Trade USMCA Status (TN)

The nonimmigrant USMCA Professional (TN) visa permits citizens of Canada and Mexico to work temporarily in the United States in certain occupations. At Yale, the most typical use of the TN visa is for salaried employees doing teaching or research. For academic appointments (postdoctoral researcher, instructor, etc…) the basic steps are as follows:

1. The host department at Yale contacts the OISS adviser for that department
2. Once OISS confirms TN eligibility, the department creates a MyOISS request
3. The department sends the OISS adviser a draft TN support letter (see details below)
4. The final letter is sent to the scholar with instructions
5. The Canadian scholar presents evidence of citizenship, degree (in a field listed on the TN list), the letter, pays CAN$50.00 and enters the U.S.
6. The Mexican scholar must apply for a TN visa at a U.S. embassy, and then enter the U.S.
7. The scholar registers with OISS upon arrival in New Haven with their OISS adviser

Canadians driving in to the U.S. must use a pre-clearance post of entry.

Find information on TN requirements for both citizens of Mexico and Canada here.

TN status is granted when the scholar enters the U.S. for up to a three year period based on the actual dates of employment. TN status is valid for the time the scholar is employed, up to the expiration of the I-94 record. When the employment is concluded, there is no grace period of additional time to remain in the U.S.

Spouses and dependent children of persons in TN status hold TD status.

TN Letter

The letter should contain the following information:

• State that it is an offer of employment and name the scholar
• Be addressed to “U.S. Customs and Border Protection”
• Contain a thorough description of the job duties and dates of employment; from-to not exceed three years and list the salary
• Ask OISS what the correct USMCA occupation category is, and include this in the letter
• Conclude with contact information, work site location address and phone number

Download a sample TN letter here.

TN Extensions

Once the host department has updated MyOISS and issued a new TN letter to the scholar the scholar can re-enter the U.S. (from Canada) by traveling and repeating steps 4 and 5 above. It is rarely worth the expense of paying for a TN extension within the U.S., but it is possible following the steps below at least 6 months prior to the expiration of the current TN.

Department Materials

• The department updates MyOISS
• The department creates a new TN support letter including the dates of extension (not to exceed 3 years.)
• OISS will submit payment to USCIS on the department’s behalf at the time of petition filing and will then charge the sponsoring department. To process this transaction, the department must fill out the USCIS Filing Fee Payment Form with a valid COA as part of the sponsorship request. Please note that USCIS only accepts electronic payments (e.g., credit card); paper checks are no longer accepted.
  • The department pays $530 for the petition filing fee
  • Optional, but discuss with your OISS Adviser: The scholar or department pays an additional $2805 ($2,965 as of March 1, 2026) for I-907 Premium Processing
• The department provides a pre-paid Yale e-Global shipping label to one of the offices below

Shipping Addresses

Materials from the Scholar

• A copy of the current I-94 record
• Family members must complete Form I-539
  • The filing fee for Form I-539 is $420 for online, or $470 for paper filing
• Current I-94 record for each family member