MAIONA & MAIONA, P.C.
171 MILK STREET • SUITE 200 • BOSTON, MA 02109
TEL: (617) 695-2220 • FAX: (617) 695-6377 • EMAIL: mjm2@gis.net

NAFTA TN Professionals

I. Basic:

Business people of Canadian and Mexican citizenship are granted expedited admission to the US up to one year. They may enter the US as: (1) B-1 temporary business visitors; (2) TN Professionals; (3) E traders/investors; and (4) L-1 intracompany transferees. No visa required for Canadian nationals. A visa is required for Mexican nationals.

II. Requirements for a TN business visa:

(1) Professionals who are employees of US companies can work for those companies on a temporary basis and be paid by them as if an H-1B professional; or Professionals who are employees of Canadian and Mexican companies can work for those companies in the US working on projects contracted with a US company;

(2) The activity must be in a profession on Schedule 2; and

(3) The professional must have the necessary credentials to be considered a professional in one of the Schedule 2 fields.

III. Necessary Documents for Canadian TN:

(1) Letter from employer that is requesting that the alien come to the US stating the: (i) legitimate business reason for the trip; (ii) specific dates of the trip (one year); (iii) statement that the purpose of the entry is temporary; (iv) amount of money the alien will be paid and other salary/benefits; and (v) evidence that the alien is engaged in one of the Schedule 2 activities attached hereto.

(2) Supporting documentation showing proof that alien has necessary credentials to be considered a professional (college degree, transcripts, resume); and

(3) Proof of Canadian citizenship for employee and any spouse (with marriage certificate) or child (with birth certificate), passport required if coming to US from location other than Canada.

IV. Necessary Documents for Mexican TN:

(1) An approved TN petition from BCIS and subsequent TN visa from a US Consulate or Embassy is necessary for a Mexican TN to enter the US;

(2) Approved LCA from the Dept. of Labor;

(3) Letter from employer that is requesting that the alien come to the US stating the: (i) legitimate business reason for the trip; (ii) specific dates of the trip; (one year); (iii) statement that the purpose of the entry is temporary; (iv) amount of money the alien will be paid and other salary/benefits; and (v) evidence that the alien is engaged in one of the Schedule 2 activities attached hereto.

(4) Supporting documentation showing proof that alien has necessary credentials to be considered a professional (college degree, transcripts, resume); and

(5) Proof of Mexican citizenship for employee and any spouse (with marriage certificate) or child (with birth certificate), passport is required.

V. Time Line:

(1) Processing of the Mexican TN visa is the same as an H-1B and must be approved by BCIS with a visa issued by a US Consulate/Embassy as well. This can take 75-90 days from filing to approval. Premium Processing can reduce this to 15 days.

(2) Processing of the Canadian TN visa is immediate and is done at any NAFTA designated boarder crossing into the US.

VI. Period of Validity:

The TN will be valid for one year and may be renewed yearly with no limit on the total.

VII. Family:

The spouse and children may accompany the alien to the US. Please be sure that each qualifying relative supplies a passport, marriage certificate and birth certificate. This will be necessary for the US Consulate or INS Boarder Inspector to issue the visas.

VIII. Permanent Residency:

The business visitor on a NAFTA TN may not apply for residency, as this is a temporary visa.

IX. Previous Immigration Status:

If the transferee ever held TN or any other status in the US, (H-1B, B, TN, L-1, etc.), they must provide employer with a copy of their current visa approval notice.

NAFTA Schedule 2 Occupations

Appendix 1603.D.1 (Annotated)

--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. 2/

--Computer Systems Analyst--Baccalaureate or Licenciatura

Degree; or Post-Secondary Diploma 3/ or Post Secondary

Certificate 4/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)--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 5/--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) 6/--

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

--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.

--TEACHER

--College--Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

--Seminary--Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

--University--Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.

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