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The TN Visa

The NAFTA

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) created special economic and trade relationships for the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Under this NAFTA agreement, these three countries also established a category for professionals in certain fields to seek temporary entry into the United States to engage in business activities. This category is known as the Treaty NAFTA or just TN. The TN status or TN Visa is a special non-immigrant work status in the United States for a citizen of Canada and Mexico. 

 

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, you may be eligible for TN nonimmigrant status, if:

  • The applicant is a citizen of Canada or Mexico;

  • The applicant's profession is under one of the NAFTA List professions below;

  • The position in the United States requires a NAFTA professional;

  • The applicant will work in a prearranged full-time or part-time job for an employer. (Self-employment is not permitted);

  • The applicant has the qualifications, meeting the specific requirements, education, and/or experience of the profession.

 

For more information about the TN Visa, please click here.

 

City Sky

The NAFTA List

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To qualify for the TN Visa/Status, the applicant's education or experience must be part of NAFTA Professions listed below:

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

 

Agriculturist (including Agronomist) - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Animal Breeder - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Animal Scientist - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Apiculturist - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Architect - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license.

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.

 

Astronomer - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Biochemist - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Biologist - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

The term "Biologist" includes the profession of Plant Pathologist.

 

College Teacher - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Chemist - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Dairy Scientist - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Computer Systems Analyst - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post Secondary Certificate and three years of experience.

"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.

"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.

 

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

 

Dietitian - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license.

 

Disaster relief insurance claims adjuster (claims adjuster employed by an insurance company located in the territory of a Party, or an independent claims adjuster) - 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 - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Engineer - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license.

 

Entomologist - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Epidemiologist - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Forester - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license.

 

Geneticist - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Geochemist - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Geologist - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Geophysicist (including Oceanographer in Mexico and the United States) - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

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

 

Hotel Manager - 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.

 

Horticulturist - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

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

 

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

 

Land Surveyor - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree or state/provincial/federal license.

 

Landscape Architect - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Lawyer (including Notary in the province of Quebec) - L.L.B., J.D., L.L.L., B.C.L., or Licenciatura degree (five years); or membership in a state/provincial bar.

 

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

 

Management Consultant - 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) - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

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.

 

Medical Laboratory Technologist (Canada)/Medical Technologist (Mexico and the United States) - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate, and three years experience.

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.

 

Meteorologist - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Nutritionist - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Pharmacist - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license.

 

Pharmacologist - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

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Physician (teaching or research only) - M.D. Doctor en Medicina; or state/provincial license.

 

Physicist (including Oceanographer in Canada) - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Physiotherapist/Physical Therapist - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license.

 

Plant Breeder - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Poultry Scientist - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Psychologist - State/provincial license; or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Range Manager/Range Conservationist - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Research Assistant (working in a post-secondary educational institution) - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Recreational Therapist - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Registered Nurse - State/provincial license or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Seminary Teacher - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura 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.

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 - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Soil Scientist - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Sylviculturist (including Forestry Specialist) - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

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

 

University Teacher - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Urban Planner (including Geographer) - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Veterinarian - D.V.M., D.M.V., or Doctor en Veterinaria; or state/provincial license.

 

Vocational Counselor - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

Zoologist - Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

 

For more information about the NAFTA Professions, please click here.

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