TN Canadian Worker Visa

Treaty Nationals
 
Under the North America Free Trade Agreement, Canadians and Mexicans may apply for a special status known as TN status. Only professionals in particular industries, identified by a specific definition, are permitted entry under this category. A “professional” is generally defined to mean a person with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree of three or four years, where the job states this as its minimum entry-level requirement. Activities at a “professional level” is defined by the NAFTA to mean those undertakings that require an individual to possess at least a baccalaureate degree or an appropriate license demonstrating status as a professional.
 
The TN status is valid for only one year, but there is no limit as to the number of extensions a TN visa holder may apply for. TN visa holders cannot have an intention to immigrate to the US. If a TN visa holder wishes to apply for permanent resident status, he/she must first change status to H-1B status (H-1B visa holders may apply for permanent resident status while in the US).