any of those disciplines, or the ability to apply principles of any of those disciplines to basic or applied research.
    (note 6) A business person in this category must be seeking temporary entry for work in direct support of professionals in agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology, chemistry, engineering, forestry, geology, geophysics, meteorology or physics.

  • Social Worker

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

  • Sylviculturist (including Forestry Specialist)

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Technical Publications Writer

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree, or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate, and three years experience.

  • Urban Planner (including Geographer)

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Vocational Counselor

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Medical/Allied Professionals

  • Dentist

    Requirements

    D.D.S., D.M.D., Doctor en Odontologia or Doctor en Cirugia Dental or state/provincial license.

  • Dietitian

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license.

  • Medical Laboratory Technologist (Canada)/Medical Technologist (Mexico and the United States) (7)

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate, and three years experience.
    (note 7) A business person in this category must be seeking temporary entry to perform in a laboratory chemical, biological, hematological, immunologic, microscopic or bacteriological tests and analyses for diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of diseases.

  • Nutritionist

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Occupational Therapist

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license.

  • Pharmacist

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license.

  • Physician (teaching or research only)

    Requirements

    M.D. Doctor en Medicina; or state/provincial license.

  • Physiotherapist/Physical Therapist

    Requirements

  • Psychologist

    Requirements

    state/provincial license; or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Recreational Therapist

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Registered nurse

    Requirements

    state/provincial license or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Veterinarian

    Requirements

    D.V.M., D.M.V., or Doctor en Veterinaria; or state/provincial license.
  • Scientists

  • Agriculturist (including Agronomist)

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Animal Breeder

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Animal Scientist

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Apiculturist

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Astronomer

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Biochemist

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Biologist

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree. (8)
    (note 8) The term "Biologist" includes the profession of Plant Pathologist.

  • Chemist

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Dairy Scientist

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Entomologist

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Epidemiologist

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Geneticist

    requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Geochemist

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Geologist

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Geophysicist (including Oceanographer in Mexico and the United States)

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Horticulturist

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Meteorologist

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Pharmacologist

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Physicist (including Oceanographer in Canada)

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Plant Breeder

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Poultry Scientist

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Soil Scientist

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Zoologist

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.
  • Teachers

  • College Teacher/Professor

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • Seminary Teacher/Professor

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

  • University Teacher/Professor

    Requirements

    Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

TN Visa Requirements

If you are looking to obtain a TN work permit for a professional, you will need to provide evidence that the position to be filled requires a professional worker and that the foreign worker has the necessary qualifications and experience to fill the role. In particular, you need evidence that:

  • The profession qualifies under USMCA regulations
  • The prospective position in the US requires a professional
  • You have a prearranged full-time or part-time job offer in the US
  • You have the qualifications (degree and/or license) to practice in the profession in question
    • With some exceptions, each profession requires a bachelor’s degree as an entry-level requirement. If a bachelor’s is needed, individual work experience cannot replace that degree. In some jobs, an alternative to a bachelor’s degree is listed. For some occupations, experience is required in addition to the degree.
  • Self-employment is not permitted.
  • If your foreign degree was obtained outside of Canada, the U.S. or Mexico, you will need to provide a credential evaluation showing equivalence to at least a U.S. bachelor’s degree.
Andrea Prunariu - Immigration Lawyer

If you’re a Canadian Citizen, you are not required to apply for a TN Visa at a US consulate, and you may apply at the border upon entry. You must, however, provide proof of Canadian citizenship, a letter from your prospective employer detailing the purpose of employment, length of stay and how you meet the requirements and qualify for the position.

TN Visa Application Process

To apply for a TN Visa, you will need to follow the following steps:

  1. Obtain a job offer from a U.S. employer in a qualifying profession
  2. Gather all the supporting evidence and apply for your TN status either at the border (if Canadian) or at the consulate (if Mexican).
  3. In some cases, the employer may also file with the USCIS first.
  4. If you are approved, you may enter the U.S. for the approved period on a TN status, and you may work for the employer in the occupation you were approved for.

Even though an individual can make a TN Visa application independently, the application process can be complex, taxing, and very stressful for all parties involved. Even small mistakes can lead to a refusal or denial.

Contact a Motivus TN Visa lawyer today to verify your qualifications and review your application materials. Hiring an experienced TN Visa lawyer offers peace of mind, comfort, and reassurance during the application process. Once retained, we will provide the proper guidance and relief throughout the process at no additional charge.

TN Visa Processing Times

The processing time for a TN Visa can vary depending on the volume of applications and the specific border or consulate where you apply. However, this type of visa is considered one of the fastest ways for Canadians and Mexicans to get a US work visa.

TN Visa Processing Fees

There are fees associated with applying for a TN visa. It is best to check with the embassy or consulate for the most up-to-date fee amounts. 

Andrea Prunariu

If you have any questions about the TN Visa process or are ready to start your application, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We can provide you with the guidance and support you need to complete the process successfully.

Questions? Answers.

Got questions? We have answers.

If you’re a Canadian Citizen, you are not required to apply for a TN Visa at a US consulate, and instead you may apply at the border. You must provide proof of Canadian citizenship; a letter from your prospective employer detailing the purpose of employment, length of stay and why you qualify for the position. You must also pay any applicable fees.

Mexican citizens must obtain a visa to enter the United States as TN nonimmigrants.

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