TN Visa

The U.S. hospital department offering you a job will coordinate the TN paperwork and act as the liaison for our office for any questions you have. 

The TN visa enables Mexican and Canadian citizens (not landed immigrants or permanent residents) to be admitted to the U.S. to engage in “business activities at a professional level” in certain fields, for one or more specified employers.

To be eligible for admission in TN status, you must satisfactorily demonstrate to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) that:

• You will engage in employment that is on the list of qualifying professions.
• You have at least a bachelor’s degree or appropriate credentials demonstrating status as a professional.
• You possess the requisite educational background and experience for that profession.

TN status may be granted for up to 3 years, and this status may be extended indefinitely in 3-year increments, for as long as the employment continues.

Learn about maintaining your TN status. 

Documentation to Obtain TN Status

An application for a Canadian seeking TN status at an U.S. port of entry or border crossing must include:

1. Canadian passport as proof of Canadian Citizenship
2. A TN Letter of Support, to be completed by the hiring department on company letterhead with an original signature.
3. Processing fee of $50
4. Your original degree(s)

 
Entering the U.S.

A Canadian citizen seeking admission to the U.S. in TN status must apply for admission with a U.S. Immigration Officer at a “Class A” port of entry, at a U.S. airport handling international traffic, or at a U.S. pre-clearance/pre-flight station.

As pre-flight inspection may delay flight bordering, the TN applicant should allow additional time for this procedure.  PIPS recommends that the prospective TN call in advance to the pre-flight inspection station at the airport to inquire how much time to allow.

Canadians should be aware that TN status is not processed at every U.S.-Canadian border crossing. Therefore, PIPS recommends calling the USCIS inspection station at your planned U.S.-Canadian port of entry ahead of time to verify that TN applications are accepted.

Unlike Canadian citizens, Mexican citizens must obtain a TN visa in their passport before seeking entry into the U.S. at a port of entry. Find additional details for Mexicans. 

Those who are admitted the U.S. by air or sea must print their Form I-94 online (Arrival/Departure Record).

Spouse and Unmarried Minor Children

The spouse and unmarried children under age 21 of an employee or scholar admitted in TN status are eligible for TD (Trade Dependent) status for the same period of admission as the TN visa holder. Proof of the family relationships may be necessary.

If the TN and dependents travel outside of the U.S. separately, proof of the scholar’s TN status (such as a copy of the TN’s I-94 card) may also be required. All TD dependents without Canadian citizenship must obtain a TD visa from a U.S. embassy/consulate.

TD status does not permit employment in the U.S.