Read the general eligibility basics overview
A Sainte-Catherine resident may be told by an employer that a particular U.S. route is suitable. Confirm the actual nationality and category conditions rather than treating an internal company recommendation as the applicant’s citizenship assessment. A first review should make a nationality-and-route matrix: passport fact, proposed activity, evidence held and condition still unproved. That produces a decision—continue, obtain a missing record or stop treating a general recommendation as eligibility. Request the corporate chart, foreign payroll, ownership record and funds trail before comparing alternatives, because each settles a different governing condition.
Establish the individual nationality fact
Canadian permanent residence is not Canadian citizenship for TN. TN requires Canadian or Mexican citizenship and the qualifying listed profession and credentials. An employer may know the person’s Canadian address without having verified the actual citizenship; keep those facts separate in the file. Hypothetical example: a footwear pattern maker holds a Canadian permanent-resident card, while the employer file lists only a Canadian mailing address. The passport, not the address or resident card, resolves whether TN nationality exists. The employer must decide whether an independently supported route is available or whether the recommendation ends there.
Evaluate each recommended route on its own basis
Ask the employer which fact led to its recommendation. A transfer suggestion calls for evidence of qualifying foreign employment, the relationship between the organizations, ongoing international business and the proposed U.S. role. An E-2 suggestion instead needs the relevant treaty nationality, ownership and directing authority, plus substantial lawful funds committed at risk in a real nonmarginal enterprise. Write the missing evidence beside the proposed route. A nationality assumption should trigger reassessment, not an automatic switch to another category that has not been evaluated.
Identify what the recommendation assumed
Record the proposed route, the applicant identified and the facts the company relied on. Hypothetical example: an internal summary describes every Canadian-office employee as a Canadian citizen. Correct the actual applicant’s record and ask which parts of the recommendation need reassessment, without changing authentic citizenship documents to fit it.
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.