TN Visas

Under the North America Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”), qualifying Canadian and Mexican citizens can enter the U.S. to work temporarily at a professional level as TN non-immigrants. TN status can be granted for a period of up to three years and extended in three-year increments indefinitely. TN status is available only to Canadian and Mexican citizens who have job offers in the U.S. To qualify for TN status, the offered position must fit within one of the listed professions set forth in 8 C.F.R. Sec. 214.6(b)-(c) Appendix 1603.D.1.

The following is a list of jobs considered professional under NAFTA.

Profession Minimum Education Requirements And Alternative Credentials
Accountant Bachelors Degree or C.P.A, C.A., C.G.A., or C.M.A.
Architect Bachelors Degree or state/provincial license
Computer Systems Analyst Bachelors Degree or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post Secondary Certificate and three years’ experience
Disaster Relief insurance Claims Adjuster (Claims Adjuster employed by an insurance company located in the territory of a Party, or an independent claims adjuster) Bachelors 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 Bachelors Degree
Engineer Bachelors Degree  or state/provincial license
Forester  Bachelors Degree or state/provincial license
Graphic Designer Bachelors Degree or post-secondary diploma and three years experience
Hotel Manager  Bachelors 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 Bachelors Degree or post-secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate, and three years’ experience
Interior Designer Bachelors Degree  or post-secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate, and three years’ experience
Land Surveyor Bachelors Degree or state/provincial/federal license
Landscape Architect Bachelors Degree
Lawyer (including Notary in the province of Quebec) L.L.B., J.D., L.L.L., B.C.L., or Bachelors Degree   (five years) or membership in a state/provincial bar
Librarian M.L.S. or B.L.S. (for which another Bachelors Degree was prerequisite)
Management Consultant Bachelors Degree or equivalent professional experience as established by a statement of 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 and actuary) Bachelors Degree
Range Manager/Range Conservationist Bachelors Degree
Research Assistant (working in a post-secondary educational institution) Bachelors Degree
Scientific Technician/ Technologist 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
Social Worker Bachelors Degree
Sylviculturist (including forestry) Bachelors Degree
Technical Publications Writer Bachelors Degree or post-secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate and three years’ experience
Urban Planner (including Geographer) Bachelors Degree
Vocational Counselor Bachelors Degree

Medical/Allied Professionals

Dentist D.D.S., D.M.D., Doctor en Odontologia or Doctor en Cirugia Dental or state/provincial license
Dietitian Bachelors Degree or state/provincial license
Medical Laboratory Technologist (Canada)/Medical Technologist (Mexico and the United States) Bachelors Degree  or post- secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate and three years’ experience
Nutritionist Bachelors Degree
Occupational Therapist Bachelors Degree or state provincial license
Pharmacist Bachelors Degree  or state provincial license
Physician (teaching or research only) M.D., Doctor en Medicina or state/provincial license
Physiotherapist/Physical Therapist Bachelors Degree or state/provincial license
Psychologist State/provincial license or Bachelors Degree
Recreational Therapist Bachelors Degree
Registered Nurse State/provincial license or Bachelors Degree
Veterinarian D.V.M., D.M.V., or Doctor en Veterinaria or state/provincial license

Scientist

Agricultural (Agronomist) Bachelors Degree
Animal Breeder Bachelors Degree
Animal Scientist Bachelors Degree
Apiculturist Bachelors Degree
Astronomer Bachelors Degree
Biochemist Bachelors Degree
Chemist Bachelors Degree
Dairy Scientist Bachelors Degree
Entomologist Bachelors Degree
Epidemiologist Bachelors Degree
Geneticist Bachelors Degree
Geochemist Bachelors Degree
Geophysicist (including Oceanographer in Mexico and the United States) Bachelors Degree
Horticulturist Bachelors Degree
Meteorologist Bachelors Degree
Pharmacologist Bachelors Degree
Physicist (including Oceanographer in Canada) Bachelors Degree
Plant Breeder Bachelors Degree
Poultry Scientist Bachelors Degree
Soil Scientist Bachelors Degree
Zoologist Bachelors Degree
Teacher  Bachelors Degree
College Bachelors Degree
Seminary Bachelors Degree
University Bachelors Degree

Canadian citizens may apply for admission in TN status directly at a U.S. Class A port of entry, a U.S. international airport, or a U.S. pre-flight inspection station. Mexican citizens no longer need to be beneficiaries of approved I-129 petitions filed by their employers, rather Mexican TN applicants may now apply directly for TN visas at U.S. consulates. Spouse and children of TN applicants can be issued TD visas if eligible.