TN Visa- Any experiences?

[Knifeboxx 125]

Hi there, not sure if this is the right subforum for this, but don't flame me too hard if it's not!! Basically I was wondering if anyone had any experiences with having or trying to get a TN visa to work in the U.S. I'm a Canadian citizen thinking of moving to the U.S. for a while and I just finished a degree in a field that qualifies for a TN visa under NAFTA. I'm a little confused because the site I was looking at, this one about the visa states "Canadian citizens usually do not need a visa as a NAFTA Professional, although a visa can be issued to qualified TN visa applicants upon request. A Canadian citizen without a TN visa can apply at a U.S. port of entry" and the link it provides about this doesn't give any further information.

So... Any experiences anyone would like to share?

Thanks

[Jen and Mikey 13]

Hi there, not sure if this is the right subforum for this, but don't flame me too hard if it's not!! Basically I was wondering if anyone had any experiences with having or trying to get a TN visa to work in the U.S. I'm a Canadian citizen thinking of moving to the U.S. for a while and I just finished a degree in a field that qualifies for a TN visa under NAFTA. I'm a little confused because the site I was looking at, this one about the visa states "Canadian citizens usually do not need a visa as a NAFTA Professional, although a visa can be issued to qualified TN visa applicants upon request. A Canadian citizen without a TN visa can apply at a U.S. port of entry" and the link it provides about this doesn't give any further information.

So... Any experiences anyone would like to share?

Thanks

I have some knowledge regarding a TN as my profession is on the list. There are requirements though.... I may be wrong and I don't know what you program you graduated from, but when looking the list of accepted fields, it requires a degree/diploma plus at least 3 years work experience in your field. It's not as easy as just going to the border and saying hey, I want to move and work in the US.... you have to have a job lined up which includes a letter from the employer, you need letters from your previous employers stating that you have the experience and a TN is temporary... not permanent...

as for what that site says (I didn't read it) but a Canadian MUST have a visa in order to work in the US...

here is a link from the USCIS that will have the appropriate information .... link

and this is the profession list with what is required for diploma/degree and experience if needed. link

Edited June 15, 2012 by Jen and Mikey

[warlord 73]

The reason is, is because the TN is NOT a visa. It is a status. A visa is different then the TN. So yes, Canadians usually will qualify and get a TN status over any visa, unless it's an J-1 for students or a H1B for specialized jobs. For most Canadians, the TN status would be the easier method as long as their job qualifies under NAFTA. There has always been a misconception over the TN and mistakenly added on the word 'visa' to the end of it. Even lawyers are quite often wrong as they say that term too. It's just become too common place to say it, but asking at the border for a new TN Visa will usually always get you corrected.

That happened to me many years back myself, I was informed there is no such thing as a TN Visa, and then he asked did you mean STATUS? So quickly I realized that. Also another misconception with the TN status is there is no such thing as a renewal (people mistakenly say that term as well all the time). You never get a renewal, you just get a new TN status after your 3 years is up (or whatever the duration is nowdays for a TN).

So hope that clears things up for you. (I was on a TN status for my first 7 years here before eventually becoming a USC)...

[Udella&Wiz 325]

Does one have to find an employer willing to hire first? If so, I would work on that. As you may know in the US there is a higher than usual unemployment rate and I suspect getting the TN status is harder than usual because there are so many unemployed 'employable' people with great qualifications.

Not to be a downer but I know in the IT/Science industry I work in here in DC, work VISAs (or someone with TN status) are almost non-existent these days.