Before the employer letter is drafted, list the individual claims the file needs to establish: citizenship, an identified professional position, and the specific qualification the listed profession requires. Give each claim a record and a named person who can verify it. That produces a genuinely useful review file without making the job sound more favourable than it actually is. The decision to make before collecting more paper is whether the actual position can be described accurately as a listed professional engagement for an independent employer. If that answer is uncertain, solve it before paying for translations or setting travel. Hypothetical example: an environmental-restoration economist is offered a temporary habitat-damage valuation assignment, but the employer’s draft calls her a project coordinator. She should ask for the economic analysis deliverables, supervision, and payment terms, then decide whether the true duties support the proposed category rather than editing the duties toward a preferred title.
Start with whatever duty is unclear
Hypothetical example: a Victoria offer blends technical review work with a fair amount of client-facing coordination, and the applicant is not sure which part the listed profession actually covers. Ask the hiring manager to describe an ordinary week and the deliverables expected, and keep both types of work in the account rather than dropping the less flattering part. The reviewer needs to assess the actual position against the listed profession, not a title chosen first and defended afterward. Make a two-column review: one column states the immigration claim and the other names the original record that establishes it. A passport proves citizenship; a transcript or licence may prove qualification; a signed support letter proves the offered work. When the employer relies on a client project, attach the agreement or scope that explains why the professional services are needed.
Keep employer facts and credential facts apart
The employer confirms the role, the pay, and the intended period; the applicant supplies the actual qualification and identity records. Keep original credential documents and identify whether translation or evaluation is actually required for the listed profession. The employer's confidence in the applicant is not evidence of a degree or licence, so confirm which specific qualification applies before ordering unrelated services. Decide early whether the job requires a U.S. occupational authorization before work starts. A credential that supports a listed profession is not necessarily permission to practise in the destination jurisdiction. Confirm the employer, supervisor, place of work, and method of pay where a staffing company or client relationship is involved, because these facts should read consistently across every document.
Resolve conflicts before anyone signs
Compare the offer, any client agreement, and the draft support letter side by side, identify the current version, and ask whoever issued each document to explain a material difference. Disclose any ownership interest and the real employer relationship. The finished account should describe the job the applicant will actually perform, with open questions flagged for legal review rather than papered over with consistent-sounding language. Choose the procedure only after the evidence is coherent. A Canadian ordinarily requests TN admission during inspection or preclearance, while an employer may seek a USCIS decision through Form I-129. A Mexican citizen ordinarily obtains the TN visa at a consular post first, and only then presents for inspection. Do not use TN for services to a business the applicant owns or controls; disclose the ownership facts for review.
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.