TN Renewal received but...

belld001

Registered Users (C)
Hi, I just received my TN Visa renewal. The letter is labelled "Notice of Action", and in the letter it said that my petition and extension of stay have been approved. There are two slips attached to it, one said "Receipt" and one said "I-94 Departure Record". I was really happy when I received it, but at the end of the letter it stated something like this form is not a visa, does not grant immigration status...blah blah blah.

So what does this mean? Do I still have to visit the immigration office and get a "real" TN Visa when I return next time? Or do I only have to attach the I-94 slip to my passport and I am done? It is a bit confusing...

Also, I am thinking of bring my wife over to the States and attend a class. She is a Canadian citizen. Does she need some kind of visa too? Some one told me that she only needs to show her marriage certifcate.

Thank you all. This is a great forum.
 
As a Canadian citizen you don't need a visa.
All you need is to attach the I-94 to your passport.
As for you wife she will have to apply for TN dependent status (TD).
Of course you need proof of marriage and a valid passport. She will have to apply at the port of Entry. Your presence is required. You may want to bring all your documents (Diploma, job offer, etc...) just in case. :rolleyes:

This opinion is based on personal experience.

Good luck.

belld001 said:
Hi, I just received my TN Visa renewal. The letter is labelled "Notice of Action", and in the letter it said that my petition and extension of stay have been approved. There are two slips attached to it, one said "Receipt" and one said "I-94 Departure Record". I was really happy when I received it, but at the end of the letter it stated something like this form is not a visa, does not grant immigration status...blah blah blah.

So what does this mean? Do I still have to visit the immigration office and get a "real" TN Visa when I return next time? Or do I only have to attach the I-94 slip to my passport and I am done? It is a bit confusing...

Also, I am thinking of bring my wife over to the States and attend a class. She is a Canadian citizen. Does she need some kind of visa too? Some one told me that she only needs to show her marriage certifcate.

Thank you all. This is a great forum.
 
Yep there are many misconceptions about the TN Status. As just mentioned, it is not a visa, it's a status (a temp one at that). So when people say TN Visa, it's contradictory and if you say that to a border guard, you may have a little confrontation sometimes like I had once early on in my old TN years.

Another one is "renewal" which doesn't exist either. You never renew a TN Status, you always apply for a new one. Once again, some INS people get kind of pissy when you use the wrong terms as they can think you don't even know what you're trying to apply for and haven't even researched it.

One of the worst is to say at an airport (like I did once), I'm here to renew my TN Visa. That was a big mistake and it held me up for a little while with interrogations. So always make sure you know what it is you're using to eliminate problems later one...
 
warlord said:
Another one is "renewal" which doesn't exist either. You never renew a TN Status, you always apply for a new one.

At the border, this is correct. When doing a mail-in, you are extending existing TN status.
 
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