We hope you have been following our blog post series (part 1, part 2, part3, part 4) on United States immigration laws. We will now discuss different type of visa in next couple of blog posts.
In 1994 the U.S., Canada and Mexico passed NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) into law. Provisions of this treaty created the ability of numerous professional workers from either of these U.S. partner nations under the treaty to work in the U.S. for three years or more. The great benefit of a TN visa is that the U.S. employer extending a job offer is not required to complete a labor certification application to prove that the employee will not be taking the job of a U.S. worker. This is because the NAFTA treaty ostensibly created a single job market for all three countries for individuals in these professions (each of these require a bachelor’s degree with some exceptions depending on the area)
The process to apply for TN visa differs slightly based on nationality. Mexican citizens are required to file an application for a visa with their local consulate or the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City with required documentation. Canadian citizens can apply directly at a U.S. port of entry for TN status with proof of citizenship and other documents.
The law does not limit the number of extensions a TN visa holder can apply for and as long as she maintains nonimmigrant intent, indefinite extensions may be approved.
Are you looking into visa options for entry into United States. Do you have questions about TN visa or want to explore other visa options, contact our law office today