Before the employer letter is drafted, list the specific claims the file needs to establish: citizenship, an identified professional position, and the exact qualification the listed profession requires. Assign each claim a supporting record and a named person who can confirm it. The result is a working file that is useful for review, not one that has been polished to sound more favorable than the actual job.
Start with whichever duty is hardest to classify
Hypothetical example: an applicant's offer mixes technical analysis with day-to-day operational coordination. Ask the hiring manager to describe an ordinary week and the concrete deliverables expected. Keep both kinds of activity in the working file rather than choosing a title first and quietly dropping the duties that do not fit it. The reviewer needs to assess the position that actually exists.
Keep employer facts and credential facts on separate tracks
The employer is the right source for confirming the role, pay, and intended period; the applicant is the right source for their own qualifications and identity documents. Preserve original credential names and identify whether translation or evaluation is actually required for the applicable profession. An employer's confidence in a candidate is not evidence of a specific degree or licence, so ask which listed qualification is actually being relied on before purchasing any additional service. A degree from an institution outside Canada, Mexico and the United States requires evaluation by a reliable service specializing in foreign credentials.
Resolve inconsistencies before anyone signs
Compare the offer letter, any staffing-agency or client agreement, and the draft support letter side by side. Ask the responsible party to explain any material difference rather than assuming the most recent version is automatically correct. Disclose ownership interests and the real reporting relationship. The finished file should describe the job that will actually be performed, with open questions left for legal review rather than smoothed over with consistent-sounding wording. Providing services to a U.S. entity solely owned or controlled by the applicant is prohibited TN self-employment; an ownership interest in a foreign business alone is not that prohibition.
What else is on your mind?
Is a matching job title enough for TN?Can years of experience replace a degree for TN?Can my own U.S. company employ me under TN?Can my spouse work if I hold TN status?Editorial source review: 2026-09-07. General preparation guidance, not an individual assessment.