Canadian
Visa (TN)
The
NAFTA Agreement created a new category for temporary
residents from Canada and Mexico. The TN visa
allows Canadian citizens temporary work authorization
in the United States if they are to perform work of
a professional nature. Unlike the H-1B visa, which
is broad in nature and covers "specialty" occupations,
the NAFTA Agreement designates specific occupations
which would entitle people to the TN visa.
These
occupations are:
Accountants --bachelor's degree, license degree,
C.P.A., C.A., C.G.A., or C.M.A.
Architect--bachelor's degree, license degree,
or state/provincial license
Computer Systems Analyst--bachelor's
degree or license degree; or post-secondary diploma
or certificate and three years' experience
Disaster Relief Insurance Claims Adjuster--bachelor's
degree or license degree and successful completion
of training in the appropriate areas of insurance adjustment
pertaining to disaster relief claims; or 3 years' experience
in the field of claims adjustment and successful completion
of training in the appropriate areas of insurance adjustment
pertaining to disaster relief claims
Economist--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Engineering--bachelor's degree, license degree,
or state/provincial license
Forester --bachelor's degree, license degree,
or state/provincial license
Graphic Designer--bachelor's
degree or license degree; or post-secondary diploma
or certificate and 3 years' experience
Hotel Manager --bachelor's
degree or license degree in hotel management;
or post-secondary diploma or certificate and 3 years'
experience
Industrial Designer-- bachelor's degree or license
degree; or post-secondary diploma or certificate and
3 years' experience
Land Surveyor--bachelor's degree, license degree,
or state/provincial/federal license
Landscape Architect--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Lawyer (including Notary in the province of Quebec)--L.L.B.,
J.D., L.L.M., B.C.L., license degree (five years), or
membership in a state/provincial bar
Librarian--M.L.S. or B.L.S. (for which
another bachelor's degree or license degree was a prerequisite)
Management
Consultant--bachelor's
degree, license degree, or 5 years' experience in consulting
or related field *
Mathematician (including Statistician)--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Ranger
Manager/Ranger Conservationist--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Research
Assistant (working in a post-secondary educational institution)--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Scientific
Technician/Technologist
--Must
work in direct support of professionals in the following
disciplines: chemistry, engineering, geology, geophysics,
meteorology, physics, astronomy, agriculture, sciences,
biology or forestry
--Must possess theoretical knowledge of the discipline
--Must possess ability to solve practical problems in
the discipline, or the ability to apply principles of
the discipline to basic or applied research
Social
Worker--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Sylviculturist (including Forestry Specialist)--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Technical
Publications Writer--bachelor's
degree or license degree; or post-secondary
diploma or certificate and 3 years' experience
Urban
Planner (including Geographer)--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Vocational
Counselor--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Medical/Allied Professional
Dentist
--D.D.S,
D.M.D., Doctor en Odontologia, Doctor en Cirugia Dental,
or state/provincial license
Dietitian--bachelor's
degree, license degree, or state/provincial license
Medical
Laboratory Technologist (Canada)/Medical Technologist
(Mexico)
--bachelor's
degree or license degree;
or post-secondary diploma or certificate and 3
years' experience
--Must be seeking entry to perform chemical, biological,
hematogical, immunologic, microscopic, and bacteriological
tests, procedures, experiments, and analyses in laboratories
for diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of disease
Nutritionist--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Occupational
Therapist--bachelor's
degree, license degree or state/provincial license
Pharmacist--bachelor's
degree, license degree or state/provincial license
Physician
(teaching and/or research only)--M.D.,
Doctor en Medicina, or state/provincial license
Physio/Physical
Therapist--bachelor's
degree, license degree or state/provincial license
Psychologist--license
degree or state/provincial license
Recreational
Therapist--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Registered
Nurse--license degree or state/provincial
license
Veterinarian--D.V.M.,
D.M.V., Doctor en Veterinarian, or state/provincial
license
Scientist
Agriculturist
(including Agronomist)--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Animal
Breeder--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Animal
Scientist--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Apiculturist--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Astronomer--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Biochemist--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Biologist--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Chemist--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Dairy
Scientist--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Entomologist--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Epidemiologist--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Geneticist--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Geochemist--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Geologist--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Geophysicist
(including Oceanographer in Mexico)
--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Horticulturist--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Meteorologist--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Pharmacologist--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Physicist (including Oceanographer in Canada)--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Plant
Breeder--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Poultry
Scientist--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Soil Scientist--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Zoologist--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Teacher
College--bachelor's
degree or license degree
Seminary--bachelor's
degree or license degree
University--bachelor's
degree or license degree
*One
of the occupations listed in the NAFTA Agreement deserves
special discussion. The Immigration Guidelines
provide that:
A
Management Consultant should generally not be a
regular full-time employee, of the entity
requiring service...in cases (of full-time employment),
the Management Consultant should not
be assuming an existing position, replacing
someone in an existing position, or filling a newly
created permanent position. In short,
the Management Consultant should either be an independent
consultant or the employee of a consulting
firm under contract to a U.S. entity or the consultant,
if salaried, should be in a supernumerary temporary
position.
It
is not possible to be self-employed, but a TN who is
entering the United States to perform work for an United
States entity in which the applicant owns an interest,
even a controlling interest, is allowed for a TN visa.
Spouses
and unmarried children are allowed to enter the country
with a TN visa and they are designated as TD holders.
They are not allowed to work.
An
application for a TN visa is usually done at a port
of entry, and is an extremely convenient and expeditious
manner in which to obtain entry into the United States.
The entry is granted in increments of 1 year.
The
NAFTA Agreement now qualifies Canadian citizens to obtain
the following working visas:
Treaty
Trader (E-1) Visa
Treaty
Investor (E-2) Visa
