Sponsoring or Extending a TN
TN status is available to Canadian and Mexican citizens who are coming to the U.S. to engage in specified professional activities under provisions of the Trade USMCA treaty.
Eligibility
TN sponsorship requires the employee to be:
Before You Sponsor or Extend
There are two ways an employee may acquire TN status:
How to Sponsor or Extend
CUIMC departments should contact ISSO-CUIMC.
Citizens of Canada
Option 1: Applying through admission at a U.S. border.
Log in to the Scholar Sponsorship Portal (SSP) with your UNI and password to initiate an online application for TN sponsorship.
Prepare a letter for your employee printed on department letterhead.
An individual may not enter the U.S. in TN status more than a week in advance of the employment start date and your letter should not be dated more than 30 days before your employee presents it at the border. Use this sample letter.
Applicant for a TN visa at U.S. port of entry must provide the following documentation:
- Valid Canadian passport;
- Signed department letter;
- Academic qualifications (Customs and Border Protection (CBP) may require seeing the originals);
- $50 admission fee and a $6 fee for the I-94 card
Upon admission in TN status, the CBP officer will:
Option 2: Filing through USCIS Service Center.
This option involves the preparation and filing of a TN petition through USCIS. There is a USCIS filing fee of $510 for the I-129 petition, and a $2,805 fee for Premium Processing.
Because this option is more document-intensive and requires USCIS filing fees, it is rarely used for Canadian citizens.
If traveling to Canada is not an option, please contact your ISSO Faculty and Scholar Services adviser to discuss how best to proceed.
Citizens of Mexico
Unlike Canadian citizens, Mexicans are not able to apply for admission directly at a U.S. port of entry.
Option 1: Applying through U.S. consular post
Log in to the Scholar Sponsorship Portal (SSP) with your UNI and password to initiate an online application for TN sponsorship.
Prepare a letter for your employee printed on department letterhead.
Use this sample letter.
Applicant for a TN visa at U.S. consular post must provide the following documentation:
- Valid Mexican passport;
- Signed department letter;
- Academic qualifications (originals may be required)
Upon admission in TN status, the CBP officer will:
Option 2: Filing through USCIS Service Center.
This option involves the preparation and filing of a TN petition through USCIS. There is a USCIS filing fee of $510 for the I-129 petition, and a $2,805 fee for Premium Processing.
Due to the requirement to schedule a visa appointment, in limited circumstances, it may be advisable to prepare and file through the USCIS Service Center.
Please contact your ISSO Faculty and Scholar Services adviser to discuss how best to proceed.
