JOHN MUELLER

Here are some helpful tips that individuals need to consider prior to applying for a TN visa at a port of entry in United States. As part of the outcome of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the US government publishes a publicly accessible list of fields where the US lacks qualified workers. TN visa applicants should look for NAFTA approved job listing when searching for work in the US.



When applying for TN status the applicant is required to prove that he or she satisfies all TN visa requirements. The primary requirement is a job offer from an US commercial organization that has vacant positions under the NAFTA listing. Once you obtain a job offer, it’s time to apply for a TN visa. TN status doesn’t cover self-employment.

However, before you apply, ensure that you have your employer’s support letter, it must meet the NAFTA requirements and should have the following details: Details of the employer, TN category, eligibility for that category, duration of the engagement, duties required and compensation or pay for the same. Frequently, inspectors will take the employer support letter from the applicant and will ask the applicant to write down the job duties on a separate piece of paper. Unreasonable differences in both the job descriptions might cause complications and even rejection of application.


Notify your employer that CBP may contact them so request your employer to be available for telephone call for CBP’s confirmation of the employment offer or for discussion of the employment condition. Having a company official present at the border can help speed up your application process.


Original copies of all required documents, degrees, transcripts etc. must produced along with the application. An applicant must make sure that passport is updated and is valid for the full duration of the applicant’s proposed TN stay. The duration of stay is equal to the TN status period or the validity period of the passport which ever is shorter. Make sure that your employer support letter is on a proper company letterhead and is duly signed.


An applicant must make only true and accurate statements and avoid giving false information but must quickly and courteously correct an inspector if the latter misunderstood any statement of the applicant during the application. Making false claims to a CBP inspector can land you into trouble, your application will be denied, you will be charged with fraud and you may be banned from crossing the US borders for life. And your chances of a judicial hearing for such cases are non existent.

It is important that applicants have proper online records and these should match the information in their application forms. Thesedays, the CBP officials run online checks on the applicant and their employer as a preliminary check. If there will be discrepancies between the online information and the TN application, the applicant must be prepared to explain the discrepancies.

And, if you have any prior criminal charges and immigration issues, you must have a satisfactory explanation for those as well. For all practical purposes, applicants with proven criminal charges are rejected. Individuals having such issues may consider the services of an immigration lawyer prior to applying for a TN visa. After a few years living the American dream you’ll also want to upgrade your TN visa to green card, for that you will need to see a lawyer as well.