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TheDegreePeople.com: What Canadians and Mexicans Need to Know About the TN Visa

TN visa has opened up the US border making it easy for certain non-US nationals to access US soil to do jobs or businesses. Although it is more difficult for Mexicans to get the visas than it is for Canadians it can be a worthwhile process. (EMAILWIRE.COM, February 15, 2010 ) Fort Lauderdale, FL The TN visa being well over a decade old – as it was created by virtue of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) – still remains unclear to many people of which it was tailored for. What exactly is the TN visa? This category of visa was introduced as a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Some people refer to it as a specific H1B visa as it is tailor made for certain nationals. With the TN status, Canadian and Mexican nationals are allowed within US borders temporarily for vocational and/or business purposes. The number of workers granted TN status is not subject to any control or regulation by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services but applicants are expected to meet a number of qualifications. For eligibility, you should currently be a citizen of Mexico or Canada. Permanent residents or landed immigrants awaiting these two nations’ citizenship do not qualify. Applicants should be willing to enter US borders on a temporary basis and for the duration necessary unless a petition for extension is made by the hiring company or by the applicant him or herself under instruction from the company. Prior to applying for a job in the US, the Canadian or Mexican needs to ensure that minimum qualifications for the profession are met. Ms. Sheila Danzig, director of a foreign degree evaluation agency, TheDegreePeople.com, strongly advocates that such individuals need a degree equivalence evaluation from reliable [foreign] credential evaluators,” she adds. These are just but a few of the requirements for eligibility for a TN Visa. For a more comprehensive list and access to credential evaluation services, visit Career Consulting International, www.TheDegreePeople.com or call 1-800-771-4723. TheDegreePeople.com is a foreign credential evaluaiton agency with recognition by the U.S. Department of Education as an education resource. While already in the US the Canadian and Mexican citizens may extend their visas for up to three years at a single petition. There is also no cumulative limit on time on the TN status. The only thing that should remain constant is your assurance that you are planning to be in the US only temporarily. Processing time for this visa varies because Canadians are exempt from having to attain the TN visa at their US consulate. It takes a longer time for Mexicans since they are not endowed this exemption and have to go through the US consulate office in Mexico to get the visa. The good thing about the TN visa is that you don’t have to incur any charges to process it (just like for the H1B) – your employer or sponsoring company is responsible for paying all filing, legal and any other fee required for your papers to be processed. The TN Visa has been responsible for increased trade and business partnerships.]]>

Legal Avenues to Work in the US

Based on NAFTA some Canadian and Mexican citizens qualify to work in the US on a temporary nonimmigrant basis. The TN Visa is available to them. (EMAILWIRE.COM, November 17, 2009 ) Sunrise, FL On the basis of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), some Canadian and Mexican citizens qualify to work in the United States on a temporary basis under nonimmigrant TN status. Given below are the terms and conditions that must be satisfied in order to become eligible for the TN Visa: • The occupation should be on the NAFTA list. • The foreign national must hold the required academic or training record for a specific occupation. • The applicant’s proposed position must fall under the category of professional positions. • It is mandatory for the applicant to work for a U.S. employer. In the case of Canadian citizens, there’s no need for filing a petition for employment. All that needs to be done is to simply acquire TN status at a port of entry. On the other hand, applicants from Mexico must submit application at the U.S. consulate in Mexico. In addition to the degrees, diplomas, or any kind of educational credentialsgranted by any foreign educational institution, the applicant must submit a foreign credential evaluation report prepared by a specialized credential evaluation service. One firm offering this credential evaluation service for the TN Visa iswww.TheDegreePeople.com This foreign degree evaluation must be secured prior to crossin the border.]]>

New Requirements for TN Visa Applicants

NAFTA), a special visa qualification was offered to citizens of Canada and Mexico who qualify for temporary employment positions that can be categorized into certain professional classifications as defined by the NAFTA agreement. This immigrant visa is known as the TN visa, and includes a wide variety of positions in diverse fields such as social work, accounting, science, mathematics, and nursing. These visas are issued for one-year durations, but can be extended indefinitely.

In order to qualify for a TN visa, a candidate must have at least the U.S.equivalency of a Bachelor Degree in the professional area for which he or she applies. To prove that the foreign degree is equivalent, a foreign education credentials evaluation must be done by a qualified agency, such as Career Consulting International. These educational evaluations are then submitted, along with other documentation, to USCIS officials to determine whether the visa application will be approved or denied.

Professionals who apply for TN Visas may apply for TD visas to allow spouses or dependents to accompany them and reside with them during their stay in the United States. People who hold TN visas, however, may not seek employment within the United States. Canadian citizens are referred to as TN-1 Visa applicants, while citizens of Mexico are designated as TN-2 applicants. The most recent change in policy directly affects TN-2 visa applicants. The application process differs between Canadian and Mexican citizens, however. TN-1 Visa applicants may apply for this immigrant visa either at a US-Canada border crossing, or at most Canadian international airports. In this case, the TN visa may be granted on the day upon which the candidate submits the visa application, a foreign education credentials evaluation report, and accompanying documentation.

Recently, the procedure has changed for citizens of Mexico applying for TN-2 Visas through the Matamoras, Mexico Consulate. Although this change has not yet been reflected on the consulate’s website, these new changes became effective on September 10, 2008. Visa applicants must now call for an appointment or schedule one online at the consulate website, located athttp://matamoros.usconsulate.gov/matamoros/nafta_visas_tn.html.

Previously, applicants were able to submit their foreign education credentialsand evaluation reports prior to the interview. This is no longer true. Now, applicants are required to submit their foreign credential evaluations and other documents at the time of the interview appointment with the consulate.

The employer is still required to submit the employee’s work credentials to theUSCIS to demonstrate that the employee is qualified for the TN-2 Visa. Only after approval may the employee schedule an appointment to have his or her visa stamped at the consulate. The employee’s start date will only be determined after these steps have been completed.]]>

New Requirements for TN Visa Applicants

NAFTA), a special visa qualification was offered to citizens of Canada and Mexico who qualify for temporary employment positions that can be categorized into certain professional classifications as defined by the NAFTA agreement. This immigrant visa is known as the TN visa, and includes a wide variety of positions in diverse fields such as social work, accounting, science, mathematics, and nursing. These visas are issued for one-year durations, but can be extended indefinitely.

In order to qualify for a TN visa, a candidate must have at least the U.S.equivalency of a Bachelor Degree in the professional area for which he or she applies. To prove that the foreign degree is equivalent, a foreign education credentials evaluation must be done by a qualified agency, such as Career Consulting International. These educational evaluations are then submitted, along with other documentation, to USCIS officials to determine whether the visa application will be approved or denied.

Professionals who apply for TN Visas may apply for TD visas to allow spouses or dependents to accompany them and reside with them during their stay in the United States. People who hold TN visas, however, may not seek employment within the United States. Canadian citizens are referred to as TN-1 Visa applicants, while citizens of Mexico are designated as TN-2 applicants. The most recent change in policy directly affects TN-2 visa applicants. The application process differs between Canadian and Mexican citizens, however. TN-1 Visa applicants may apply for this immigrant visa either at a US-Canada border crossing, or at most Canadian international airports. In this case, the TN visa may be granted on the day upon which the candidate submits the visa application, a foreign education credentials evaluation report, and accompanying documentation.

Recently, the procedure has changed for citizens of Mexico applying for TN-2 Visas through the Matamoras, Mexico Consulate. Although this change has not yet been reflected on the consulate’s website, these new changes became effective on September 10, 2008. Visa applicants must now call for an appointment or schedule one online at the consulate website, located athttp://matamoros.usconsulate.gov/matamoros/nafta_visas_tn.html.

Previously, applicants were able to submit their foreign education credentialsand evaluation reports prior to the interview. This is no longer true. Now, applicants are required to submit their foreign credential evaluations and other documents at the time of the interview appointment with the consulate.

The employer is still required to submit the employee’s work credentials to the USCIS to demonstrate that the employee is qualified for the TN-2 Visa. Only after approval may the employee schedule an appointment to have his or her visa stamped at the consulate. The employee’s start date will only be determined after these steps have been completed.]]>

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