IN THIS GUIDE · Explain the actual profession behind an internal job classification
Start with the TN eligibility and application overview
Describe the work in ordinary terms
Hypothetical example: an internal classification combines several technical and commercial roles. Explain what this employee will actually do. A code shared by eligible and ineligible activities does not establish the individual assignment. Hypothetical example: A zoologist is offered a role described as product outreach, but the work plan calls for habitat surveys, population analysis and written conservation recommendations. The decision is whether the employer can document the scientific assignment as it will actually be performed, not whether a broad title can be made to sound professional.
Use the listed profession’s requirements
The principal needs Canadian or Mexican citizenship and the prescribed qualifications for the actual listed profession. Experience is not a universal degree substitute, and an employer’s internal grade does not change the requirements. Collect the degree, transcripts, licence records where relevant, and an employer letter that ties each qualification to the stated profession. A first review identifies the exact record that proves the qualification and distinguishes it from documents that merely show experience or seniority.
Keep credentials and employer evidence accurate
Degrees from institutions outside Canada, Mexico or the United States require reliable foreign-credential evaluation. Identify the actual prearranged temporary employer arrangement and compensation. A credential evaluation does not determine the employer’s duties. The temporary plan should be supported by a signed offer or contract, a useful duty description, compensation terms and a credible expected end point. Inconsistency between the business plan, payroll record and support letter can invite questions because each document addresses the same proposed activity.
Review ownership and permission separately
Services to a U.S. entity solely owned or controlled by the applicant remain prohibited under TN. An internal code or revised title does not change actual control. The employer’s classification decision is not immigration authorization. Ownership must be examined before travel, including voting rights, equity records and who directs the receiving enterprise. TN cannot be used to place the applicant in a U.S. venture that the applicant effectively runs for their own account, even if another entity appears on the letterhead.
State the TN work, ownership and credential limits
TN is limited to temporary professional activity by an eligible Canadian or Mexican citizen. Disclose ownership and confirm that the arrangement is not U.S. self-employment. If the qualifying degree comes from outside Canada, Mexico or the United States, support equivalency with a reliable evaluation. Treat any licence required for U.S. professional practice as a separate issue from the listed TN credential. A sound review ends with a filing sequence: confirm the profession and qualifications, settle the employer relationship, then choose the admission request or USCIS process that fits the facts. It also records any fact still needing proof instead of filling a gap with a preferred conclusion.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.