Read the general eligibility basics overview
A Saint-Isidore resident may discuss a U.S. venture with a Canadian partner. Record the actual applicant and the relevant nationality facts before using the partner’s citizenship in a category comparison. Make the category comparison person by person before discussing a shared venture. Hypothetical example: an aquaculture-systems designer holds Canadian permanent residence while a Canadian-citizen partner will supply part of the capital; the decision is whether the designer has an independent route, a qualifying role and the required personal facts, not whether the partnership can lend the designer the other person’s nationality.
Keep personal citizenship personal
Canadian permanent residence is not Canadian citizenship for TN. A partner’s Canadian passport does not supply citizenship to a separate TN principal, who must be Canadian or Mexican and meet the profession’s conditions. Identify the proposed applicant before assembling their supporting documents. For a TN possibility, start with the proposed worker’s passport, the actual professional position and the profession-specific qualification. If the individual is not a Canadian or Mexican citizen, a partner’s citizenship does not cure that condition; choose another available category rather than creating documents around the wrong principal.
Separate enterprise nationality from one partner’s passport
E-2 examines relevant treaty nationality and qualifying ownership and control of the actual enterprise, alongside substantial lawful capital committed at risk in a real nonmarginal business. One partner’s citizenship does not describe the entire ownership chain. Document who owns and directs what rather than borrowing a convenient nationality label. For E-2, map every owner, voting right and control right through the entire proposed structure before counting treaty nationality. The practical choice is whether the actual enterprise will maintain the required nationality and whether the intended investor will truly direct its development, rather than merely providing expertise or capital.
Check transfer evidence if L is proposed
An L case requires the actual person’s qualifying foreign employment, the qualifying corporate relationship, required international business and U.S. role. Shared ownership discussions do not establish that employment. Keep the different people’s evidence identifiable so the consultation does not combine their facts into a fictional single applicant. For L classification, build a separate employment timeline for the transferring person and verify the related entities and qualifying business. Do not promise a period of stay without identifying the classification: the usual maximum is five years for L-1B and seven years for L-1A, subject to the applicable rules and any time-recapture analysis.
What else is on your mind?
Does Canadian permanent residence give me access to TN?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?Editorial source review: 2026-09-07. General preparation guidance, not an individual assessment.