Read the general professional work overview
An employer that asks you to mail a diploma permanently is asking for custody of a record you may need again. Decide before mailing what the person reviewing the file must actually see, whether a certified copy or a scheduled inspection answers the same question, and how the original would be returned. Custody is a decision to document, not a formality.
Decide what each record has to prove
Write down what the diploma, the transcript, the licence and the offer letter each establish, and who currently holds the original of each. A TN review considers Canadian or Mexican citizenship, a listed profession, the credentials that profession requires, prearranged professional employment and genuinely temporary entry, and different records answer different parts of that. Note also whether the U.S. entity receiving your services is one you own or control: services to an entity you solely own or control constitute prohibited TN self-employment even where your controlling interest is below a majority, and adding supervisors above you does not resolve it.
Arrange inspection and return in writing
Hypothetical example, offered only as an illustration and not as a description of any employer near Blainville: a candidate is asked to courier the single issued diploma to a head office that intends to keep it in a personnel file. Before shipping, ask who holds it, for how long, whether a certified copy or an in-person inspection would satisfy the same reviewer, what happens if the position does not proceed, and who bears the cost and delay of a replacement. Put the answer in writing, keep the tracking record, and photograph the document first. Do not assume a scan is sufficient at every step, and do not assume an original is required at every step either — ask which is expected, and when.
Separate translation, evaluation and custody
These are three different problems. A degree issued by an institution outside Canada, Mexico and the United States requires a reliable foreign credential evaluation; that requirement is not optional advice you can set aside. Translation is separate: a foreign-language document submitted to USCIS requires a full English translation with the translator's certification as to accuracy, completeness and competence to translate. Neither service creates or replaces the original. Order them from the document you keep, and confirm the current instructions for the procedure actually chosen before paying for anything.
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: 2026-09-07. General preparation guidance, not an individual assessment.