To be eligible for TN status, an individual must be a citizen of either Canada or Mexico, and have a job offer in the United States in a qualifying profession to which they satisfy the specified educational or licensure requirements for.

Dependents (e.g. spouse/children) are not required to be citizens of either Canada or Mexico to obtain dependent “TD” status.

For TN status, the employment must fall under a specific list of eligible professional occupations as defined by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), formerly NAFTA.

Each qualifying professional occupation has varying education requirements, often requiring a baccalaureate degree or licensure in a specific field. Examples include accountants, engineers, computer systems analysts, medical professionals (like registered nurses and physicians in teaching/research), scientists, teachers, and lawyers.

For a list of qualifying occupations and the minimum educational and/or licensure requirements click here.

Note: Both full-time and part-time employment qualify, subject to limitations. TN status requires an employee-employer relationship. As such, self-employment or contractors generally do not qualify.

The method for obtaining TN status varies depending on your nationality. We can assist you and/or your company in preparing a robust documentation package to substantiate your TN eligibility.

• Canadians:
  • At a Port of Entry (POE) – most common: Documentation can be presented to a designated U.S. Customs & Border Protection officer at the port of entry (usually, for first-time visits, at a U.S. Preclearance facility at a Canadian airport.)
  • Via USCIS Petition: A petition can be filed with USCIS by your employer. This is less common, but may be used when the TN worker is physically present in the U.S. on TN status and seeks an extension without departing and re-entering the U.S.
  • Canadians are visa-exempt and do not need to obtain a physical visa sticker in advance.
• Mexicans:
  • At a U.S. Embassy or Consulate – most common: Documentation can be presented to a consular official at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate, usually in Mexico. At that time, the officer will adjudicate eligibility, and, if granted, will issue a TN visa in your passport.
  • Via USCIS Petition: A petition can be filed with USCIS by your employer. This is less common, but may be used when the TN worker is physically present in the U.S. on TN status and seeks an extension without departing and re-entering the U.S.
  • With limited exception, citizens of Mexico are required to have a valid TN visa in their passport prior to entering/re-entering the U.S.

TN status is valid for an initial period of up to 3-years, after which it is indefinitely extendable for a further 3-year period.

Yes, a TN holder has the ability to sponsor their spouse and/or children under the age of 21 under TD status. TD dependents may study in the United States, but do not have work authorization.

TD dependents may accompany in the United States for the duration of the primary TN’s employment. TD dependents are not required to be citizens of either Canada or Mexico.

• Legal Fees: As a general guideline our competitive fees for the preparation of TN documentation are around $2,500.
  
  For non-Consular and non-POE filings, additional preparation fees of approx. $400 are applicable for each TD dependent (spouse, children). Generally, no additional legal fees are required for POE-based requests.
• Government Filing Fees*:
  • Port-of-Entry Filings: $50. [Canadians only.]
  • Petition-based: For standard processing (typically 4-6 months), filing fees are $1,615.00 (for organizations with > 25 employees), or $810.00 (for organizations with <= 25 employees) or $510.00 (for nonprofit organizations). USCIS also offers an expedited 15-day TN processing service for an additional $2,805.00.
  • Note, for petition-based filings within the U.S., additional filing fees of $470.00 are applicable to each TN dependent (spouse, children etc). TD dependents are not eligible for expedited processing.
  • Consular Filings: $185.00 per TN/TD.
• Other Visa Fees: Upon approval of a visa, citizens of Mexico are required to pay a visa reciprocity fee of $79.00 if seeking either a TN or TD visa of 12-month validity, or $357.00 if seeking a TN or TD visa of up to 48-month validity. Citizens of Canada are visa-exempt and are not required to pay a visa issuance fee, nor are subject to reciprocity fees.
• Other Fees: Certain professions may require credential evaluation or an equivalency report from a NACES-member evaluator. In addition, certain non-English documents may be subject to translation fees. For entrants via a land-border, an additional I-94 Issuance Fee of $6.00 may apply.

* Note: Government filing fees change regularly. For up-to-date fees, verify the USCIS Fee Schedule here (for petition filings), the U.S. Department of State Fee Schedule here (for consular filings), and the reciprocity fee schedule here.