The authorized visit is a key date in the route review. Remaining after it can have consequences, while an eligible timely filing may affect the analysis of a pending period. Have counsel distinguish current status, any permitted period while a request is pending and work authorization. Do not extend the visit merely because the employer wants more preparation time.
Let the evidence, not the return flight, set the pace
A trip that ends next week can push an application out before the duty letter and credential records are solid. If the file is not ready, returning to Canada and completing preparation there is a legitimate outcome rather than a setback, particularly for a Canadian citizen who may later seek TN admission at a port of entry. Confirm the sequence with counsel before changing any travel.
A refusal is slower to repair than a week of preparation.
Identify the request date, available alternatives and the particular fact still unresolved. Keep a short written list of exactly what remains outstanding in the file rather than relying on a general sense that things are almost ready, since a partial set of documents can feel complete without actually being one. Compare that list against what a complete file requires before deciding whether more preparation time is worth the delay. A file that is missing even one required piece is not ready, regardless of how close the departure date has become.