Updated October 31, 2026
TN visa requirements: who qualifies and how Canadians and Mexicans apply
The TN classification lets citizens of Canada and Mexico work in the US in one of 63 professions listed in the USMCA. You need citizenship of Canada or Mexico, a prearranged job with a US employer or entity in a listed profession, the degree or credential that profession requires, and a stay with a clear end date. Canadians usually apply at the border or preclearance, while Mexicans first get a TN visa at a US consulate.
Every requirement below comes from 8 CFR 214.6 and USCIS, checked on October 31, 2026, with fees and a full list of the professions.
What are the TN visa requirements?
USCIS lists five conditions, and 8 CFR 214.6 fills in the details:
| Requirement | What it means |
|---|---|
| Citizen of Canada or Mexico | You must be a citizen of Canada or Mexico, per USCIS and 8 CFR 214.6 |
| A profession on the USMCA list | One of the 63 professions in Appendix 2 to Annex 16-A of Chapter 16 (list below) |
| A US job that needs that professional | The position itself has to call for someone in that profession |
| A prearranged full-time or part-time job with a US employer or entity | No self-employment. The regulation treats you as self-employed if you'd work for a company where you're the sole or controlling owner or shareholder |
| The qualifications for the profession | The degree, license or other credential the list names, with a credentials evaluation where one applies, per USCIS |
Temporary stay. The regulation also says you must satisfy the officer that your stay is temporary: your assignment ends at a predictable time and you'll leave when it does. A temporary period has a reasonable, finite end.
Which professions qualify for TN?
Most professions need a baccalaureate or Licenciatura degree. These are the ones the list lets you qualify for another way:
| Profession | Minimum credential under 8 CFR 214.6(c) |
|---|---|
| Accountant | Degree, or C.P.A., C.A., C.G.A. or C.M.A. |
| Architect, Engineer, Forester | Degree, or a state or provincial license |
| Computer Systems Analyst, Graphic Designer, Industrial Designer, Interior Designer, Technical Publications Writer | Degree, or a post-secondary diploma or certificate (two or more years) and three years of experience |
| Hotel Manager | Degree in hotel or restaurant management, or a post-secondary diploma or certificate in it and three years of experience |
| Management Consultant | Degree, or five years of experience as a management consultant or in a field related to the consulting agreement |
| Disaster Relief Insurance Claims Adjuster | Degree and disaster relief claims training, or three years of claims experience and that training |
| Scientific Technician/Technologist | Theoretical knowledge and practical ability in a listed science or engineering field, working in direct support of professionals in it |
| Land Surveyor | Degree, or a state, provincial or federal license |
| Lawyer | L.L.B., J.D., L.L.L., B.C.L. or a five-year Licenciatura, or bar membership |
| Librarian | M.L.S., or a B.L.S. that required another degree first |
| Dentist, Physician (teaching or research only), Veterinarian | The professional doctorate, or a state or provincial license |
| Dietitian, Occupational Therapist, Pharmacist, Physiotherapist/Physical Therapist | Degree, or a state or provincial license |
| Medical Laboratory Technologist / Medical Technologist | Degree, or a post-secondary diploma or certificate and three years of experience |
| Psychologist, Registered Nurse | A state or provincial license, or a Licenciatura degree |
Degree only: Economist, Landscape Architect, Mathematician (including Statistician and Actuary), Range Manager, Research Assistant (at a post-secondary institution), Social Worker, Sylviculturist, Urban Planner (including Geographer), Vocational Counselor, Nutritionist, Recreational Therapist, college, seminary and university Teachers, and the 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.
What documents do you need for TN?
Under 8 CFR 214.6(d), you present proof of citizenship and documents that show professional-level work and your qualifications. The employer's letter or other documents should state:
- your profession from the USMCA list
- a description of the professional work, including a brief summary of daily duties where it fits
- how long you'll stay
- your education or credentials showing professional-level status
- how you'll be paid
Mexican citizens show citizenship with a valid passport. Bring your degrees and licenses, and for professions that count experience, letters showing those years. The regulation says a degree from a school outside Canada, Mexico or the US needs an evaluation from a reliable credentials evaluation service.
How do Canadians and Mexicans apply for TN?
| Canadian citizens | Mexican citizens | |
|---|---|---|
| Visa needed? | No. USCIS says Canadians outside the US don't need a TN visa | Yes. Apply at a US embassy or consulate in Mexico, then seek admission |
| Where you're decided | By a CBP officer at certain designated ports of entry or a preclearance station | By a consular officer at the visa interview, then CBP at entry |
| Optional first step | The employer can file Form I-129 with USCIS first, and premium processing is available | USCIS directs Mexican citizens abroad to the consulate |
| Government fees (our math, as of Oct 31, 2026) | $50 TN fee, plus a $30 I-94 fee at a land border. $50 total by air, $80 by land | $185 visa fee, a reciprocity fee if one applies, and $30 for an I-94 at a land border |
For a Canadian at the border, a CBP officer reviews your documents and can ask about the job and your plans before deciding. Our guide to US border questions covers the questions CBP asks at entry. For Mexican citizens, USCIS says to apply for a TN visa directly at a US embassy or consulate in Mexico, then show your passport and TN visa at the port of entry. Our DS-160 guide covers the visa application form.
If your employer files Form I-129 instead, USCIS fees as of October 31, 2026 are $1,015 for the petition ($965 online) plus a $600 asylum program fee, or $510 plus $300 for small employers, and $510 with no asylum fee for nonprofits. Premium processing is $2,965.
How long can you stay on TN?
- Admission: up to 3 years, marked multiple entry.
- Extension: your employer can file Form I-129 for up to 3 more years while you're in the US, or you can leave and apply again at the border or preclearance for a new period of up to 3 years.
- Readmission: you can return for the rest of your admission period on your I-94 without a new letter or fee, as long as your job and employer haven't changed.
- No cap on total time: the regulation sets no limit on how long you can hold TN, as long as you keep doing TN work at a professional level and keep your status.
- Extension pending: if your employer files the extension on time, 8 CFR 274a.12(b)(20) lets you keep working for that same employer for up to 240 days after your stay expires while it's pending.
- New or extra employer: the new employer files Form I-129, or you apply for readmission with the new employer's documents. Don't start the new job before one of those is approved. A move to another location with the same employer doing the same work needs no filing.
- Grace periods: 8 CFR 214.1(l) allows up to 10 days before and after your TN validity period, and up to 60 days (once per validity period) if your job ends. You can't work during either. Our 60-day grace period guide explains how that window works.
Can your family come on TN?
Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can get TD status for the same period as you. USCIS says they can study but can't work. The regulation says TD family members need a TD visa unless they're exempt, and there's no fee for their admission. Mexican TD family members who travel after an extension may need a new TD visa to come back, per USCIS.
Can you apply for a green card on TN?
TN is for temporary entry, defined in the regulation as entry without the intent to establish permanent residence. That means the officer at each entry has to be satisfied your stay is temporary, so be ready to explain your plans honestly if your employer has started a green card process. Our H-1B visa interview questions cover how officers ask about job and plans in a similar work visa interview, and our L-1 guide covers transfers within a company.
Visaful is an AI mock interview app for US visa interviews: an AI officer asks your visa's questions out loud and shows what to fix.
Frequently asked questions
What are the requirements for a TN visa?
Canadian or Mexican citizenship, a prearranged job with a US employer or entity in one of the 63 USMCA professions, the credential that profession requires, and a temporary stay with a predictable end.
Do Canadians need a TN visa?
No. USCIS says Canadian citizens outside the US apply for TN admission with a CBP officer at certain ports of entry or preclearance stations. Mexican citizens need a TN visa from a US consulate first.
Can permanent residents of Canada or Mexico get TN?
USCIS lists citizenship of Canada or Mexico as a TN requirement, and the rules in 8 CFR 214.6 are written for citizens of those two countries. Permanent residence alone isn't on the list, so check another visa type, such as H-1B, if you aren't a citizen.
Can I get TN without a degree?
For some professions. The list allows a license for engineers and architects, a diploma or certificate plus three years of experience for computer systems analysts and some designers, and five years of experience for management consultants.
Can I work for my own company on TN?
No. The regulation says TN doesn't allow self-employment, and you're treated as self-employed if you'd work for a company where you're the sole or controlling owner or shareholder.
How much does TN cost?
As of October 31, 2026, Canadians pay a $50 TN fee, plus $30 for an I-94 at a land border. Mexicans pay a $185 visa fee, any reciprocity fee, and $30 at a land border.
Can I change jobs on TN?
Yes, but not on your own. The new employer files Form I-129, or you apply for readmission at the border (Canadians) or a new TN visa (Mexicans) with the new employer's letter. You can't start the new job until one is approved.
How long is a TN valid?
Up to 3 years per admission. You can extend for up to 3 more years through Form I-129, or leave and apply again for a new period. The regulation sets no cap on the total time, as long as the stay stays temporary.
Related guides
- What CBP officers ask at the US border
- What CBSA officers ask when you enter Canada
- H-1B visa interview questions
- L-1 visa interview questions: what officers check for intracompany transfers
- How your DS-160 answers come up in your visa interview
- H-1B visa fee: what the employer pays, what you pay, and where the new fees stand
Sources
Checked October 31, 2026.
- 8 CFR 214.6, Citizens of Canada or Mexico under USMCA, ecfr.gov (read Oct 31, 2026)
- TN USMCA Professionals, uscis.gov (updated Jun 4, 2025, read Oct 31, 2026)
- 8 CFR 214.1(l), grace periods, ecfr.gov (read Oct 31, 2026)
- 8 CFR 274a.12(b)(20), the 240-day rule for timely extensions, ecfr.gov (read Oct 31, 2026)
- 8 CFR 103.7(d)(11), the $50 TN request fee, ecfr.gov (read Oct 31, 2026)
- Certain DHS Immigration-Related Fees Required by HR-1: FY 2027 Adjustments (land border I-94 fee), federalregister.gov (Oct 1, 2026)
- Form G-1055, Fee Schedule, edition 10/26/26, uscis.gov (read Oct 31, 2026)
- Form G-1055, Fee Schedule, edition 10/26/26, the PDF with every fee line, uscis.gov (read Oct 31, 2026)
- 22 CFR 22.1, Schedule of fees for consular services, ecfr.gov (read Oct 31, 2026)
This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with the U.S. government or the Department of State.
