Read the general professional work overview
An employer’s occupational code may cover several roles. Explain the actual assignment and prescribed profession requirements rather than treating the internal classification as the immigration answer. A first review should produce a short evidence map: the citizenship document, the listed profession, the required credential, the actual duties and the employer relationship. It should also settle process before travel. A Canadian applicant may request TN classification when seeking admission, while an employer may use Form I-129 with USCIS where that route fits; Mexican applicants need a TN visa before requesting admission.
Describe the employee’s specific work
Identify genuine activities, employer, compensation and intended temporary period. Hypothetical example: one code covers technical analysis and commercial coordination. State which tasks this person will perform rather than submitting the code’s broadest possible description. Hypothetical example: An urban planner receives a letter that calls the role client liaison, while the project materials show zoning analysis, land-use recommendations and public-policy reports. The employer must choose a truthful duty description that identifies the professional work instead of relying on the most favourable wording in an internal classification.
Assess credentials against the listed profession
TN requires Canadian or Mexican citizenship and the profession’s prescribed qualifications. Experience does not universally replace a required degree. Degrees from institutions outside Canada, Mexico or the United States require reliable evaluation. An employer grade and an academic evaluation address different facts. The decisive record may be an original degree, transcript, credential evaluation or licensing document, depending on the stated profession. Put those records beside the offered duties and identify any mismatch before choosing a filing method; a polished résumé cannot fill a missing prescribed qualification.
Keep the arrangement and permission accurate
Services to a U.S. entity solely owned or controlled by the applicant remain prohibited under TN. A revised code does not change actual ownership or duties. An internal HR approval is not immigration authorization; assess the actual process before relying on the assignment. Review equity, voting rights and operational control before treating a U.S. enterprise as the employer. TN does not authorize an applicant to provide the proposed work through a U.S. business the applicant effectively operates for their own account. That issue should be resolved with corporate records, not a revised title or contract label.
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.