TN Visa First Timer

[kiranus]

Good morning guys..

Iam a Canadian citizen and i want to apply for Testing Related (software testing ,QA(quality Assurance) Automation Testing) jobs in USA .but by reading this forum i came to know that there are rejections due to mismatch between degree and job duties .. Coming to my specific case .
1)I have done my Bachelor of Commerce BCOM ( 3 years in INDIA)
2)Then i have done Masters of Computer Applications (3 years Course in INDIA)
3)Then i worked in INDIA as a Software engineer for 8-9 years then moved to CANADA in 2016 as a PR and now iam a CANIDIAN citizen..i worked in CANADA as a IT contractor.. but more than half the time i was idling at home (due to lack of opportunities in my specific Field)

Now i want to explore the other side of the border in terms of Jobs .but i have the below concerns

1)Going by the occupation list do you think that my Masters of Computer Applications (MCA) would be qualified as a supporting degree for Testing related jobs under CSA(Computer System Analyst).. Below is the extract from NAFTA it says

"Post Secondary Diploma" means a credential issued, on completion of two or more years of post secondary education, by an accredited academic institution in Canada or the United States. ( My issue here is i didnt do my masters in USA or CANADA so how do i overcome this)

2)would my job Profile (software testing ,QA(quality Assurance) Automation Testing) fall under CSA(Computer Systems Analyst) Category..

3)My wife is also a Canadian Citizen(Indian Born) she has done her Mechanical Engineering in INDIA (its called BTECH-- Bachelor of Technology) .but she has been working as a software engineer all her life ..So would that Degree (Mechanical Engineering) Stop her from getting a TN visa her profile is similar to mine.

4)in case i get a Job (contract) and its over after 6 months ..What would be my status? can i stay in US for 2 months after the contract is done Till i Find another Job (2 months is the worst case scenario)..and should i come back to the border again for TN visa stamping because there is a change in the client?

Regards

 

[nelsona]

1. As you realize, your experience means nothing for getting Tn, since you do not have a North American post-secondary diploma (that is NOT a degree), so forget that. Your masters DEGREE in Computer Applications should be sufficient however.

2. Hell if I know. You need to compare that job description with how the department of labor OOS handbook describes a CSA. That goes in the letter from your sponsor

3. Your spouse cab get a TN in an engineering position, not the job you describe.

4. Grace period only applies if there is still validity period on your I-94. Obviously, a new sponsor would require new TN application.

 

[kiranus]

Thanks @nelsona

 

[grant2]

now iam a CANIDIAN citizen

good, you need that for a TN.

1)Going by the occupation list do you think that my Masters of Computer Applications (MCA) would be qualified as a supporting degree for Testing related jobs under CSA(Computer System Analyst).. Below is the extract from NAFTA it says

"Post Secondary Diploma" means a credential issued, on completion of two or more years of post secondary education, by an accredited academic institution in Canada or the United States. ( My issue here is i didnt do my masters in USA or CANADA so how do i overcome this)

I have heard that it's possible to have a foreign degree evaluated as having a Canada/USA equivalency. I don't have info about that. But if I were to use such a service, I would pick a service based in the USA & make sure they're experience doing evaluations for TN-related applications.

2)would my job Profile (software testing ,QA(quality Assurance) Automation Testing) fall under CSA(Computer Systems Analyst) Category..

Software QA positions are an excellent match for the CSA category. In fact, "Software quality assurance (QA) analysts" is 1 of 2 examples listed in the CSA section of the Occupational Outlook Handbook.

You have to understand, however: the job title doesn't matter very much. What matters much more is the job duties.

3)My wife is also a Canadian Citizen(Indian Born) she has done her Mechanical Engineering in INDIA (its called BTECH-- Bachelor of Technology) .but she has been working as a software engineer all her life ..So would that Degree (Mechanical Engineering) Stop her from getting a TN visa her profile is similar to mine.

Software Engineers does not align very strongly with Computer Systems Analyst. It's not uncommon for developers, programmers, and software engineers to have their TN applications refused for that reason.

I suggest your wife sticks to QA related roles if she is willing to work in that area.

Whether a degree qualifies or not to fulfill the credentials requirement is ultimately up to the officer looking at your application. If the name of the degree doesn't have "computer" in it, then expect to, at best, have to demonstrate how the coursework was predominantly related to Computer Systems.

Combining a non-computer degree with a foreign degree sounds like a tough hill to climb, anything is possible but I wouldn't rate the chance of success as very high.

4)in case i get a Job (contract) and its over after 6 months ..What would be my status? can i stay in US for 2 months after the contract is done Till i Find another Job (2 months is the worst case scenario)..and should i come back to the border again for TN visa stamping because there is a change in the client?

Once your employment with the named employer ends, you are required to leave the USA within 30 days.

Every time you find work with a new employer, or if your old TN expires and you wish to continue working with the same employer, you must return to the border and make a brand new application.

There is no "renewal" or "extension" or "employer switch" process for TN permits.

 

[nelsona]

Of course, if one applies to EXTEND or RENEW or CHANGE EMPLOYER there TN by mail (form I-129), one does not need to go to the border. So those options obviously exist.