gingerygirl
New Member
Hi all - I'm a lawyer with a law degree obtained in the US and registered in the state of NJ. I just accepted a job offer as an in-house counsel with a start-up. I'm currently on the TN status as an in-house counsel with a different (and bigger) company. From what I've read on this forum, and based on the relatively straightforward job category I'm applying in (and the fact that I'm a lawyer myself, though not an immigration lawyer), it doesn't seem necessary to engage a lawyer for the support letter. I'm therefore drafting the letter myself based on the letter that my current company drafted for me. I have a few questions:
-- Since this is the first legal hire at a relatively small start-up, the job listing online includes "managing the legal department". I understand that TN does not allow "managerial duties". There's only me in the legal team for now, and they won't be hiring in the foreseeable future, so there's really no one to "manage". To avoid any unnecessary confusions, should I ask my employer to remove the listing?
-- I'm hired by the US subsidiary of a foreign company. The US team is relatively small, and there's no manager/CEO for the US side yet. My immediate supervisor is located abroad in the foreign headquarter. Should he sign the support letter, or should someone with signatory authority for the US entity sign the letter (even thought he leads a different/unrelated department)?
-- Does the company size matter for the TN application? This is a respectable start-up funded by some big names, but the US subsidiary has just been established recently.
-- I don't have my original undergrad diploma with me - it's at home in Canada. The TN requirement for "lawyer" requires either a JD or bar membership, both of which I have, and I have the original diploma to show as proof. Do I still need to request an original undergrad diploma (a lengthy complicated process)? I have never been asked to show that, but I read somewhere on the forum that he/she was asked to show undergrad diploma even though it's not required under TN.
Sorry about the many questions - thank you so much!!
-- Since this is the first legal hire at a relatively small start-up, the job listing online includes "managing the legal department". I understand that TN does not allow "managerial duties". There's only me in the legal team for now, and they won't be hiring in the foreseeable future, so there's really no one to "manage". To avoid any unnecessary confusions, should I ask my employer to remove the listing?
-- I'm hired by the US subsidiary of a foreign company. The US team is relatively small, and there's no manager/CEO for the US side yet. My immediate supervisor is located abroad in the foreign headquarter. Should he sign the support letter, or should someone with signatory authority for the US entity sign the letter (even thought he leads a different/unrelated department)?
-- Does the company size matter for the TN application? This is a respectable start-up funded by some big names, but the US subsidiary has just been established recently.
-- I don't have my original undergrad diploma with me - it's at home in Canada. The TN requirement for "lawyer" requires either a JD or bar membership, both of which I have, and I have the original diploma to show as proof. Do I still need to request an original undergrad diploma (a lengthy complicated process)? I have never been asked to show that, but I read somewhere on the forum that he/she was asked to show undergrad diploma even though it's not required under TN.
Sorry about the many questions - thank you so much!!