Read the general professional work overview
Hypothetical example: an Otonabee-South Monaghan large-animal veterinarian is recruited by a United States dairy veterinary practice. Appendix 2 accepts a D.V.M., D.M.V. or Doctor en Veterinaria degree, or a state/provincial licence, while the destination state’s licence is separately required to practise there. Citizenship evidence, the qualifying credential, the practice licence and the employer letter each follow their own current timeline.
Start with the licence, because it is the slowest
Appendix 2 lists Veterinarian with a doctor of veterinary medicine degree or a state or provincial licence as the qualification. Separately from the TN entry itself, practising veterinary medicine in an American state requires that state's licence, and obtaining one takes the longest of anything in this file. It typically involves an application to the state board, verification of the Canadian licence sent directly by the provincial regulator, proof of examination results and sometimes a jurisprudence examination. Begin this first, before the employer letter is drafted, because everything else can be completed in weeks and this cannot.
Then the degree and the citizenship evidence
The degree parchment and an official transcript come next; a Canadian veterinary degree needs no credential evaluation, while a degree earned outside Canada, Mexico or the United States does. Citizenship is proved with a Canadian passport or a citizenship certificate, and a permanent resident card will not serve. Order certified copies early if the originals are not to hand. Keep these documents together in one bundle rather than distributed across the employer's file and the applicant's, because the person presenting at the port of entry is the applicant and the bundle has to be complete in their hands.
The employer letter goes last, and describes the work
Written last, the letter can name the licence already obtained and describe the actual duties: herd health programmes, reproductive management, on-farm clinical work, diagnostics and consultation with dairy producers. It should state the employer, the location, the salary, the temporary period of employment and the professional nature of the position. It should not describe the veterinarian as a partner or owner, because TN does not authorise self-employment, and any ownership interest in the practice needs to be disclosed and analysed rather than smoothed over in the wording. If the practice intends to offer a partnership later, say so and have the timing assessed, because a change from employee to owner is a material change rather than a promotion.
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.