When the educational award and experience chronology can be assessed together with the actual offer. Start retrieving former employer records early, but do not substitute a promised reference for evidence not yet available. Keep the proposed work start conditional on the lawful route.
Review the whole claim before choosing travel dates
A complete portfolio may be ready while the credential definition or experience record remains unresolved. Track those items separately. Ask counsel which gap is material to readiness before fixing a date, and verify the actual authorization before beginning the offered US work.
Before travel or productive activity, obtain the final duty allocation, confirm the US or foreign employer, the U.S. entity for which the activity will be performed, and the temporary engagement, and match the work to one listed USMCA profession and its qualification rule. For a Canadian citizen, coordinate either a port-of-entry TN request before work begins or the employer’s petition and resulting authorization; Canadian permanent residence alone is insufficient.
Agencies frequently work to a client start date and press for quick signatures. A foreign credential evaluation takes as long as the evaluator takes. A credential evaluation depends on an outside agency and on transcripts arriving first.