NAFTA

A TN professional is an individual from either Canada or Mexico who seeks to enter the United States pursuant to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as a professional.� In order to qualify for TN status, the job offered must be on one of the categories listed in Appendix 1603.D.1 of NAFTA.�

A professional position is one that requires the minimum of a Baccalaureate degree for entry into the profession.� Unlike with the H-1B category, experience cannot be substituted in lieu of a degree.� However, there are several job categories� that have alternate requirements to a degree.

The following are the professions eligible for TN status, as listed in NAFTA, along with the requirements for entry into the position:

PROFESSION

• Accountant: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or C.P.A, C.A., C.G.A., or C.M.A.
• Architect: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license
• Computer Systems Analyst: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post Secondary Certificate and three years of experience
• Disaster Relief Insurance Claims Adjuster: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree and successful completion of training in the appropriate areas of insurance pertaining to disaster relief claims; or three years of experience in claims adjustment and successful completion of training in the appropriate areas of insurance adjustment pertaining to disaster relief claims;
• Economist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Engineer: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license
• Forester: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license
• Graphic Designer: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or post-secondary diploma and three years of experience
• Hotel Manager: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree in hotel/restaurant management; or post- secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate in hotel/restaurant management and three years experience in hotel/restaurant management
• Industrial Designer: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or post-secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate and three years of experience
• Interior Designer: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or post-secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate and three years of experience
• Land Surveyor: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree or state/provincial/federal license
• Landscape Architect: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Lawyer (Not including Notary in the province of Quebec): L.L.B., J.D., L.L.L., B.C.L. or Licenciatura degree (five years); or membership in a state/provincial bar
• Librarian: M.L.S. or B.L.S. (for which another Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree was a prerequisite)
• Management Consultant: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or equivalent professional experience as established by statement or professional credential attesting to five years experience as a management consultant, or five years experience in a field of specialty related to the consulting agreement
• Mathematician (including Statistician): Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Range Manager/Range Conservationist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Research Assistant (working in a post-secondary educational institution): Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Scientific Technician/Technologist: Possession of (a) theoretical knowledge of any of the following disciplines: agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology, chemistry, engineering, forestry, geology, geophysics, meteorology,� or physics; and (b) the ability to solve practical problems in any of those disciplines, or the ability to apply principles of any of those disciplines to basic or applied research
• Social Worker: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Sylviculturist (including Forestry Specialist): Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Technical Publications Writer: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree, or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate, and three years experience
• Urban Planner (including Geographer):� Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Vocational Counselor--Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

MEDICAL/ALLIED PROFESSIONALS

• Dentist: D.D.S., D.M.D., Doctor en Odontologia or Doctor en Cirugia Dental or state/provincial license
• Dietitian: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license
• Medical Laboratory Technologist (Canada)/Medical Technologist (Mexico and the United States): Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate, and three years experience
• Nutritionist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Occupational Therapist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree;or state/provincial license
• Pharmacist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license
• Physician (teaching or research only): M.D. Doctor en Medicina; or state/provincial license
• Physiotherapist/Physical Therapist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license
• Psychologist: state/provincial license; or Licenciatura Degree
• Recreational Therapist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Registered nurse: state/provincial license or Licenciatura Degree
• Veterinarian: D.V.M., D.M.V., or Doctor en Veterinaria; or state/provincial license

SCIENTISTS

• Agriculturist (including Agronomist): Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Animal Breeder: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Animal Scientist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Apiculturist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Astronomer: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Biochemist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Biologist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Chemist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Dairy Scientist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Entomologist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Epidemiologist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Geneticist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Geochemist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Geologist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Geophysicist (including Oceanographer in Mexico and the United States): Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Horticulturist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Meteorologist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Pharmacologist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Physicist (including Oceanographer in Canada): Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Plant Breeder: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Poultry Scientist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Soil Scientist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Zoologist: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

TEACHERS

• College: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• Seminary: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
• University: Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree

Canadian Citizens are eligible to apply for TN status at either a U.S. Consulate or at a Port of Entry, or the TN can be petitioned for via the USCIS Nebraska Service Center.� All Mexicans apply for TN status must apply directly with USCIS.

TN status is issued in increments of one year and can be extended indefinitely.

It should be noted that unlike other work authorized categories such as the H-1B and the L-1, there is not �duel intent� with regards to the TN.� An individual can be denied TN status is there is a petition pending for permanent residence.

TD status is available to spouses and unmarried children under the age of twenty-one (21), issued for the same time period as the TN beneficiary.� TD nonimmigrants are not work authorized.