Begin as soon as a specific role is on the table. Ordering official copies from an institution or professional order and arranging certified translation both take time that is difficult to compress, and neither should be squeezed against a start date already promised to an employer.
Order records before booking anything
Institutions and professional orders set their own turnaround for issuing attestations and certified copies, and a translator needs the final document before starting. Requesting records early keeps the profession review from stalling on a missing attestation. Treat any start date discussed with the employer as provisional until the credential evidence is in hand and counsel has confirmed how the role will be presented.
Set the review against the client's needs: when the engagement is meant to begin, whether the scope is defined or open-ended, and how quickly the agreement can be amended. A Canadian may seek TN admission on entry, while a qualifying employer may use Form I-129 submitted to USCIS; neither path turns a controlled U.S. business into permitted TN work. The applicant must remain a Canadian or Mexican citizen, fit a USMCA-listed profession, satisfy its specific credential rule, and avoid United States self-employment.