Do not assume pending preparation authorizes participation. Identify the planned activities and obtain route-specific guidance before starting them in the United States. An institution’s invitation or a filed request is not a universal substitute for effective authorization.
Set the first activity as a review milestone
Tell the institution the earliest meeting, training session or assignment the person is expected to join. Include where each occurs. Review that schedule before confirming attendance, rather than treating the formal appointment date as the only date that matters.
Send the request to the hiring manager and to human resources in the same message, so the internal definition and the practical description are produced in parallel rather than in sequence. Before new duties begin, decide whether updated admission is appropriate or whether the employer should use Form I-129; a Canadian can otherwise request TN classification at entry. A Canadian can generally present a complete case at a port of entry, or the employer may pursue Form I-129, but neither route justifies starting work before the required status and qualification exist. The common timing failure is allowing a commercial milestone to turn drafting or “orientation” into uncompensated delivery before authorization, on the theory that a later signature or approval will relate backward.