Read the general professional work overview
Hypothetical example: Marisol is a Canadian citizen and medical laboratory technologist at a Chase community health centre who has a U.S. hospital offer. The Appendix 2 entry accepts a baccalaureate or licenciatura degree, or a post-secondary diploma or certificate plus three years of experience. TN requires prearranged professional employment and does not permit U.S. self-employment; any ownership interest must be disclosed and assessed. A Canadian may apply at a port of entry or preclearance, or through an employer-filed Form I-129, without a TN visa stamp. TD dependants may study but may not work.
Decide which branch you are proving, then prove only that one
The Medical Laboratory Technologist entry accepts a baccalaureate or licenciatura degree, or a post-secondary diploma or certificate plus three years of experience. Marisol should decide before assembling the file which branch she is relying on. If she uses the diploma-and-experience route, the diploma is one half and employer evidence of the full three years is the other; neither is sufficient alone. A degree, if she also holds one, becomes supporting context rather than the centrepiece. The chosen branch should be stated plainly in a covering summary so the officer is not left to work it out.
Experience needs employer letters with dates and duties
Years of experience are proved by the employers who provided them. Each letter should come on the employer's letterhead, identify the position held, state the exact start and end dates, describe the duties in enough detail to show that the work was in the profession claimed, and be signed by someone with authority to confirm it. A reference praising her reliability is not evidence of anything relevant. Where a former employer has closed or been amalgamated, payroll records, union records, professional-body records and tax slips can support the period, and an affidavit from a former supervisor may help, but documentary corroboration should be found where it exists. Gaps and part-time periods should be shown rather than smoothed over, because the arithmetic will be checked.
Keep the licensing question separate from the immigration question
Whether Marisol may lawfully practise in a given state is determined by that state's licensing authority and is not decided by the immigration classification. A profession entry that names a licence as one qualification route refers to the qualification, not to the practice permission. Many health-related roles cannot be performed without a state credential regardless of immigration status, and obtaining one can take longer than the immigration step. The employer should confirm what the destination state requires and whether any temporary or provisional credential is available, and that answer should be in hand before a start date is agreed. Her family may accompany her in dependent status, where they may study but may not work, whatever their own qualifications.
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.