The TN Category for Canadian and Mexican Citizens

The TN category was established as part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Citizens of Canada or Mexico coming to the U.S. on a temporary basis for professional employment with a specific employer may use this immigration option.

Canadian and Mexican faculty members, research fellows, and other post-doctoral researchers may now choose among J-1, H-1B and TN visa statuses, with the advice and assistance of the ISSO. The TN status is similar to the H-1B except that it is also available to non-academic professionals at Columbia, e.g., computer programmers, technicians, and research assistants. A baccalaureate degree is the minimum requirement to qualify for TN status in certain professions.

This nonimmigrant visa category will allow a Mexican or Canadian citizen (but not a Canadian landed immigrant) to enter the U.S. temporarily to engage in activities at the professional level. These activities have been defined as employment which requires at least a bachelor's degree or appropriate credentials demonstrating status as professional and are on the list of allowable professions as defined by the Treaty at http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/types/types_1274.html.

To enter the U.S. in TN status, a Canadian citizen should make an application at a port of entry to the United States. Canadians do not apply for a visa. Mexican citizens make an application at a United States Consulate for a TN visa.

When entering the U.S., a Canadian citizen must present the following documents:

  1. passport
  2. documentation of professional qualifications, i.e. diplomas, degrees, etc. (If the diploma does not state the field of study, a transcript must be provided)
  3. documentation of intent to engage in an activity a professional level: letter from the hiring Columbia department that lists the salary, job details, length of stay and any requirements for degree or licenses. Please follow this sample letter.
  4. $56 fee per information on U.S. Customs and Border Protection web site. (Fees are subject to change. Verify the current fee on the Department of State Web site for TN visas.)

Mexican applicants must submit the following documents when applying for a TN visa at a U.S. Consulate:

  1. passport ID page
  2. documentation of professional qualities, i.e. diplomas, degrees, etc. (If the diploma does not state the field of study, a transcript must be provided)
  3. documentation of intent to engage in an activity a professional level, such as letters from a prospective employer in the U.S. that lists the salary, job details, length of stay and any requirements for degree or licenses
  4. $140 fee (Fees are subject to change. Verify the current fee on the Department of State Web site for TN visas.)
  5. The online Nonimmigrant Visa Application Form DS-160. Be sure to print the barcode page and bring it to the appointment at the Consulate.
  6. A passport valid for travel to the United States and with a validity date at least six months beyond the applicant's intended period of stay in the United States.
  7. One (1) 2x2 photograph. See the required photo format explained in Nonimmigrant Photograph Requirements. A photograph is not required if you are applying in Mexico.

Please check the State Department website on Mexican and Canadian NAFTA Professional Worker for more information.

Those entering in TN status can apply for permission to stay for up to three years. No maximum limit on the number of extensions has been established. Dependents of the person holding TN status enter in TD status and are not allowed to work. Dependents applying for the TD visa or entering the US in TD status should provide proof of familial relationship.

Rather than traveling outside the United States, applicants in the U.S. in another status or TN holders who want to extend TN status may work with the hiring department and the ISSO on the filing of an I-129 petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The fee is $325, made payable to Department of Homeland Security.
The following documents should be sent to the ISSO by the department for a change of status to or an extension of TN status:

  1. passport ID page
  2. documentation of professional qualifications, i.e. diplomas, degrees, etc. (If the diploma does not state the field of study, a transcript must be provided)
  3. documentation of intent to engage in an activity ar a professional level:. This is a letter from the Columbia hiring department that lists the salary, job details, length of stay and any requirements for degree or licenses
  4. $325 fee made payable to Department of Homeland Security. When preparing a Check Request to submit to Accounts Payable, use the AP/CAR vendor "US Dept of Homeland Security, USCIS Service Center, 75 Lower Weldon Street, St. Albans, VT 05479". Do not use enclosure text—use only "hold for pick up" when requesting these checks.
  5. Three copies of C.V., including list of publications
  6. I-94 Card
  7. the Certification of Documents and Data Sheet for TN Applicant

If a dependent (spouse and/or children) needs a change of status or an extension of stay, the petition must include

  1. completed form I-539
  2. passport ID page
  3. copy of I-94 card
  4. copy of visa stamp, if previously required for entry into the US in TD status
  5. a fee of $290, made payable to Department of Homeland Security
  6. Proof of relationship to TN applicant (marriage certificate of birth certificate)

Reporting requirements for those in TN status:

  1. Fax both sides of your I-94 card to the ISSO as soon as you arrive at Columbia. Our fax number is 851-1235.
  2. All non-immigrants are required to notify the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) within 10 days of a change of address. If you are in H-1 or O-1 status, notification is accomplished by completing Form AR-11, downloadable from www.uscis.gov, and mailing the completed form to USCIS. It is advisable to send the AR-11 by certified mail, return receipt requested. Notify the ISSO of any address change; this may be done by fax to 851-1235 or by email to isso@columbia.edu
  3. If you have undergone Special Registration (SR) at a United States Immigration and Citizenship Services (USCIS) district office or a Port of Entry, you must follow SR instructions and file Form AR-11SR as required.

Last reviewed: 11 July 2012 Last modified: 11 July 2012
Columbia University International Students and Scholars Office