TN Visa: USMCA Work Status for Canadian and Mexican Professionals

TN status comes from the USMCA, the trade agreement that replaced NAFTA. You can get TN status if:

• You are a citizen of Canada or Mexico. Permanent residents of those countries don't qualify.
• Your profession is on the USMCA professions list.
• The US job actually requires someone in that profession.
• You have a prearranged full-time or part-time job with a US employer or entity. You cannot be self-employed.
• You have the qualifications for the profession, usually a bachelor's or licenciatura degree, or the specific credentials the list names.

TN is a popular alternative to the H-1B because it has no lottery and approval can be fast. See TN vs H-1B for a side-by-side comparison.

The official list is in USMCA Chapter 16, Appendix 2, and is reproduced in US regulations at 8 CFR 214.6. It has about 60 professions in four broad groups:

Each profession has its own minimum credential. Most need a bachelor's or licenciatura degree. A few accept alternatives, such as experience plus a post-secondary diploma. Read the exact entry for your profession on the official list, because officers compare your degree and duties against it closely.

Canadian citizens don't need a visa. You apply to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) when you arrive at a designated land port of entry or at a US preclearance station in a Canadian airport.

Bring:

• Proof of Canadian citizenship (usually your passport).
• A detailed letter from your US employer describing the profession, job duties, length of stay, pay, and your qualifications.
• Your degrees, transcripts, and licenses, with a credential evaluation if your degree is not from the US or Canada.
• Payment for CBP's processing fee.

If the officer approves you, you get an I-94 record showing TN status for up to 3 years. Instead of applying at the border, your employer can also file Form I-129 with USCIS first and you show the approval at entry. See moving to the USA from Canada.

Mexican citizens must get a TN visa stamp before traveling:

1. Complete Form DS-160 and pay the visa fee, which is $185 as of September 2026.
2. Attend an interview at a US embassy or consulate in Mexico with the employer letter, degree, and professional license (cédula) if relevant.
3. After the visa is issued, apply for admission at a port of entry.

A $250 visa integrity fee, created by a 2025 law, is charged when a visa is issued. As of September 2026, consulates have rolled it out unevenly, so check your embassy's fee page. See moving to the USA from Mexico.

• Stay: up to 3 years per admission. You can extend through USCIS (Form I-129 filed by your employer; the fee is $1,015 on paper or $965 online as of September 2026, plus the Asylum Program Fee) or by leaving and re-applying at the border or consulate. There is no limit on the number of renewals.
• Changing employers: the new employer needs a new TN approval before you start.
• Family: your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can come in TD status. They can study but cannot work.

TN is not a dual intent status. You must show that your stay is temporary. That makes a green card possible but delicate:

• Employer sponsorship through PERM, leading to EB-2 or EB-3, is the most common path.
• Once an immigrant petition is filed, renewing TN at the border or traveling can become risky, because officers may see immigrant intent. Many people switch to H-1B or time their filings so they can use adjustment of status without traveling.

2026 policy change. A USCIS policy memo dated May 21, 2026 (PM-602-0199) says people in the US in temporary (nonimmigrant) status should get green cards through adjustment of status only in "extraordinary circumstances," and it applies to pending cases. Talk to a licensed immigration lawyer about how it affects you before you file.

On July 1, 2026, the US, Canada, and Mexico held the first required joint review of the USMCA. The US did not agree to extend the agreement for a new 16-year term. As a result, the agreement stays in force but now goes through annual reviews. If the three countries never agree to extend it, it would expire in 2036.

The review did not change the TN rules or the list of professions. CBP and USCIS are processing TN cases under the same standards as before. If you rely on TN long term, watch for news about future reviews.

• The job duties don't match the listed profession. Officers often question "management consultant" and "computer systems analyst" cases, and roles that are really programmer or sales jobs.
• Your degree field doesn't fit the profession.
• The employer letter is vague, or suggests a permanent job with no end date.
• Signs of immigrant intent, such as a pending green card case.
• The work is self-employment or for your own company.

A refusal at the border is recorded. Fix the problem before trying again, and consider having the employer file with USCIS. See visa denials and waivers.