Read it.
Use it.
Focused guides for the questions that need more than a quick answer. Each includes a worksheet to prepare your next conversation.
Guides for your next decision.
Build a TN employer evidence brief before drafting the letter
Read & prepare Applicant planningKeep an L-1A new-office record from approval to extension
Read & prepare Applicant planningCompare the E-2 evidence for a startup and a business purchase
Read & prepare U.S. destination planningCanadian RN planning for New York State
Read & prepare U.S. destination planningCanadian RN planning for California
Read & prepareSeven decisions, answered before you prepare.
Drummondville TN guide: distinguish the offer from continuing Canadian work
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.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Map the activities and physical locations
- Assess the profession and qualifications precisely
- Review the complete arrangement before relying on it
Drummondville guide: separate Canadian status from citizenship and U.S. activity
Canadian permanent residence, citizenship and U.S. work permission are different matters. A resident considering a professional offer, company transfer or investment should identify the actual facts before selecting a route. Use this guide as a decision tool for the Canadian-residence distinction, 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 museum lighting designer holds a Canadian PR card, a foreign passport, and a proposed transfer from a Canadian employer. 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. Canadian residence status does not replace any route-specific nationality, entity, employment, or investment condition. 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.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Record citizenship without inferring it from residence
- Use the actual proposal for alternative review
- Include language and family arrangements accurately
Drummondville E-2 guide: separate personal capital from the expansion budget
A founder’s personal investment and a Canadian company’s operating budget should not be treated as one undifferentiated source. Identify the actual investor, ownership and lawful funding steps before assessing what is committed to the U.S. enterprise. Use this guide as a decision tool for the E-2 investment commitment, 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 maker of adaptive garden tools uses a personal line of credit, a refundable franchise deposit, and a seller-financed equipment purchase. 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. The investor's capital must be committed beyond easy withdrawal and exposed to commercial loss. The enterprise must be real and not marginal, while the investor must develop and direct it; E-2 itself does not provide a permanent-residence outcome. 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.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Identify whose funds are being used
- Trace commitment and financing accurately
- Review control and the enterprise
Drummondville L-1 guide: explain what continues abroad during the launch
A U.S. launch plan should explain continuing foreign operations and the transferee’s actual duties. A cross-border oversight title does not establish the qualifying relationship, employment history or the particular L-1A or L-1B new-office requirements. Use this guide as a decision tool for the L-1 new-office choice, 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 company that produces marine-navigation training simulators leases a suite before it has hired the operational team described in its plan. 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. A new-office proposal must match the specific L-1A or L-1B role, the foreign employment history, the qualifying organization, and the proof appropriate to its stage. 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.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Allocate continuing and new responsibilities
- Apply the correct role-specific requirements
- Preserve the record as operations develop
Drummondville guide: compare a company transfer with a separate investment
A founder may consider a related-company transfer and a personal acquisition at the same time. Keep their entity relationships, duties and funding separate so each possible route is assessed on a proposal that actually exists. Use this guide as a decision tool for the L-1 versus E-2 route choice, 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 founder of a precision beekeeping-sensor company can transfer through a related entity or personally buy a separate U.S. pollination-service business. 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. L-1 depends on related active organizations and qualifying employment, while E-2 depends on treaty nationality, committed capital, and the investor's direction of a real nonmarginal enterprise. 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.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Describe the two arrangements independently
- Test the different requirements
- Include continuing duties and family plans
Drummondville family guide: identify Canadian work that would continue in the United States
Canadian citizenship and permanent residence are separate facts, and a PR card does not create TN eligibility. A household intending to keep Canadian employment or business responsibilities while relocating should record each person’s actual activity and physical location. TD dependants cannot work; qualifying E and L spouses may be employment-authorized incident to status, but children do not inherit that work authorization and can age out at 21. Each family member’s own activity determines the appropriate route and work permission. Use this guide as a decision tool for the family activity 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 principal transferring for a dairy-robotics company plans for one parent to work remotely, another to study, and a teenager to help with online orders. 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. Dependent status, age, relationship, and the physical location of the activity must be tested person by person; a shared move does not create one shared work authorization. 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.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Ask what each person intends to continue
- Apply the dependent distinctions
- Check individual dates and evidence
- Respect the order of immigrant entry
Drummondville guide: separate company reserves, investment capital and official gifts
A business-owning household should identify what each proposed payment represents before comparing residence strategies. Company operating reserves, EB-5 capital and Gold Card gift obligations are not interchangeable categories. Use this guide as a decision tool for the EB-5 and Gold Card funding choice, 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 producer of recycled musical-instrument cases has funds for a project subscription but receives a separate corporate proposal involving a gift payment. 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. EB-5 uses qualifying at-risk capital, job creation, and conditional residence. Gold Card concerns the applicant's required payment to the U.S. government under the current official framework; it is not a conventional visa. 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.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Trace the actual EB-5 funding proposal
- Verify the separate official gift framework
- Compare individual outcomes beyond the funding plan
- Distinguish capital, official gifts and residence stages