IN THIS GUIDE · Match the actual job description to a listed profession before drafting anything
Read the offer for what the work actually is
Ask the hiring manager for a description of a representative week, not just a job title. Hypothetical example: an offer names a technical-sounding title, but the attached duties are mostly project coordination and vendor management. Keep both the title and the duty list in the file; changing the title on the letter does not change which profession, if any, the position matches.
Apply the listed profession's own credential rule
Each profession on the list has its own required degree, licence, or stated alternative, and these rules are not interchangeable between professions. Identify the exact credential the applicant holds and keep the original document names and issuing institutions rather than a paraphrase. Translation or credential evaluation should be commissioned only once the applicable requirement is identified, not as a generic first step. A degree from an institution outside Canada, Mexico and the United States requires evaluation by a reliable service specializing in foreign credentials.
Document the employer relationship precisely
Record the identified position, remuneration, and intended period of employment, along with the identity of the actual employer. If a staffing agency or a client company is involved, spell out who directs the applicant's day-to-day work and who has confirmed the assignment. Disclose any ownership interest the applicant holds in the employer or a related company, because the actual ownership and control determine whether the TN self-employment prohibition applies. 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.
Confirm which admission process applies
Canadian citizens generally may seek TN admission at an eligible port of entry or a preclearance location without first obtaining a TN visa, while a U.S. employer can also file a petition with USCIS. Mexican citizens generally use a different consular process. Confirm current procedures before travel, and consider the applicant's prior U.S. immigration history and any change in circumstances since a previous TN admission before assuming the same process will apply unchanged.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.