The short version
- TN status lets citizens of Canada and Mexico work in the US in one of 63 professions listed in the USMCA trade agreement.
- Most of the jobs need a bachelor's degree. Some also accept a licence, or a two-year diploma plus three years of experience.
- You need a job lined up with a US employer before you go. Working for your own company does not count.
- Canadians can apply at the US border. Mexicans need a TN visa first. Each stay is up to 3 years, and it can be extended.
What is a TN visa?
It is a US work status for professionals from Canada and Mexico. USCIS says it lets qualified Canadian and Mexican citizens enter the US for a time "to engage in business activities at a professional level".
It comes from the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which used to be NAFTA. The list of jobs is in Chapter 16, Appendix 2 of the agreement. US law repeats the same list in 8 CFR 214.6.
It is for citizens only. US Customs and Border Protection says permanent residents of Canada and Mexico cannot apply.
Which jobs qualify for a TN visa?
63 professions, in four groups. We read the full list on 18 October 2026:
| Group | Professions | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| General | 25 | Accountant, Engineer, Computer Systems Analyst |
| Medical/Allied Professional | 12 | Registered Nurse, Pharmacist, Dentist |
| Scientist | 23 | Chemist, Biologist, Geologist |
| Teacher | 3 | College, Seminary, University |
The job you will do in the US must be one of these, at a professional level. The agreement adds that you may also train others in your profession, for example by running seminars.
The tables below copy each job and its minimum papers word for word from Appendix 2. That is why they use US spelling, like "license".
Which general professions are on the TN list?
These 25. "Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree" means a bachelor's degree. Licenciatura is the Mexican name for it.
| 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 or Post-Secondary Certificate, 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) | LL.B., J.D., LL.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 Conservationalist | 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 Counsellor | Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Three notes from the agreement:
- Licence. A "state/provincial license" must come from a state, province or federal government, not a local one.
- Diploma. A Post-Secondary Diploma takes two or more years of study at an accredited school in Canada or the US. A Post-Secondary Certificate is the Mexican version.
- Wider names. Mathematician includes Actuary. Scientific Technician/Technologist must work in direct support of professionals in the sciences named in its row.
Which medical jobs qualify for a TN visa?
These 12. A Physician can only come to teach or do research.
| Profession | Minimum education requirements and alternative credentials |
|---|---|
| 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. or 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 |
A Medical Technologist must be coming to do laboratory tests for the diagnosis, treatment or prevention of disease.
Some health care workers also need a screening certificate. CBP says US law requires certain health care professionals to finish a screening programme, called VisaScreen, before they can get a temporary work visa, including TN status.
Which scientists and teachers qualify for TN?
Every scientist on the list needs the same thing: a Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree. These are the 23:
- Agriculturist (including Agronomist)
- Animal Breeder
- Animal Scientist
- Apiculturist
- Astronomer
- Biochemist
- Biologist
- Chemist
- Dairy Scientist
- Entomologist
- Epidemiologist
- Geneticist
- Geologist
- Geochemist
- Geophysicist (including Oceanographer in Mexico and the United States)
- Horticulturist
- Meteorologist
- Pharmacologist
- Physicist (including Oceanographer in Canada)
- Plant Breeder
- Poultry Scientist
- Soil Scientist
- Zoologist
Biologist includes Plant Pathologist.
Teachers qualify at three levels: College, Seminary and University. Each one needs a Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree. School teachers are not on the list.
Do you need a job offer for a TN visa?
Yes. USCIS says you must work in a "prearranged full-time or part-time job for a U.S. employer or entity".
US law does not let you set up your own business on TN. 8 CFR 214.6 says you count as self-employed if you work for a company you own or control.
You show the job with a letter from the US employer, or from a foreign employer, backed by your degrees, diplomas or membership of a professional body. The rule says the letter must cover:
- Your profession. Which job on the list you will do.
- Your duties. What you will do for the US employer.
- How long. The length of stay you expect.
- Your papers. The education or credentials that prove you are a professional.
- Your pay. How you will be paid.
A degree from a school outside Canada, Mexico or the US also needs an evaluation from a credentials service.
How do Canadians and Mexicans apply?
Canadians can apply at the border. Mexicans need a visa first.
- Canadian citizens. You do not need a TN visa. You show proof of citizenship, the employer letter and any credentials evaluation to a CBP officer at certain US ports of entry or a pre-clearance station. Your employer can also file Form I-129 with USCIS first.
- Mexican citizens. You apply for a TN visa at a US embassy or consulate in Mexico. Once you have it, you ask for entry at the border or a pre-clearance station.
CBP has named 14 ports, including 4 pre-clearance sites, for faster processing of first-time Canadian TN applicants. Canadians can still use any port on the border.
How long can you stay on a TN visa?
Up to 3 years at a time. To stay longer, your employer can ask USCIS for an extension of up to 3 more years while you are in the US. Or you can leave and apply again at the border, with a new letter.
8 CFR 214.6 sets no limit on the total time, as long as you keep doing TN work at a professional level for a US employer.
A husband or wife, and unmarried children under 21, can come with you in TD status. USCIS says they cannot work in the US, but they can study.
Can Americans use the same deal in Canada or Mexico?
Yes, the deal goes both ways. Chapter 16 of the agreement says each of the three countries shall let in professionals on the Appendix 2 list from the other two. Each country still applies its own entry rules.
For the other routes, read how to move to Canada from the US and how to move to Mexico from the US. If you hold a Canadian passport and want to see where else it lets you in without a visa, see the Canada passport page.