Read the general professional work overview
A Langford applicant should distinguish a proposed position from the actual employer commitment used in a TN assessment. The next decision is what the position is called and what it actually requires. TN is granted for a listed profession, so an offer headed project manager needs a duties description that shows engineering work requiring the degree, or it should be re-titled to match the profession the applicant will actually practise.
Establish the professional requirement
TN needs Canadian or Mexican citizenship, a listed USMCA profession and its own qualifications. A budget decision cannot make an unlisted role eligible or substitute for a required credential.
Record agreed terms accurately
Identify duties, remuneration, duration and remaining conditions. Disclose employer ownership; sole or controlling ownership of the US enterprise receiving services raises the self-employment prohibition. Do not invent missing terms.
Use the relevant process
Canadians generally may seek TN admission without a TN visa; Mexicans generally use the visa route, with an employer petition where appropriate. Internal approval does not itself authorize US work.
Hypothetical example: engineer or project manager
Hypothetical example: a Langford civil engineer with a bachelor’s degree and provincial registration receives a US general contractor’s offer titled project manager. Project manager is not a USMCA Appendix 2 profession; engineer is. The port-of-entry officer reads the support letter for the duties, not the headline. If the letter describes design review, load calculations, site inspections and sealing of drawings, the position is engineering work that requires the degree, and the title can be corrected to civil engineer. If the letter describes budgeting, scheduling subcontractors and client reporting with no engineering content, TN as an engineer is exposed regardless of the applicant’s degree. The engineer should ask the employer for a duties list before anything else, then check whether the destination state requires its own licence for the described work; the TN qualification and the state licence are separate hurdles. Prepare the degree, transcripts, registration certificate and letter together.
Sequence before the port of entry
Canadian citizens may apply at a port of entry or by an employer’s I-129, and no visa stamp is needed. The order that works is: settle the title and duties with the employer, confirm the employer is not owned or controlled by the applicant, obtain a dated letter with pay, duration and location, then assemble proof of citizenship and credentials. Arrive with originals. If the degree was earned outside Canada, Mexico or the United States, add a credential evaluation. A refused application at the port leaves a record, so resolve title questions before travelling rather than hoping the officer accepts a mismatch.
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.