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HIGHLANDS · TN FIELD GUIDE

Does my existing work from Canada automatically authorize the same tasks in the United States?

Sources checked:

THE DIRECT ANSWER

No. Assess the proposed US activity and the applicable immigration requirements.

Describe the actual location change

An established business relationship may provide useful context without granting US work permission. Review the real duties and employment arrangement rather than relying only on the fact that the work is familiar.

An offer that names the profession, the duties, the supervisor, the location, and the compensation, subject to a clearance, reads differently from one that reserves the right to withdraw for any reason. TN eligibility requires Canadian or Mexican citizenship, prearranged professional-level business activity for a U.S. or foreign employer, and the listed profession’s particular education, licence, or experience rule; Canadian permanent residence is not citizenship. If the controller's actual duties are accounting functions, the application may use the Accountant profession with a listed professional designation or a baccalaureate whose subject significantly overlaps the accounting work. A title like 'engineer' does not establish eligibility on its own; the profession requires actual duties and credentials to match the specific engineering category recognized under USMCA. The listed degree or documented five-year experience route still matters, together with citizenship, temporary entry and the actual employment structure.