Read the general professional work overview
A consulting proposal may describe a broader project than the individual will perform. Build the TN documents around the genuine professional engagement and explain material differences between the proposal, contract and support letter.
Start with the person’s tasks, not the project’s label
TN requires a Canadian or Mexican citizen performing qualifying temporary work in a listed profession with that profession’s prescribed qualifications. Identify the applicant’s actual tasks and the real contracting and employing parties. Experience substitutes for a degree only where the profession permits it. A commercial consultant label does not itself establish the profession.
Resolve credential and ownership questions explicitly
Keep the actual qualification and any reliable evaluation needed for a degree from an institution outside Canada, Mexico or the United States. Translation and any U.S. practice licence are separate matters. Providing services to a U.S. entity solely owned or controlled by the applicant is prohibited; ownership in a foreign business alone is not a blanket exclusion. Explain the genuine structure rather than using a Canadian invoice as the entire answer.
Check what the permission will cover
A Canadian generally may seek TN admission without a TN visa; a Mexican generally needs the visa. The intended work must remain temporary. Identify additional engagements and changed work before assuming one admission covers every customer in the proposal. An executed contract records a commercial commitment, not an independent right to enter or start work.
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.