The TN Visa – A List of Applicable Occupations

The TN visa provides employers with an avenue for hiring “NAFTA professional workers” from Canada or Mexico. The TN visa is a “pure” non-immigrant visa, meaning the pathway to U.S. permanent residence or citizenship may require additional steps or extraordinary measures throughout the process. However, TN visas can be extended, in theory, indefinitely in three-year increments.

In practice, the TN is usually valid for 9 years before the government begins to question more closely whether the individual has an intent to return to their home country, thereby satisfying the non-immigrant intent. To qualify for a TN visa, the candidate must hold a valid passport from Canada or Mexico, must work in one of the following fields, and must hold the necessary degrees and licensure to practice in the U.S.: