NAFTA (TN) Visa – Overview
NAFTA is the North American Free Trade Agreement. It creates special economic and trade relationships for the United States, Canada and Mexico. The nonimmigrant NAFTA Professional (TN) visa allows citizens of Canada and Mexico, as NAFTA professionals to work in the United States. Permanent residents, including Canadian permanent residents, are not able to apply to work as a NAFTA professional.
The category "Professionals Under the North American Free Trade Agreement" is available only to citizens of Mexico and Canada. Under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) a citizen of a NAFTA country may work in a professional occupation in another NAFTA country provided that 1) the profession is on the NAFTA list, 2) the alien possesses the specific criteria for that profession, 3) the prospective position requires someone in that professional capacity and 4) the alien is going to work for a U.S. employer. The spouse and unmarried, minor children of the principal alien are entitled to the derivative status, but they are unable to accept employment in the United States. Aliens entering under this classification are considered non-immigrants.
What are the basic requirements for a TN Visa?
Employer Requirements
There are different qualifications for employers of Mexican TN professionals and employers of Canadian TN professionals. Canadian citizens may seek entry as a TN to engage in business activities for a U.S. employer or entity. Canadians may also obtain TN status if they work for a foreign employer that will provide prearranged services to a U.S. entity. There is no requirement that the foreign employer be Canadian. If the foreign employer is a Canadian corporation, the Canadian providing service to the U.S. entity may qualify for an L-1 visa if her or his job duties can be defined as those of a multinational executive or manager.
To obtain entry as a TN professional, a Mexican citizen may have a job offer only from a U.S. employer. Employers of either Canadian or Mexican TN professional applicants may be corporations, partnerships, organizations, or individuals. NAFTA does not, however, authorize the establishment of a business or practice in the U.S. in which the professional will be self-employed.
List of TN Professionals
NAFTA Professional Job Series List
PROFESSION MINIMUM EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS AND ALTERNATIVE CREDENTIALS
- 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 experience
- Disaster Relief Insurance Claims Adjuster (Claims Adjuster employed by an insurance company located in the territory of a Party, or an independent claims adjuster) Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree and successful completion of training in the appropriate areas of insurance adjustment pertaining to disaster relief claims; or three years 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 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 experience
- Interior Designer Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or post-secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate, and three years experience
- Land Surveyor Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree or state/provincial/federal license
- Landscape Architect Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
- Lawyer (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 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) 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
SCIENTIST
- Agricultural (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
- 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
- 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
TEACHER
- College Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
- Seminary Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
- University Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
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