Skip to content
WE LIVE IN USA
RaccoMy list
All guides ＋
My products
WEWELIVEINUSAVisa
Menu
中文

Explore visasI-129 / at the port of entryFull guide

TN / TDUSMCA professional (Canada and Mexico)

For Canadian and Mexican citizens coming to the U.S. temporarily to work in a profession listed in the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

At a glance

How you apply
Canadian citizens outside the U.S.: no visa needed; apply at a designated U.S. port of entry or pre-clearance station, or have the employer file Form I-129 first. Mexican citizens outside the U.S.: get a TN visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate in Mexico, then apply for admission
Checked Oct 18, 2026[1]
How long you can stay
Up to 3 years per admission or extension; no specific limit on total time in TN while you keep doing professional-level TN work for a U.S. employer or entity and otherwise maintain status
Checked Oct 18, 2026[1,2]
Can family come
Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 may get TD status, for no longer than your TN period. They may study, but may not work unless otherwise authorized under immigration law
Checked Oct 18, 2026[1,2]
Can you work
Yes, but only in the prearranged professional job for the employer(s) you were admitted or approved for. A new or added employer needs approval first, and TN does not allow self-employment
Checked Oct 18, 2026[2,3]
Main fees
Form I-129 (TN) filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS): $1,015 paper / $965 online ($510 for small employers and nonprofits), plus the Asylum Program Fee; optional premium processing $2,965
Checked Oct 18, 2026[4,5]

What TN is

TN lets citizens of Canada and Mexico work in the United States temporarily, in prearranged, professional-level business activities for U.S. or foreign employers. It comes from the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and entered into force on July 1, 2020.[1,7]

The official classification symbols are TN for the USMCA professional and TD for the professional's spouse or child. TN is a stand-alone category and is not the same as H-1B.[7,8]

Who qualifies

USCIS says you may be eligible if:

  • You are a citizen of Canada or Mexico.[1]
  • Your profession is on the USMCA list of professions.[1]
  • The position in the United States requires a USMCA professional.[1]
  • You will work in a prearranged full-time or part-time job for a U.S. employer or entity.[1]
  • You have the qualifications to practice that profession.[1]

The professions are listed in Appendix 2 to Annex 16-A of Chapter 16 of the USMCA, which 8 CFR 214.6(c) reprints with a minimum requirement for each. Examples: Engineer needs a bachelor's degree (baccalaureate or licenciatura) or a state/provincial license; Computer Systems Analyst needs a bachelor's degree, or else three years of experience plus either a Post-Secondary Diploma issued by an accredited academic institution in Canada or the United States, or a Post-Secondary Certificate issued by the government of Mexico or a Mexican state, or by an academic institution recognized or created by them (both require two or more years of post-secondary education); Physician qualifies for teaching or research only.[2]

Where a profession requires a bachelor's degree, experience cannot replace it. The officer looks at the actual duties, not the job title: an offer letter that says "computer system analyst" for work that really is data entry or computer programming does not qualify, because neither is a listed profession.[7]

Documents

The list below follows 8 CFR 214.6(d)(3), which covers a TN visa application at a consulate and, for Canadians, an application at a port of entry. Form I-129 asks for similar evidence.

  • Proof of citizenship. A Mexican citizen shows a valid passport. A Canadian citizen must establish Canadian citizenship; check the website of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for the documents currently required to apply for admission.[1,2]
  • A letter from the U.S. employer (or from the foreign employer) that states your profession on the USMCA list, describes the professional activities (with a brief summary of daily duties, if appropriate), the anticipated length of stay, your educational qualifications or credentials, and the pay arrangements.[2]
  • Diplomas, degrees or professional membership that back up the letter. A degree from a school outside Canada, Mexico and the United States (for example, a degree earned in Taiwan) must come with an evaluation from a reliable credentials evaluation service. Experience is normally shown with letters from former employers.[2,7]

How to apply: Canadians and Mexicans differ

Canadian citizens

  • If you live outside the U.S., you do not need a TN visa. You can apply for TN status when you seek admission, by presenting the documents to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer at certain CBP-designated ports of entry or at a designated pre-clearance/pre-flight inspection station.[1]
  • Alternatively, the employer may first file Form I-129 with USCIS, where premium processing is available. After approval, you show proof of Canadian citizenship and the USCIS approval notice at a designated port of entry or pre-clearance station. You should also carry a copy of the Form I-129 and all supporting documents submitted to USCIS, and be prepared to pay any applicable inspection fees.[1]
  • A TN or TD visa for a Canadian is rare but sometimes needed: for example, a Canadian without TN status who lives in a third country and plans to enter together with a non-Canadian spouse or children needs a TN visa so the family can get TD visas.[7]

Mexican citizens

  • If you live outside the U.S., you must get a TN visa, applying directly at a U.S. embassy or consulate in Mexico. The visa's validity follows the reciprocity schedule.[1,7]
  • With the visa, you apply for admission at a port of entry, a U.S. airport handling international traffic or a pre-clearance/pre-flight station, showing a valid passport and the valid TN visa. A CBP officer decides whether to admit you as a TN.[1,2]

How long you can stay

Each TN admission is for up to 3 years. To stay longer without leaving, your U.S. employer (or a U.S. entity, if your employer is foreign) files Form I-129 with USCIS while you are maintaining valid TN status and are physically in the United States; USCIS can approve an extension of up to 3 years. The filing should include evidence such as a letter describing your continuing employment, and proof of any license the profession or state requires.[2,9]

Instead of filing an extension, you can leave and apply at a port of entry for a new 3-year admission before your current admission period ends, if you have not violated your TN status. You need a new employer letter that meets the same documentation rules, plus the fee; Mexican citizens also need a valid passport and a valid, unexpired TN visa.[1,2]

There is no specific limit on the total time you may hold TN status, as long as you keep doing professional-level TN work for a U.S. employer or entity and otherwise maintain status. The State Department notes that repeated renewals leading to a long stay may still be temporary if there is no immediate intent to immigrate.[2,7]

If your employer files the extension on time and your authorized stay then expires while it is pending, you may keep working for the same employer for up to 240 days from the expiration date, under the same conditions as before. If USCIS denies the extension within those 240 days, this permission ends when you are notified of the denial.[3]

If your TN job ends, you are not treated as out of status for that reason alone for up to 60 consecutive days or until your authorized validity period ends, whichever is shorter, once during each authorized validity period. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may shorten or eliminate this period, and you may not work during it unless otherwise authorized.[10]

When you are admitted in TN, you and your dependents may also be given up to 10 days before your validity period begins and up to 10 days after it ends. Unless 8 CFR 274a.12 otherwise allows it, you may not work outside the validity period.[10]

Changing or adding employers

To change or add a U.S. employer during your admission period, the new employer files Form I-129 with a letter describing the services, the time needed and the pay. You may not start working for the new or additional employer until the request is approved. You may instead apply for readmission at the border with documents from the new employer, and Mexican citizens may present them to a consular officer for a new TN visa.[2]

You may work part-time, and for more than one employer at the same time; one TN visa can list more than one employer. If the same employer moves you to another branch or office to do the same work, nothing needs to be filed. A move to a separately incorporated subsidiary or affiliate is treated like a change of employer.[2,7]

Spouse and children (TD)

Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 who come with you or join you later may get TD status, for no longer than your TN period. They may study, but may not accept employment unless otherwise authorized under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). To extend or change to TD status inside the U.S., they file the appropriate form (generally Form I-539) with the fee and proof of your current TN status.[1,2,9]

Family members who are not Canadian or Mexican citizens (for example, a Taiwanese spouse) can get TD visas in their own passports, and need a valid TD visa unless exempt. The number of entries, fee and validity follow the reciprocity schedule of the TN principal's country, except for family members of Iranian, Iraqi or Libyan nationality who hold refugee or permanent resident status in Canada or Mexico: they may only get a single-entry visa valid for 3 months.[2,7]

Fees

USCIS fees from Form G-1055, edition 10/07/26, and 8 CFR 106.1, 106.2 and 106.4. Check the current schedule before paying.
ItemAmountWhen it applies
Form I-129 (TN)$1,015 paper / $965 onlineRegular petitioner; additional fees apply
Same, small employer or nonprofit$510 paper or onlineSmall employer: 25 or fewer full-time-equivalent employees in the U.S., counting affiliates and subsidiaries
Asylum Program Fee$600 / $300 / $0Added to the Form I-129: regular petitioner / small employer / nonprofit; no online discount
Premium processing (Form I-907)$2,965Optional, for the Form I-129 only; paid in addition to the other fees
Checked Oct 18, 2026[4,5,11,12]

High confidence Mexican citizens applying for a TN visa pay the State Department visa application fee. In 22 CFR 22.1 the fee is $185 for a nonimmigrant visa that is not based on a petition (other than E visas), $205 for H, L, O, P, Q and R visas and $315 for E visas. TN is not in the petition-based list, and a TN applicant outside the U.S. needs no USCIS petition, so the $185 line is the one that fits. A visa issuance (reciprocity) fee may also apply under the reciprocity schedule. Confirm the amounts with the consulate before paying.[9,13]

Canadian citizens applying at a port of entry pay a fee set by regulation when admitted and receive a DHS-issued receipt; check the current amount with CBP before you travel. Under 8 CFR 214.6, no fee is required to admit a TN's spouse and unmarried minor children.[1,2]

Temporary intent and green cards

High confidence TN is for temporary entry, meaning entry without the intent to establish permanent residence: you must satisfy the officer that your work assignment will end at a predictable time and that you will leave when it is done. INA 214(b), the presumption that an applicant intends to immigrate, applies fully to TN visa applicants. The State Department's manual says an intent to immigrate in the future that is in no way connected to the immediate trip need not by itself make the trip non-temporary. How a planned or pending green card case affects your TN depends on the facts; an immigration attorney can apply the rule to yours.[2,7]

Common mistakes

  • Using TN to work for your own company. TN does not allow a business or practice in which you are, in substance, self-employed, including providing services to a company of which you are the sole or controlling owner. The State Department points self-employed applicants to other categories, possibly treaty trader (E-1) or treaty investor (E-2).[2,7]
  • Living in the U.S. while teleworking for a job based abroad, for your own convenience. Telework from a U.S. location is allowed when there is a legitimate business need, but TN eligibility depends on the primary location of the business.[7]
  • Being hired by a staffing agency with no specific job yet. An agency can employ a TN professional only to fill a specific, identified position at a U.S. entity; it cannot hire you in the hope of finding a placement later.[7]

USCIS TN petition data

These figures cover Form I-129 petitions filed with USCIS only, not TN admissions at the border or TN visas issued by consulates.

Official USCIS statistics

Official

Decision approval rate · FY2025

94.8%

Approved 16,345 · Denied 896

▲ 1.6 pts vs. same period a year earlier (FY2024: 93.2%)

TN / TD · Decision approval rate
0%25%50%75%100%2017201920212023202594.8%
TN / TD · Approved / Denied
ApprovedDenied
010k20k20172019202120232025

Approved ÷ (approved + denied) in the same period. Pending cases are not counted. Decisions in a quarter can come from petitions filed earlier, so this is the share of decisions that were approvals — not the chance that a petition filed today will be approved.

Official

Source: Nonimmigrant Worker Petitions by Case Status and Request for Evidence (RFE) (Fiscal Year 2024, Quarter 4) · Published Dec 16, 2024 · Retrieved Sep 27, 2026

Source: Nonimmigrant Worker Petitions by Case Status and Request for Evidence (RFE) (Fiscal Year 2025, Quarter 4) · Published Mar 24, 2026 · Retrieved Sep 27, 2026

Processing time (Form I-129)

This covers USCIS processing of Form I-129 only. Port-of-entry decisions and consular appointment waits are not included.

USCIS published processing time

Official

Median from USCIS's quarterly report

  • I-129 · FY2026 Q3 · all offices9.5 months

    All I-129 categories combined; the report does not split I-129 by category.

Half of the cases USCIS completed in that quarter took this long or less, from receipt to decision. Half took longer. The report does not say whether premium-processing cases are included. It is a different measure from the processing-times tool, so the two are not compared.

For the current figure for your form and office, check USCIS directly: USCIS processing times

Official

Source: All USCIS Application and Petition Form Types (Fiscal Year 2026, Quarter 3) · Retrieved Sep 27, 2026

Recent policy changes

Recent policy changes

Official

Updates

Ask WELIVEINUSA Visa

Ask WELIVEINUSA Visa

Answers come from our sourced database and your own timeline, sorted into fact, public data, inference and unknown. No AI model is used in this version, so questions outside what we cover get an honest "not covered".

Questions people ask

Do I need a U.S. professional license before applying?

Not for TN classification. A U.S. license is a post-entry requirement enforced by the state or other non-federal authority, and admission or classification must not be denied only because you do not yet hold one. Nurses providing health care services also need a certificate from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools or another credentialing service approved by DHS.[7]

Is there a minimum salary, like the H-1B prevailing wage?

There is no prevailing wage requirement for TN, unlike H-1B. The State Department does tell consular officers to verify that the proposed salary is indicative of professional-level employment in the United States.[7]

Can a manager or supervisor qualify?

It can, if the position requires professional-level knowledge of a listed profession. For example, an architect whose main job is to supervise other architects may qualify. A supervisory role that is mainly administrative, such as making sure staff follow company policies, may not meet the TN requirements.[7]

I was a J-1 exchange visitor subject to the two-year home residency rule. Can I still get TN?

That rule does not block TN. The State Department says the two-year home residency requirement of INA 212(e) applies only to immigrant visa applicants and to H and L applicants, so TN applicants and their TD family members who are subject to it are not prohibited from getting visas and entering as USMCA professionals.[7]

Do I need new papers to come back after a trip abroad?

Not if nothing has changed. You may be readmitted in TN for the rest of your authorized period on your Form I-94, without the employer letter, supporting documents or fee, as long as your intended professional activities and employer(s) are the same and the I-94 has not expired.[2]

Related categories

Content last reviewed: Oct 18, 2026 · General information, not legal advice.

Sources

  1. 1.TN USMCA Professionals - USCISUSCIS · Agency page · Checked Oct 18, 2026
  2. 2.8 CFR 214.6eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 18, 2026
  3. 3.8 CFR 274a.12 - Classes of aliens authorized to accept employmenteCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Sep 27, 2026
  4. 4.Fee Schedule (Form G-1055) - USCISUSCIS · Form / instructions · Checked Oct 12, 2026
  5. 5.8 CFR 106.4 - Premium processing serviceeCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Sep 27, 2026
  6. 6.How Do I Request Premium Processing? - USCISUSCIS · Agency page · Checked Sep 27, 2026
  7. 7.9 FAM 402.17 USMCA PROFESSIONALS – TN AND TD VISASU.S. Department of State (Foreign Affairs Manual) · USCIS Policy Manual · Checked Oct 18, 2026
  8. 8.22 CFR 41.12eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 18, 2026
  9. 9.Instructions for Form I-129 (edition 09/09/26)USCIS · Form / instructions · Checked Sep 27, 2026
  10. 10.8 CFR 214.1 - Requirements for admission, extension, and maintenance of statuseCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Sep 27, 2026
  11. 11.8 CFR 106.2 - USCIS feeseCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Sep 27, 2026
  12. 12.8 CFR 106.1 - Fee requirements (definitions)eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 12, 2026
  13. 13.22 CFR 22.1 - Schedule of fees for consular services (Department of State)eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Sep 27, 2026