Read it.
Use it.
Focused guides for the questions that need more than a quick answer. Each includes a worksheet to prepare your next conversation.
Guides for your next decision.
Build a TN employer evidence brief before drafting the letter
Read & prepare Applicant planningKeep an L-1A new-office record from approval to extension
Read & prepare Applicant planningCompare the E-2 evidence for a startup and a business purchase
Read & prepare U.S. destination planningCanadian RN planning for New York State
Read & prepare U.S. destination planningCanadian RN planning for California
Read & prepareSeven decisions, answered before you prepare.
When a transcript is available only through a university portal
A link to a university portal may help retrieve academic evidence, but access to the portal and an acceptable record for the intended procedure are different questions. Establish who needs to receive the transcript, in what form and by which date before paying for repeated requests. Hypothetical example: a forensic accountant can download an unofficial transcript immediately, while the degree conferral record will not be released for two weeks. The decision is whether to postpone the TN presentation, seek an official delivery method, or obtain an evaluation after the primary record arrives. A first review identifies the exact profession, credential rule, recipient, and required date. Canadian citizens may seek TN classification when applying for admission, while an employer may petition USCIS using Form I-129 in appropriate cases; TN cannot be used for self-employment.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Identify the recipient and the required record
- Keep access and interpretation separate
- Explain what remains outstanding
Separating a Canadian work permit from permanent residence and citizenship
An employer may describe anyone established in Canada as a Canadian applicant. That description does not identify whether the person holds a work permit, permanent residence or Canadian citizenship. Use the actual records before choosing a U.S. route or building a document budget. Hypothetical example: a fisheries biologist holds Canadian permanent residence, carries a passport from a treaty country, and is offered work by an American affiliate. The decision is which nationality and company facts support each possible route, rather than calling the person Canadian in every document. A first review should produce a status table with passport, Canadian document, expiry, and route-specific conditions. TN depends on Canadian or Mexican citizenship and qualifying professional employment; E-2 requires treaty nationality, irrevocably committed at-risk capital, a non-marginal enterprise, and development and direction by the investor; L-1 requires a qualifying relationship and one continuous qualifying year abroad during the preceding three years.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Record the status the document actually shows
- Match the U.S. category to the individual
- Keep two procedural calendars
Reading a franchise budget beyond the initial fee
A franchise package may show an entry fee prominently while recurring royalties and operating obligations appear elsewhere. For an E-2 planning review, assemble the whole financial arrangement. The label franchise does not establish substantial investment, non-marginality or the investor’s ability to develop and direct the U.S. enterprise. Hypothetical example: the prospective owner of a specialty bicycle-fitting studio has paid for design work but can still cancel the equipment order without loss. The decision is whether the file can treat that future purchase as exposed capital or distinguish it from funds already committed. A first review produces a payment ledger, source records, and conditions that must be met before money moves. E-2 requires capital committed on an irrevocable basis and exposed to loss, an enterprise that is not marginal, and an investor who will develop and direct it.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Separate payments by purpose and commitment
- Read operational restrictions with the financial terms
- Test the budget against the proposed operation
Showing who performs operational work when a new-office manager supervises remotely
A reporting chart can place several people below a proposed manager without showing what those people actually do. For a new L-1A office, connect the planned managerial role to real work allocation and resources. Remote supervision does not by itself establish or defeat the managerial requirement. Hypothetical example: a medical-device packaging company plans to open in the United States with a manager who will initially negotiate supplier contracts, hire staff, and personally handle shipments. The decision is whether the one-year plan shows a role that can become managerial or executive, or mainly an essential operational role. A first review maps the qualifying relationship, premises, foreign employment, staffing sequence, and duties by month. L-1 requires one continuous qualifying year abroad in the preceding three years; L-1A has a seven-year maximum, and a new-office approval is initially limited to no more than one year.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Map tasks as well as reporting lines
- Explain the capacity expected within one year
- Keep the underlying eligibility evidence visible
A dormant foreign business changes the transfer question
A company can remain registered after its commercial activity stops. That distinction matters when comparing L-1 with E-2. Start with the actual businesses operating in the group, not a registry extract alone, and avoid assuming a continuing registration supplies the foreign business needed for a transfer. Hypothetical example: the founder of a precision-ceramics manufacturer has closed the foreign workshop, retained the company bank account, and is deciding between transferring staff or investing in a new U.S. operation. The decision is whether an active qualifying organization and employment history still support L-1, or whether E-2 should be examined on its own facts. A first review prepares two separate evidence lists before money or staff are moved. L-1 requires one continuous qualifying year of employment abroad during the preceding three years and is capped at seven years for L-1A or five years for L-1B. E-2 requires treaty nationality, irrevocably committed at-risk capital, a non-marginal enterprise, and development and direction by the investor.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Establish what continues abroad
- Do not let a company issue conceal an individual issue
- Assess an investment route on its own evidence
A child’s travel consent and immigration status answer different questions
Permission for a child to travel with one parent does not establish U.S. immigration status. A dependent-status document also does not resolve a custody or travel-consent question. Prepare the records for each issue and have the appropriate adviser identify what is needed for the particular family. Hypothetical example: a sign-language interpreter receives a U.S. assignment while the co-parent remains in Canada and the teenager expects to travel later for school. The decision is which consent, relationship, status, and school records belong to each traveller rather than placing all papers in one folder. A first review produces a person-by-person travel calendar and identifies the document resolving each question. Dependent status follows the principal’s valid classification and does not replace family-law consent; TD does not authorize employment, while qualifying E and L spouses may be employment authorized incident to valid status with appropriate I-94 evidence.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Separate the relationship evidence from consent
- Review the child’s own immigration basis
- Coordinate the actual travel sequence
Retirement savings require a withdrawal plan before an immigration funding plan
A retirement-account balance is not necessarily money the applicant can transfer today. Before comparing EB-5 with Gold Card, identify access conditions, ownership and the consequences of withdrawing funds. Obtain appropriate financial and tax advice alongside the immigration analysis; an account statement does not settle those separate questions. Hypothetical example: the owner of a watch-repair business can sell equipment to fund a U.S. plan, but the buyer will pay in instalments after the proposed filing date. The decision is whether the funds are available, traceable, and appropriate for the chosen route at each stage. A first review creates two timelines: EB-5 source, transfer, investment, and job records; and Gold Card applicant-payment, vetting, category, and availability questions. EB-5 capital must be at risk, qualifying jobs must be created, and residence begins conditionally. Gold Card is not a conventional visa; its payment is made by the applicant to the U.S. government.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Document the funds before making a withdrawal
- Connect the financial sequence to the selected route
- Identify commitments that cannot be reversed easily