Read the general professional work overview
An applicant relying on the management-consultant experience route should show when the qualifying work actually occurred. Several projects performed at the same time are not separate calendar periods. Organize the evidence so the reviewer can assess its duration and relevance without guessing from a project count. Establish the order of proof before the arithmetic. What the engaging U.S. company has offered — the consulting agreement, its scope and its duration — defines which specialty the experience must relate to; only then does it become clear which past projects count and which are simply work you have done. Ask for that document first.
Map dates and duties before adding up experience
Hypothetical example: a consultant lists three simultaneous assignments in separate résumé entries and the summary makes them appear sequential. Record the actual start and end dates, overlap, client or employer and work performed. Ask each reference writer to confirm facts they know. Do not stretch a chronology to reach an experience figure or assume every project is relevant to the proposed consulting agreement.
Use the actual management-consultant alternatives
The TN listing permits a baccalaureate or licenciatura degree, or documented equivalent professional experience of five years as a management consultant or in a specialty related to the consulting agreement. Have the selected route and proposed duties assessed; a consultant title alone does not establish them. Canadian or Mexican citizenship, prearranged qualifying professional employment and temporary entry remain necessary.
Prepare the supporting records for the chosen route
Keep reference letters, contracts and reliable work records linked to the timeline. For a degree from an institution outside Canada, Mexico and the United States, a reliable foreign-credential evaluation is required. Foreign-language records submitted to USCIS require full English translations certified for accuracy, completeness and translator competence. Neither an evaluation nor a translation changes the actual experience dates. Identify gaps for review instead of treating the résumé summary as conclusive proof.
Sequence: what the engaging company settles first
Three things belong to the engaging company and come before the résumé is rebuilt. It defines the consulting agreement — what the work is, for whom, and over what period — because the experience alternative is measured against a specialty related to that agreement rather than against consulting in general. It confirms that the arrangement is employment with, or a contract to provide services to, a U.S. entity, since self-employment is not permitted under this classification. And it decides whether admission will be requested at a port of entry or by petition on Form I-129, which determines what is presented and to whom. Ask for the draft agreement before assembling the timeline. An experience file built first and matched to the engagement afterwards produces a chronology that is accurate about dates and unhelpful about relevance, which is the harder problem to fix late.
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.