Read the general professional work overview
A foreign credential can require several different questions to be answered. Keep the actual award and professional duties clear rather than treating one English-language document as proof of every condition.
Start with the profession and actual credential
TN requires Canadian or Mexican citizenship, qualifying temporary work in a listed profession and its prescribed qualifications. Experience substitutes for a degree only where the profession permits. An employer’s acceptance of a credential does not waive that standard, and a translated title must not imply an award the institution did not issue.
Identify the purpose of each supporting document
A degree from an institution outside Canada, Mexico or the United States needs reliable foreign-credential evaluation. Translation conveys the document’s meaning; evaluation addresses the foreign qualification. Any licence required for U.S. professional practice is separate. These records should clarify the actual facts rather than be treated as interchangeable purchases.
Keep the employment and process conditions complete
Providing services to a U.S. entity solely owned or controlled by the applicant is prohibited; foreign business ownership alone is not a blanket bar. Assess actual employers and additional work. Canadians generally may seek TN admission without a TN visa; Mexicans generally need one. Neither an evaluation nor a completed translation guarantees admission or authorizes work outside the qualifying temporary arrangement.
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: 2026-09-08. General preparation guidance, not an individual assessment.