A TN file should describe the actual U.S. professional employment and keep other planned activities visible. Continuing Canadian business responsibilities do not automatically become permissible U.S. work because the payer or customer is in Canada. Use this guide as a decision tool for the TN document decision, not as a checklist that supplies a conclusion by itself. Start with a dated table of the parties, ownership or family links, proposed activity, money, locations, and the document supporting each item. The first review should produce a timeline, a list of unresolved assumptions, and a short statement of the decision the reader must make before taking the next step. Hypothetical example: a coastal-engineering technician has a detailed U.S. offer but also intends to invoice Canadian consulting clients from the same hotel room. The reader must decide whether the presently documented arrangement fits the selected route, or whether the facts point to a different route or a pause for more evidence. Place original records before summaries, identify who had authority to make each commitment, and separate completed transactions from future plans. TN is limited to a citizen of Canada or Mexico who has prearranged duties in a listed profession and meets that profession's rule. A Canadian can request admission during inspection or preclearance; an employer can also use an I-129 petition with USCIS. Neither procedure authorizes U.S. self-employment. A favourable label, a letter of intent, or a commercial deadline cannot replace the condition that governs the route. Recheck the analysis when any material fact changes. Keep a decision memo identifying the last verified fact, the next required record, and the event that would require the reader to stop and reassess.
Map the activities and physical locations
Hypothetical example: the applicant has a U.S. professional offer and intends to continue Canadian client management remotely. Identify each activity, employer or business and intended location. Do not present the professional offer as the entire plan if other work is contemplated while physically in the United States. Make the reader choose between the records that prove the present fact and the materials that merely predict a later event.
Assess the profession and qualifications precisely
Identify the listed TN profession, actual duties and exact credential requirements, including permitted alternatives. Eligible Canadian or Mexican citizenship is required; Canadian permanent residence does not replace it. Ownership or business success is not a universal substitute for qualifications. Foreign ownership alone is not a blanket disqualification, but TN does not authorize general U.S. self-employment. Where two explanations compete, preserve the document created closest to the event and explain the discrepancy rather than smoothing it over.
Review the complete arrangement before relying on it
Provide current employer and relevant ownership or contract records. Resolve inconsistencies rather than removing material activities from the account. Have the actual proposed work and any material change assessed through the appropriate process; a signed offer or Canadian invoice does not establish present U.S. work permission. Before acting, state the concrete decision, the missing condition, and the next record needed to resolve it.
What else is on your mind?
Is a matching job title enough for TN?Can years of experience replace a degree for TN?Can my own U.S. company employ me under TN?Can my spouse work if I hold TN status?Editorial source review: 2026-09-07. General preparation guidance, not an individual assessment.