Apply for a TN Visa
TN (and dependent TD) visas are available only to citizens of Canada or Mexico whose job titles appear on the Professionals List in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Treaty.
Although the NAFTA treaty has been superseded by the U.S-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the NAFTA treaty Professionals List remains operative and unchanged from the NAFTA treaty.
Review the NAFTA Treaty Professionals list, and scroll down to “Eligibility for NAFTA Professional (TN) Nonimmigrant Status."
Citizens of Canada
Citizens of Canada traveling to the U.S. on Canadian passports can ask Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for admission to the U.S. in TN or TD status at any air, sea, or land-border port-of-entry, including pre-flight inspection units at select Canadian airports. Review CBP’s guidance about TN and TD border processing.
Although you do not legally require VCU support for the CBP process, we recommend discussing your TN and TD plans with Immigration Services at least 2 weeks prior to your departure for the U.S. so that we address:
- Whether your VCU job is covered by the NAFTA Treaty Professionals list
- What materials CBP expects you to present at the port-of-entry.
- Questions or concerns you may have about the TN or TD process.
For support with the CBP TN and TD process, please contact Immigration Services by email.
Citizens of Mexico
The process of obtaining a TN or TD visa is identical to the process of obtaining an H-1B or H-4 visa. Please follow the guidance above for H-1B visa applications—substituting TN or TD wherever you see H-1B or H-4.