Who Is Eligible for a TN Visa in 2025

The TN visa was established as an economic and trade relationship between the United States, Canada and Mexico. It is a nonimmigrant visa that allows such foreign citizens to temporarily live and work in the U.S. for the purposes of furthering their professional business activities. In this post, we will examine exactly who is eligible for a TN visa.

What Is The Tn Visa and Who Is It For?

TN, short for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), professions consist of the following:

• Accountants
• Engineers
• Lawyers
• Pharmacists
• Scientists
• Teachers

In order to qualify for a TN, the applicant must be a citizen of Canada or Mexico, qualified to practice in their profession and secure a U.S.-based sponsoring employer. Equally as important, the TN visa applicant will be required to supply the U.S. government with their reasons for returning to their home country upon the completion of their project or program – as this is not a dual-intent visa.

Who Is Eligible For A TN Visa?

Here, we discuss the professional and educational requirements, as well as the requirements placed on the U.S.-based sponsoring employers.

Education and/or work experience requirements can be in the form of the following documents: 

• Higher Educational evidence, including a degree, diploma, certificate, professional license
• A letter from any former employers (or business records in self-employed instances)
• Membership in professional organizations when applicable

Furthermore, the available U.S. job position (full-time or part-time) must also require a NAFTA professional. As such, the employer will be required to provide a contract or a letter of employment, which include the following items:

• The purpose of the applicant’s entry to the U.S.
• A detailed description of his or her job-related responsibilities and/or their proposed business activities
• The applicant’s expected length of stay in the U.S.
• The applicant’s educational qualifications and/or any applicable credentials which indicate his or her professional status
• Evidence of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regulations and/or state laws compliance
• The applicant’s salary arrangements

Can Canadians Apply For A TN Visa?

In general, any Canadian citizen is eligible for admission into the U.S. as a nonimmigrant, and therefore isn’t required to obtain a visa. The process does not require the Canadian citizen to apply for a TN visa at a U.S. consulate, but simply to establish TN classification eligibility upon their arrival to the United States.

In order to establish TN visa eligibility, he or she will need to present the required documentary evidence to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer at a port of entry, unless otherwise at a designated station for pre-clearance or pre-flight inspection. There, the Canadian citizen must provide the following documentation:

• Proof of their Canadian citizenship
• The letter from his or her prospective U.S. employer including the professional capacity in which the applicant will work, the purpose of employment, the length of time the applicant is supposed to remain inside the U.S. to work, as well as the applicant’s educational qualifications
• An evaluation of the applicant’s credentials, when applicable
• Any associated fees

If the Canadian citizen’s prospective employer is going to apply for a TN visa on his or her behalf, the employer can do so by filing a Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker (Form I-129) to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In cases where the process needs to be expedited, they can apply for a Request for Premium Processing Service (Form I-907). The fee for doing so is $2,500.

Upon the approval of the I-129, the prospective worker can then travel to U.S. port of entry and present the CBP officer with their proof of Canadian citizenship and their Form I-129 approval notice.

When the CBP officer determines eligibility for admission, the applicant will be admitted to the U.S. as a TN nonimmigrant.

Can Mexicans Apply For A TN Visa?

Conversely, a Mexican citizen will be required to obtain a TN visa in order to enter the U.S. as a TN nonimmigrant. Therefore, he or she must apply for a TN visa directly at a U.S. embassy or consulate located in Mexico. 

Additional information and the detailed requirements for applying for U.S. admission can be found on the CBP’s website.

When applying for a TN visa, citizens from Mexico should complete the Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application (Form DS-160) and pay the associated fee. Depending on the length of time, the fee varies between $79 and $357. It is important to print out the form confirmation page

once the application process is complete, because it will be required at the interview.

Since there are several steps involved when applying for a TN visa, applicants are encouraged to refer to the instructions on their U.S. Embassy or Consulate website.

Then, Mexican citizens applying for a TN visa are required to schedule a visa interview at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate located in Mexico (doing so from a different country results in greater difficulty in qualifying for the visa). When attending the visa interview, the TN visa applicant will be required to bring the following documents along with them:

• A valid passport 
• The DS-160 confirmation page
• The payment receipt for the DS-150 application fee 
• A job offer in the form of a contract or a letter of employment from the U.S.-based employer
• All documentary evidence that proves all minimum education and/or work experience requirements are met

Are TN Dependents Eligible For A Visa, Too?

Any spouse, or child(ren) aged 21 years or younger, may be eligible for admission to the U.S. with a TN Dependent (TD) nonimmigrant visa. Since it depends on where the dependent is originally from, applicants should refer to the Department of State (DOS) website on whether a visa is required for them. 

Though a TD visa holder is not permitted to work while he or she is inside the U.S., they are permitted to study.

what Is The TN Visa Period of Stay?

The initial period of stay for a TN visa is three years, though it can be renewed/extended an indefinite number of times. The sponsoring employer must simply file an I-129 on the foreign worker’s behalf. An extension of stay must be filed before the expiration date located on their Arrival-Departure Record (Form I-94) admission stamp in your travel document on your Form I-94.

If a situation arises where the TN visa holder needs to leave the U.S. before their status expiration, he or she will need to reapply for admission to the U.S. at a port of entry. The documentation required is the same as when they initially applied for admission into the country.

As with TN visa holders, TD beneficiaries may be eligible for an extension of their visa status as well.

What Advantages Does A TN Visa Provide?

The TN visa comes with quite a few advantages. The first being that there isn’t any annual limit, meaning the U.S. government isn’t restricted from granting any certain number each year. Additionally, the TN visa is a relatively inexpensive visa to get, and has faster processing times than many others. 

This visa classification is not dual-intent, so the applicant is free to return home at any time, though they also have the option to become a naturalized citizen – in certain unique circumstances. Another advantage is that beneficiaries aren’t beholden to any maximum number of years of which they are allowed to stay and work in the U.S. Although TN visa holders are required to apply for a renewal, they can get an unlimited number of extensions, so long as they continue to meet the visa requirements.

Are There Any TN Visa Disadvantages?

There are only a few disadvantages to speak of, regarding the TN visa classification. One of which is that in order to qualify, the applicant must be a professional that NAFTA has already established. Also, if the beneficiary switches jobs during their stay, they will need to apply for a new TN visa altogether. As with many other statuses, if a TN visa holder travels abroad for an extended amount of time, he or she will be required to re-enter the U.S. in order to keep their status.

Frequently Asked Questions About the TN Visa

Final Thoughts on The TN Visa in 2025

The TN visa provides a valuable pathway for qualified Canadian and Mexican professionals to temporarily live and work in the United States. Eligibility hinges on the applicant's citizenship, professional qualifications, and securing a job offer from a U.S. employer in a NAFTA-recognized field. The application process differs slightly for Canadians and Mexicans, but both must provide extensive documentation of their credentials and the details of their prospective U.S. employment. Approved TN visa holders can remain in the U.S. for up to three years initially, with the possibility for unlimited extensions. They may also bring their spouse and children as TD visa dependents, though not for employment purposes. While the TN visa offers many advantages, it is limited to specific professional categories and requires starting the process anew if the beneficiary changes U.S. employers.