Read the general professional work overview
Hypothetical example: a Selwyn medical laboratory technologist has an offer from a U.S. hospital network and three weeks before the intended start. The file should be built in the order the questions arise — citizenship, then profession, then the qualification rule attached to that profession, then the terms of the arranged employment — because a document that answers a question nobody has reached yet does not help.
Citizenship first, in the form you will present
TN is available to Canadian and Mexican citizens, so citizenship is the threshold fact and it should be evidenced in current, presentable form. Canadian citizens do not obtain a visa stamp for TN; the application is made at a port of entry or through an employer's I-129 petition. That means the document actually presented is the one that matters, and a passport being renewed, a certificate held by a family member, or a photocopy of something at home are not the same as the original in hand. Permanent residence in Canada is not citizenship and does not support a TN application, which is a distinction that surprises households every year.
Name the profession, then satisfy its own rule
The second question is which listed profession the position occupies, and the third is whether the applicant meets the standard attached to that specific line of the USMCA Appendix. Those standards differ: some professions require a particular degree, some accept a licence, and some permit stated experience in combination with other credentials. A medical laboratory technologist and a management consultant face genuinely different evidence. The file should therefore contain the credential that the named profession requires, plus an equivalency assessment where a foreign degree needs one, rather than a general collection of qualifications that demonstrates ability without matching the rule.
Let the employer letter answer the remaining questions
The letter carries the arranged-employment element: the position, its professional character, the duties, the period sought, the terms, and who is offering it. It should be consistent with the profession named and with the credentials supplied, because inconsistency between those three is what turns a short conversation into a long one. Self-employment in the United States is not permitted under TN, so any ownership interest in either company should be disclosed and explained rather than omitted. Dependants travelling in TD status may study but may not work, and it is better for a household to know that before departure than to plan around it afterwards.
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.