A TN visa is available only for the professions on a fixed list in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The list carried over unchanged from NAFTA, and it covers about sixty occupations, from accountants and engineers to pharmacists and urban planners. If your job is not on the TN visa professions list, no amount of experience will make it qualify. If it is, you still need the specific degree or license that the list requires for that category, and the U.S. job has to be one that actually uses the profession. Our TN visa for Canadian and Mexican professionals page explains how we match a role to the right category before anyone applies.

The TN visa professions list

The list falls into four groups. Unless noted, the minimum requirement is a bachelor’s degree (or a Mexican licenciatura) in a relevant field.

General professions: accountant, architect, computer systems analyst, disaster relief insurance claims adjuster, economist, engineer, forester, graphic designer, hotel manager, industrial designer, interior designer, land surveyor, landscape architect, lawyer, librarian, management consultant, mathematician (including statistician and actuary), range manager, research assistant at a post-secondary institution, scientific technician or technologist, social worker, sylviculturist, technical publications writer, urban planner (including geographer) and vocational counselor.
Medical and allied professions: dentist, dietitian, medical laboratory technologist, nutritionist, occupational therapist, pharmacist, physician (teaching or research only), physical therapist, psychologist, recreational therapist, registered nurse and veterinarian.
Scientists: agriculturist, animal breeder, animal scientist, apiculturist, astronomer, biochemist, biologist, chemist, dairy scientist, entomologist, epidemiologist, geneticist, geochemist, geologist, geophysicist, horticulturist, meteorologist, pharmacologist, physicist, plant breeder, poultry scientist, soil scientist and zoologist.
Teachers: college, seminary and university teachers.

Categories with alternatives to a degree

A few categories accept experience in place of, or in addition to, a degree. Computer systems analysts, graphic designers, industrial designers, interior designers and technical publications writers can qualify with a post-secondary diploma or certificate plus three years of experience. Hotel managers need a degree in hotel or restaurant management, or a diploma in that field plus three years of experience. Management consultants can qualify with five years of experience in a relevant field instead of a degree. Architects, engineers, foresters, land surveyors and lawyers can qualify with a state or provincial license in place of a degree.

The scientific technician or technologist category is different. It needs theoretical knowledge in a listed discipline, such as chemistry, biology, engineering or physics, and the job must be in direct support of professionals in that discipline. A lab technician working alone, without a supporting relationship to a chemist or engineer, does not fit.

Degrees from outside Canada, Mexico and the United States can count, but you should bring a credential evaluation showing U.S. equivalency.

The job must match the profession

Having the right degree is half the test. The U.S. position must also be one where you will work in that profession. An engineer hired to run sales is not working as an engineer. A person with an accounting degree hired as a bookkeeper may not be working as an accountant. The employer’s letter needs to describe duties that match the listed profession, at a professional level.

Three categories draw the most scrutiny from Customs and Border Protection officers:

Computer systems analyst

Programmer is not on the list. A systems analyst role that is mostly coding will be questioned. The letter should describe analysis, design and requirements work, with programming as a minor share of the job.

Management consultant

This category is meant for consultants who give advice on a contract basis, or for employees in genuine consulting roles, not for permanent staff positions relabeled as consulting. Officers ask whether the job is a temporary advisory engagement or an ongoing line role.

Physicians and nurses

Physicians qualify only for teaching or research; clinical practice is not allowed, apart from care incidental to that work. Registered nurses and some other health care workers also need a health care worker certificate, and working in a U.S. hospital requires a U.S. state license. Check these requirements well before the start date.

When your job is not on the list

If your role does not fit a listed profession, TN is not available, and stretching a job title to fit one is a common reason for refusals at the border. Other options include the H-1B specialty occupation visa, which covers a broader range of professional roles but is subject to the annual cap, and an L-1 transfer if you already work for a company with a U.S. affiliate. Our article comparing the H-1B and L-1 explains how employers choose between those two. For the TN steps once you know your profession qualifies, see our guide to how Canadians and Mexicans apply for TN status.

If you are a Canadian or Mexican professional and unsure whether your job fits a TN category, Capitol Law Partners can review the role, your credentials and the employer’s letter before you apply. Schedule a consultation.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed by this communication.

Attorney Cagatay Ersoy. Practical strategy for founders, investors, and growing companies.

Need help with this topic? See our TN professional visa page or schedule a consultation.