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.
Identifying the employer behind a trading name
A familiar brand on an offer may differ from the legal entity arranging the professional work. Identify that entity before preparing the TN support letter. The record should explain the actual employment or contracting relationship, rather than assume a website logo establishes who employs, pays or receives the applicant’s services. Hypothetical example: a cryogenic-pump designer receives a letter from a marketing division while the payroll contract comes from a separate operating corporation. The first review should produce a name-and-role table: who offers the position, who supervises, who pays, who receives the services and which record supports each answer. The decision is whether the stated arrangement is a prearranged professional engagement with the identified entity, not whether the brand is familiar.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Connect the names with reliable records
- Explain the duties within that arrangement
- Keep later changes visible
Updating a Canadian address without changing the U.S. eligibility analysis
Moving within Canada changes practical records, not citizenship. A permanent resident considering U.S. work should keep the address history accurate while separately assessing the route supported by nationality, employment or investment facts. A new Canadian address neither creates TN eligibility nor resolves another category’s requirements. Hypothetical example: a greenhouse-climate technician changes homes while waiting for a U.S. employer to settle the job category. The first review should create two lists: address updates and route-defining facts such as citizenship, employer, duties and intended investment. The decision is whether to update an address now while reserving immigration conclusions until the route facts are documented.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Record the move and its dates
- Separate route selection from residence details
- Maintain separate Canadian and U.S. question lists
Explaining investment funds held in a joint account
A joint account statement shows a balance and account holders, but it may not explain who owns or controls the funds being invested. For E-2 preparation, document the actual source, authority and transfer plan. Do not assume the entire balance is the applicant’s qualifying investment simply because the applicant can access the account. Hypothetical example: a producer of cork-free fermentation vessels plans to use a joint account for a U.S. acquisition, but one spouse also needs part of the balance for a separate property closing. The first review should identify the applicant's actual share, the lawful source of that share and the amount that can be committed. The decision is whether the remaining funds support the proposed enterprise without counting the same money twice.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Identify whose funds are being relied on
- Connect the account to the business commitment
- Keep ownership and nationality evidence separate
Planning around premises that are leased but not ready to operate
A lease is one part of the premises evidence; the proposed operation also needs a credible account of when and how the space can be used. Identify unfinished work, access conditions and the actual operating plan. For L-1A new-office review, premises, funding and support for the managerial or executive role must be considered together. Hypothetical example: a company that refurbishes industrial induction coils has a signed U.S. lease, but the electrical upgrade needed for its equipment remains subject to landlord approval. The first review should align premises availability, installation work, funding and staffing in one dated plan. The decision is whether the space can support the proposed first-year operation as described, or whether the timeline requires a candid revision.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Describe the space’s current condition
- Show the effect on the first-year plan
- Review alternatives without assuming they qualify
Separating a temporary work plan from a promised future green card
An employer or seller may describe L-1 or E-2 as a step toward permanent residence, but neither temporary classification automatically grants a green card. Assess the immediate role and requirements first, then ask what separate immigrant route is actually proposed. A future intention should not replace evidence for the present application. Hypothetical example: a precision-ceramics exporter can either transfer its Canadian production director to a related U.S. company or have that person buy and operate a separate kiln-maintenance business. The first review should compare the actual corporate relationship, foreign employment, capital, nationality and control in parallel. The decision is which present arrangement can be documented now, not which label appears to promise the more attractive future.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Ask what the promise refers to
- Evaluate the immediate routes on their own facts
- Identify commitments that depend on someone else
Reviewing a university placement before a dependent accepts it
Permission to study and permission to perform work are separate questions. A dependent offered a co-op term, laboratory placement or assistantship should describe the actual tasks and status before accepting. The school’s approval does not itself expand the employment authorization attached to the student’s immigration category. Hypothetical example: a dependent child in a family that operates a custom prosthetic-liner business is offered a paid weekend role in the university laboratory connected to a course. The first review should identify the person's exact dependent category, admission record, age, tasks, pay and academic requirement. The decision is whether the activity is study, employment or both before the student accepts any schedule or compensation.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Obtain the complete placement description
- Apply the dependent’s own status rules
- Resolve the sequence before committing
Clarifying whether the applicant or a company would fund the proposal
Personal and corporate funding proposals should not be blended into one unexplained total. Identify the applicant, proposed payer and actual program before evaluating the commitment. The Gold Card website distinguishes individual and corporate sponsorship, while EB-5 has its own investment and eligibility requirements. A company’s willingness to pay does not establish the employee’s immigration eligibility. Hypothetical example: a manufacturer of tidal-turbine bearings offers to help its chief engineer, but its board resolution authorizes an amount without identifying whether the person would pursue EB-5 or the Gold Card process. The first review should separate the payer, the recipient, the program, the required immigration showing and the funds' path. The decision is whether the written commitment supports one real process or merely uses a large number to postpone route selection.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Identify who has authority to commit the funds
- Read the chosen process rather than a sales description
- Keep any EB-5 alternative distinct