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.
Explain the professional duties when the employer considers project details confidential
A Saint-Lazare applicant may need an employer’s explanation of work on a sensitive project. Identify the facts needed for the TN assessment and ask how they can be supported accurately, rather than replacing them with an empty title. A first review should produce a document map that separates facts the employer can state openly from facts that need a controlled description. It should identify the listed profession, actual duties, intended period, compensation, employer authority, and the applicant’s credential record. Hypothetical example: a water-quality engineer is assigned to a restricted industrial remediation project; the employer can explain the engineering analysis, reporting line, and deliverables without disclosing the client’s confidential formula. The decision is whether the available evidence describes the real professional arrangement, not whether the project can be made to sound secret.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Separate confidential detail from the actual role
- Retain the individual qualification evidence
- Ask about the actual evidence and procedure
Keep the nationality assessment accurate when a company has only limited employee information
A Saint-Lazare employer may begin a U.S. assignment plan with incomplete information about the employee’s citizenship. Identify what has been verified and what is still an assumption before selecting a route. The first review should identify the person who would actually apply, every citizenship that person holds, and the document that proves each one. It should then match the individual—not the company’s Canadian footprint—to the proposed category. Hypothetical example: a museum conservator has Canadian permanent residence and Italian citizenship, while the employer’s roster lists only a Montréal address. The decision is whether a qualifying category is supported by the conservator’s real nationality and facts, not whether the company commonly hires people in Canada.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Distinguish Canadian residence from the TN nationality condition
- Ask which facts the proposed route requires
- Make the unresolved item specific
Read the security documents behind a loan summary
A Saint-Lazare investor may receive a short description of financing for a U.S. business. Compare that summary with the actual loan and security terms before describing the proceeds as qualifying E-2 capital. A first review should trace the proposed money from the lender to the investor and then to a specific business obligation, while reading every security clause. It should state what the investor personally risks, what the enterprise risks, and what has actually been paid. Hypothetical example: an owner of a ceramic-kiln repair company obtains financing secured by a personal condominium, then uses the proceeds for a signed equipment purchase. The decision is whether the documents show personal exposure and a real commitment, rather than a loan label selected for the application.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Identify who borrows and what secures the obligation
- Apply the investment distinction to the actual terms
- Keep the enterprise and control evidence alongside the loan
Explain specialized knowledge without claiming that every supporting record must disclose a trade secret
A Saint-Lazare company may be concerned about documenting the knowledge behind an L-1B launch assignment. Identify the real standard and the evidence supporting the employee’s knowledge instead of asserting that confidentiality itself proves the case. A first review should make two inventories: evidence of the employee’s specialized knowledge and evidence that the new U.S. operation can support the proposed role. It should identify the foreign employer, U.S. entity, qualifying relationship, premises, financing, launch plan, and foreign employment dates. Hypothetical example: a photonics calibration specialist is sent to establish a small testing operation; records must show both the specialist’s advanced process knowledge and the actual premises, equipment budget, and plan to begin business. The decision is whether the launch supports the claimed role, not whether confidentiality makes the role sound important.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Describe the knowledge the assignment actually uses
- Identify evidence that can be assessed accurately
- Keep the new-office requirements visible
Identify the authority established by the full agreement rather than a short commercial summary
A Saint-Lazare applicant may receive a summary of a proposed ownership or employment arrangement. Compare the actual agreements before treating their description as evidence of L eligibility or E-2 investor control. A first review should place the employment-transfer records and investment records in separate folders before comparing the options. It should identify who employs the applicant abroad, who will employ or be controlled by the applicant in the United States, the ownership chain, the foreign work dates, and the exact source and use of capital. Hypothetical example: a commercial mushroom-substrate supplier has a Canadian operating company and a proposed U.S. venture funded by the owner; the employment history may support one analysis while the investment documents raise a different control question. The decision is which factual record is strongest now, rather than treating ownership as proof of every route.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Read the actual transfer arrangement
- Read the actual investor rights
- Keep the applicable owner and launch conditions
Explain which family record establishes the relationship being assessed
A Saint-Lazare household may have several documents concerning the same relative. Identify which authentic record supports the actual relationship and which document answers a different question, such as identity or travel. A first review should make a separate row for every family member: relationship, age, citizenship, passport status, proposed work or study, and the principal applicant’s route. It should also identify which relationship record proves the connection and whether any person needs independent work authority. Hypothetical example: a veterinary-pathology manager plans a transfer, while the spouse expects to accept employment and one child plans post-secondary study. The decision is whether the household can use dependent status for its actual plans or whether one person needs a separate immigration strategy.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Keep relationship evidence separate from shared arrangements
- Identify gaps without changing the record
- Keep other permissions on their own basis
Separate a confidential project presentation from evidence of the investor’s own case
A Saint-Lazare applicant may receive a limited project summary before reviewing the full investment documents. Identify what the available material actually establishes and what remains unavailable, rather than treating confidentiality as a reason to assume favorable facts. A first review should compare the records that each option actually needs: investment source and path, project and job evidence, household funds, official program instructions, and the intended permanent-residence route. It should not treat a large available balance as proof that every payment or immigration condition is met. Hypothetical example: a cold-chain produce distributor can fund either a qualifying project investment or a government-directed program payment, but the funds cannot be represented as simultaneously committed to both. The decision is which path fits the applicant’s documented objective, risk tolerance, and available evidence.
WHAT THIS GUIDE COVERS
- Identify the actual EB-5 evidence gap
- Compare Gold Card on its actual government basis
- Prepare precise follow-up questions before relying on a summary