IN THIS GUIDE · Test the profession and the paperwork before relying on a job title
Read the duties before the title
Ask whoever wrote the offer to describe an ordinary week of work and the deliverables expected, keeping occasional side tasks separate from the core assignment. Hypothetical example: a Victoria offer names a scientific title, but the attached description is mostly about coordinating outside contractors and preparing client-facing reports. Bring both documents to review; relabeling the title would not change which listed profession, if any, actually matches the work. Start with a plain-language account of the work product, then compare it with the listed profession’s authorized qualifications. A title, salary, or impressive résumé cannot repair a mismatch between daily duties and the professional category. Where licensing is involved, identify the jurisdiction that regulates the actual work rather than assuming an existing Canadian credential answers the U.S. practice question.
Check the credential rule for that specific profession
Locate the listed occupation and identify the degree, licence, or stated alternative it requires, since these rules differ by profession and an alternative accepted for one occupation cannot be assumed for another. Keep original credential documents and transcripts on hand. If translation or a credential evaluation is genuinely needed, commission it for the process actually being used, not as a generic add-on. The first review should produce a claim-by-claim index: identity and citizenship, role, employer, duties, compensation, duration, credentials, and any required authorization to practise. It should also identify the record that proves each item. This prevents a support letter from becoming the only document asked to prove facts that belong in degree records, licences, contracts, or corporate documents.
Explain who the employer and any client actually are
Document the identified position, pay, and intended period, and if a staffing agency or a separate client is involved, explain who directs the day-to-day work and what has actually been confirmed. Disclose any ownership interest the applicant holds. TN's restriction on self-employment in the United States needs a factual review of the real arrangement, not a blanket assumption drawn from a foreign ownership stake alone. Employer structure deserves its own check. A client site, payroll intermediary, or staffing arrangement can be workable when the papers explain who hires, directs, and pays the professional. Concealing a controlling stake or describing a self-directed engagement as ordinary employment creates a problem that better wording cannot solve. Resolve the structure before a travel date is fixed.
Match preparation to the process that applies to this person
Canadian citizens can generally seek TN admission at an eligible port of entry or preclearance location without first obtaining a TN visa, and an employer may instead choose a USCIS petition where that fits better; Mexican citizens follow a different visa-based process. Confirm the currently applicable procedure and review any prior immigration history before travel, and treat temporary intent, a change of employer, and any longer-term residence goal as questions that deserve individual assessment. Renewal planning begins with the original file. Retain the submitted support letter, credentials, admission record, and later changes to duties or employer. A material change may require a fresh analysis rather than a casual update. Build enough time for the employer to decide whether inspection remains suitable or a USCIS filing is the more orderly route.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.