Job offers eligible for TN visa

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Serena074

New Member
Hi everyone,

I have two questions about TN visa. Would appreciate your feedback / experiences on them.

1. I am Canadian, and have been applying to US companies to gain US experience in the Computer Systems Analyst field. I have the right qualifications, and have never had issues finding my next job in Canada, but after applying to more than 80 positions in the US and stating that I am eligible for TN visa, I got zero interview invites. It seems like the companies don't want to go through the hassle. Have others experiences similar issues recently? Or perhaps I am doing it wrong, and there is a better way/process to successfully get a job offer that enables to get TN visa? My understanding is that TN is not only for intra-company transfers but also for new jobs, correct? Any suggestion would be appreciated.

2. Do you know whether TN visas are still being issued normally these months? I read that there are much more RFE's and that the process takes longer, but am interested whether most applicants still get it, specifically in the Computer Systems Analyst category.

Thanks in advance for all your insights.
 
1. of course TN visas are for new jobs. in 2015 when i applied for my job in US i just put "eligible for TN status" on my resume and cover letter. this was a large multi-national corporation and the HR department was very familiar with H1B, TN, L1, L2, OPT, etc.
have you tried the website "myvisajobs.com" ? this website is using the public DOL data from the H1B and PERM LC filing. it does not show any TN employers because TN do not file LC with the DOL. but if they employ H1B and sponsor GC, they will be familiar with TN status.

2. yes, TN status are being issued normally. they are trying to crack down on fraud and abuse, so sometimes you can get an RFE.
When Obama was in office, there was a lot of RFEs for some time as well (mostly H1b), so it is not just this current administration. if you have a solid resume, education and meet the requirements of TN status, and your skills are in demand, you should be fine. there may be some employers who will avoid hiring immigrants on visas, but there are still a lot of employers out there who need the experienced employees with special skills.

i would focus on employers who have hired H1B's in the past, as they are likely to hire you on TN status.

but be prepared to live with uncertainty as the current environment is threatening to cancel NAFTA. no one knows what will happen to people on TN status, but i suspect common sense will prevail.
 
If you have friends in the US , provide a local phone number and see if they can forward the call to you. It is easy to find mid-level jobs in the US , than in Canada as the economy is much bigger and the number of companies are also greater in number. If you are trying to get into core areas, like embedded systems, algo based work etc. you will stand a good chance if you can prove that you are a good fit. For regular IT, Java/.NET positions you will have to find a consulting firm and go through them, the pays are usually low, the work is not that exciting, but they might apply for your green card.
 
My 2 cents are:
1) you are not getting interviews/offers because lack of experience, you dont come to the US to "gain experience" they need people that are already experts in the field.
2) focus on IT service providers (hcl, tata, wipro etc.) rather than the direct companies. They know the process very well.
3) maybe you are asking too much $?
 
Serena074 said:
1. I am Canadian, and have been applying to US companies to gain US experience in the Computer Systems Analyst field. I have the right qualifications, and have never had issues finding my next job in Canada, but after applying to more than 80 positions in the US and stating that I am eligible for TN visa, I got zero interview invites. It seems like the companies don't want to go through the hassle. Have others experiences similar issues recently? Or perhaps I am doing it wrong, and there is a better way/process to successfully get a job offer that enables to get TN visa? My understanding is that TN is not only for intra-company transfers but also for new jobs, correct? Any suggestion would be appreciated.

2. Do you know whether TN visas are still being issued normally these months? I read that there are much more RFE's and that the process takes longer, but am interested whether most applicants still get it, specifically in the Computer Systems Analyst category.

Thanks in advance for all your insights.
Click to expand...

1a. I do not disclose my citizenship until asked, or until I have been extended an offer.

1b. 80 applications with not even a phone interview seems unusually low, especially in today's market. You may be screening yourself out of interviews in another way besides your status.

2a. There are not RFEs for TN applications at the border. There's almost never any reason for you to NOT apply at the border.

2b. Don't know what you mean by "issued normally". Every application is unique, and every crossing point has their process, and every agent has their own interpretations... but that's always been the normal for TNs.

2c. Applicants with legitimate applications are still getting TN permits. Applicants without are still getting denied.

Something to think about... are you truly applying for Computer Systems Analyst positions? Or are you applying for Programmer/Developer/Engineer positions? The latter are NOT eligible for TN visas, and trying to shoehorn them in is playing with fire. Border agents have had decades to get wise to people trying to mislead them on this.
 
If you got zero phone interviews, then you need to polish your resume. Make it more structured, for example. If you had phone interviews but zero on-site interviews, then you need to polish your skills.
 
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