IN THIS GUIDE · Assembling a complete, consistent and securely kept copy of everything submitted or presented in a TN case
Start with the TN eligibility and application overview
Ask for the file as filed or presented, not a summary
Request exact copies of what went to the government or was handed to an officer: the support letter as signed, the agreement as executed, credential documents, proof of citizenship, forms, and any cover correspondence. A recruiter's recap of what was sent is not the same thing, and differences between the recap and the actual file only surface later, usually at an inconvenient moment. Make a dated inventory before anyone edits a file. The signed support letter should identify the professional duties, the employer or client relationship, the intended period, and the qualifications relied on. That inventory lets the applicant decide whether an omission is harmless background or a fact that needs correction before presentation.
Check the versions against each other
Drafts circulate, and the version signed is not always the version the applicant last reviewed. Compare job title, duties, dates, salary, employer name, and credential descriptions across the letter, the agreement, and any form. Note every discrepancy, then ask which version was actually used. Where an error was submitted, ask counsel how it should be corrected rather than quietly holding a different copy. Treat the job description as a decision record, not sales language. It should connect the listed profession to tasks actually expected after entry. If the contract names a different client, location, or pay structure, decide whether the support letter must be revised and signed again; a private explanation cannot make conflicting originals agree.
Store the set securely and know what it contains
The file holds passport details, credentials, salary information, and possibly family records, so it belongs in an encrypted store with a backup rather than in an inbox. Keep one folder per person, dated, with the final versions clearly marked. Note who else holds copies, whether the employer, a recruiter, or counsel, so requests for corrections can be sent everywhere the document exists. Keep a short index beside the files: document name, date, issuer, purpose, and final location. That index is useful when a degree evaluation, licence, or revised agreement must be located quickly. It also prevents a later adviser from mistaking an unsigned draft for the document that governed the application.
Add the outcome records after any application or entry
The set is not complete without what came back. Approval of a petition, admission at a port of entry, and the resulting status are distinct, and each generates its own record. Keep the admission record, any approval notice, and the annotated documents returned. Check the details on the admission record promptly, since correcting an error is easier close to the event than months afterwards. A Canadian applicant may generally request TN classification directly from an inspecting officer, whereas an employer may request classification using Form I-129, which USCIS adjudicates. Choose the route before assembling the final set, because the recipient and timing differ. Hypothetical example: a metallurgical engineer receives a corrected letter two days before travel; the decision is whether the new signature and the rest of the package now tell one consistent account, not whether an email saying “use this version” is enough.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.