TN Visa Checklist

M

Mekko

New Member
Hi folks, this is my first time applying for a TN-1 visa. I am planning to enter through YYZ port of entry. I have seen many websites wording their checklist for TN-1 visa differently so that left me a little confused about what I need to provide for my petition. I am applying as an Engineer in the NAFTA category (Mechanical Engineer is the position). I would appreciate if it, if someone could clarify a few things for me;

1) I have seen online that CBP officers during the interview may demand to see the financial information of the company? Is that necessary and has anyone done an interview without providing the finances of their company?

2) I have a TN-1 Support letter from the employer which is addressed to the CBP. Do I need to provide the CBP with the original signed letter or will a copy be adequate?

3) Do I need to show the CBP an employment contract? My employment contract is a split of a couple of documents, but the main summary of it mirrors the TN-1 support letter which includes, detailed job description, internal job position, compensation, duration of work to complement the NAFTA regulation, and benefits.

4) Do I need to complete a DS-160 Electronic Non-immigrant Visa Form for TN-1 status (for Canadians)? If not, do I need to print out any specific form for the interview?

Thanks
 
1. They did not asked anything about the company to me during the application but the company I work for is a public company with a market cap of 20 billion USD and around 9 thousand employees. My opinion is that if the company does not sound legitimit to the officer then he may question about the details of the company.

2. You need to provide the originial signed letter. Which the officer will keep.

3. No you don't need to provide the employment contract. At least they did not ask for it in my application and I have not heard or read that it is asked from other people either.

4. Canadians normally do not require a visa application so assuming your case is also a normal case, you don't need to complete DS-160 (if you need to then you should be visiting a consulate first for the visa application and give DS 160 to there). You don't need to fill an application for TN. Just prepare your documents, make a copy of all of them including your passport. Present them to the CBP officer and he makes a decision about it and fill the necessary information in his computer. You need to make a payment of 50 USD if applying in an airport of entry. That is it.

Let me explain the process in the airport as well. You go to the airline counter, checkin your luggage and get your boarding pass to the US. Follow the arrows to your gate just as you are flying to the US. You need to pass through security etc. and reach to the passport control point. The CBP officer there would ask you, why are you going to US etc just as you were visiting the US as a tourist. If you tell them that you are just visitor he would set your status in the US as B1 or tourist and let you in and you can go to your gate, so you need to tell him/her at that point that you would like to make a TN application. In that case the officer will take your passport and boarding pass and accompany you to the inner office where you will make your TN application. If there is no line then you may immediately see a CBP officer, otherwise you will need to sit in a waiting area, where there are other people waiting for different issues related to entering the US. Once there is an available officer they will call your name and will get your documents. If your case is approved without problems you would be admitted to the US in less than 20 minutes after talking to the second officer and will be able to go to your gate and wait for your flight.
 
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Thanks aseke for the informative process.

1) My company isn't that big. Around 100 employees. I have asked the company for a brief financial summary just in case the CBP officers asks.

2) My employer left the TN-1 support letter occupation as "Engineer" since it is the NAFTA occupation, rather than "Mechanical Engineer." I reckon that is fine right?

I am going next week to the POE to apply. Will update you if it works.
 
Personally, I think you'll be fine. You're an engineer doing engineer type work with an engineering degree. Just make sure to dot all i's and cross the t's. Make sure your degree is evaluated/ translated etc
 
Mekko said:
Thanks aseke for the informative process.

1) My company isn't that big. Around 100 employees. I have asked the company for a brief financial summary just in case the CBP officers asks.

2) My employer left the TN-1 support letter occupation as "Engineer" since it is the NAFTA occupation, rather than "Mechanical Engineer." I reckon that is fine right?

I am going next week to the POE to apply. Will update you if it works.
Click to expand...

Important thing is not the internal job title but the NAFTA category and the description of the job being done. Different companies may name same position differently. However whether a set of job description falls into a job category given a guideline from US BLS is more objective. So internal job title should not mean anything to the CBP officer as long as the job description is clear enough.

In your case it sounds like everyhing is ok. Don't worry about it. Just go and make your application. Even if there occurs a problem you can be able to solve it quickly if it is not a fundamental issue like you don't have the necessary qualifications in the job category you are applying for. Even for degree evaluation it is possible to do it in a few days with rush service.

What I am trying to say is that, this is not a random process. There are rules and regulations governing this process. There may always be random factors involved as everything else in life but if your application sits on solid ground it is possible to overcome such hurdles. Say the CBP officer you are dealing with don't like in his personal life immigrants, tall people, blond people, asians etc., or he had a big fight with his wife that morning, if your application is solid what can he do? He can pick on the next guy with an application with holes in it. Say you are the guy with holes in his application, he needs to tell you why he is rejecting and you can go fix those problems and come back again and approved.

So as long as the basis of the application is solid don't worry too much about this word or that word in the letter or whether your company is big enough etc. They can just ask for more information in the worst case, not reject because your company is not big enough. Do your best but then stop worrying.
 
Hello Mister said:
Personally, I think you'll be fine. You're an engineer doing engineer type work with an engineering degree. Just make sure to dot all i's and cross the t's. Make sure your degree is evaluated/ translated etc
Click to expand...

I hope so. I am making sure I have everything prepared for a strong petition.

aseke said:
Important thing is not the internal job title but the NAFTA category and the description of the job being done. Different companies may name same position differently. However whether a set of job description falls into a job category given a guideline from US BLS is more objective. So internal job title should not mean anything to the CBP officer as long as the job description is clear enough.

In your case it sounds like everyhing is ok. Don't worry about it. Just go and make your application. Even if there occurs a problem you can be able to solve it quickly if it is not a fundamental issue like you don't have the necessary qualifications in the job category you are applying for. Even for degree evaluation it is possible to do it in a few days with rush service.

What I am trying to say is that, this is not a random process. There are rules and regulations governing this process. There may always be random factors involved as everything else in life but if your application sits on solid ground it is possible to overcome such hurdles. Say the CBP officer you are dealing with don't like in his personal life immigrants, tall people, blond people, asians etc., or he had a big fight with his wife that morning, if your application is solid what can he do? He can pick on the next guy with an application with holes in it. Say you are the guy with holes in his application, he needs to tell you why he is rejecting and you can go fix those problems and come back again and approved.

So as long as the basis of the application is solid don't worry too much about this word or that word in the letter or whether your company is big enough etc. They can just ask for more information in the worst case, not reject because your company is not big enough. Do your best but then stop worrying.
Click to expand...

You give me the much needed optimism, even if I fail on the first try. Thanks for the useful info. I will let you know when I get the visa. :)
 
"Let me explain the process in the airport as well. You go to the airline counter, checkin your luggage and get your boarding pass to the US. Follow the arrows to your gate just as you are flying to the US. You need to pass through security etc. and reach to the passport control point. The CBP officer there would ask you, why are you going to US etc just as you were visiting the US as a tourist. If you tell them that you are just visitor he would set your status in the US as B1 or tourist and let you in and you can go to your gate, so you need to tell him/her at that point that you would like to make a TN application. In that case the officer will take your passport and boarding pass and accompany you to the inner office where you will make your TN application. If there is no line then you may immediately see a CBP officer, otherwise you will need to sit in a waiting area, where there are other people waiting for different issues related to entering the US. Once there is an available officer they will call your name and will get your documents. If your case is approved without problems you would be admitted to the US in less than 20 minutes after talking to the second officer and will be able to go to your gate and wait for your flight. "
Click to expand...

Is it that simple? Wow. I thought it would be harder.

As for the Job category, how would one know if the job being offered (more often than not, based on the job title right), matches the requirement of TN visa?
 
well, it's easy if all your paperwork is in order. Otherwise, it is an easy fail.

As was already stated, the TN letter is supposed to indicate your duties, and these should match the category that is being requested. They have the definitions of what constitutes work in each category. the internal job title you have is meaningless.
 
Sorry folks for the extremely late reply. I was able to obtain TN status a week ago. I was initially refused entry for incomplete documentation. I had the original degree certificate for my bachelors degree but lost the one for my masters degree. I took a copy of the masters degree and they didn't accept it. Although it not a requirement to have a masters degree for the "Engineer" occupation, they wanted to see the original. I had to apply for a replacement degree certificate from the University and 14 days later applied again for the TN status.

Thank you aseke for your help. Everything else checked out. I had a strong petition the second time up. It left the CBP officers confused as to why I didn't get my TN status on the first go.

A reminder to any one applying for TN Visa: If you have a foreign degree, get your degree evaluated by a NACES accredited organization. Original transcripts (CBP won't accept copies). In other words, anything you get, must be original (transcripts, evals, degrees, TN support letter).
 
Just to clarify, a Mexican bach degree (like a Cdn degree) does not have to be evaluated, that is part of the trade agreement. It may need translation, but not evaluation. and your master's was not needed.
 
Hi folks. Its a long shot but I hope i get an answer before sunday. I have a Masters in Petroleum Engineering from Canada but I have more than 5 years experience in IT as a System Analyst. I have got a job in Google as a System Analyst. I have CISCO certifications as well. Its a great opportunity and i don't want to miss it.
1.Any idea if my degree being in Petroleum Engineering and my job in IT would conflict or something?
2.Please advise if anyone has any ideas. I have job letter and everything. Its just the degree that I am worried about.
3. finally any idea as to what kind of questions should i be expecting?

Thank you all in advance
 
Sorry, I am on this late, might have been able to help.
With a proper application and all correct documentation, I was refused at YYZ, have never been refused at Peace Bridge, many renewals.
Not sure what their problem is, and not sure how common this is, but curious if we took a poll. Is there an issue at YYZ?
 
Mekko said:
Sorry folks for the extremely late reply. I was able to obtain TN status a week ago. I was initially refused entry for incomplete documentation. I had the original degree certificate for my bachelors degree but lost the one for my masters degree. I took a copy of the masters degree and they didn't accept it. Although it not a requirement to have a masters degree for the "Engineer" occupation, they wanted to see the original. I had to apply for a replacement degree certificate from the University and 14 days later applied again for the TN status.

Thank you aseke for your help. Everything else checked out. I had a strong petition the second time up. It left the CBP officers confused as to why I didn't get my TN status on the first go.

A reminder to any one applying for TN Visa: If you have a foreign degree, get your degree evaluated by a NACES accredited organization. Original transcripts (CBP won't accept copies). In other words, anything you get, must be original (transcripts, evals, degrees, TN support letter).
Click to expand...


original transcripts, evals, degrees???? Laywers usually dont give original evals tho
 
Mekko said:
Sorry folks for the extremely late reply. I was able to obtain TN status a week ago. I was initially refused entry for incomplete documentation. I had the original degree certificate for my bachelors degree but lost the one for my masters degree. I took a copy of the masters degree and they didn't accept it. Although it not a requirement to have a masters degree for the "Engineer" occupation, they wanted to see the original. I had to apply for a replacement degree certificate from the University and 14 days later applied again for the TN status.

Thank you aseke for your help. Everything else checked out. I had a strong petition the second time up. It left the CBP officers confused as to why I didn't get my TN status on the first go.

A reminder to any one applying for TN Visa: If you have a foreign degree, get your degree evaluated by a NACES accredited organization. Original transcripts (CBP won't accept copies). In other words, anything you get, must be original (transcripts, evals, degrees, TN support letter).
Click to expand...
Do we need the transcripts of the degree certificates or original copy or consolidated mark sheet ?
 
Mekko said:
Sorry folks for the extremely late reply. I was able to obtain TN status a week ago. I was initially refused entry for incomplete documentation. I had the original degree certificate for my bachelors degree but lost the one for my masters degree. I took a copy of the masters degree and they didn't accept it. Although it not a requirement to have a masters degree for the "Engineer" occupation, they wanted to see the original. I had to apply for a replacement degree certificate from the University and 14 days later applied again for the TN status.

Thank you aseke for your help. Everything else checked out. I had a strong petition the second time up. It left the CBP officers confused as to why I didn't get my TN status on the first go.

A reminder to any one applying for TN Visa: If you have a foreign degree, get your degree evaluated by a NACES accredited organization. Original transcripts (CBP won't accept copies). In other words, anything you get, must be original (transcripts, evals, degrees, TN support letter).
Click to expand...
What if you don't have the original transcript? My universities issue mark sheets (statements of marks for each subject per semester), but transcripts are only provided by the college independently and must be verified by the university. The university does not issue transcripts. (i.e. Mark sheets and degrees bear the university's name as the issuer, whereas transcripts display the college's name with a note indicating affiliation with a specific university.) Do we still need to provide transcripts, or are original mark sheets the preferred option?
 
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