| Characteristic | Number of visas issued |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 731,496 |
| 2017 | 741,899 |
| 2016 | 817,517 |
| 2015 | 787,180 |
How long does a TN visa last?
Initial period of stay. Once TN status is granted, it is valid for up to three years, but only for the specific employer for which it was originally requested. Changing employers will require to start from scratch with a new application. If employment with a single employer is desired for more than three years, it may be renewed indefinitely.
How many TD visas are issued each year?
The US consulates report 3,000 to 4,000 TD visas issued in each US fiscal year from 2007 to 2009; this includes visas issued both to family members of Mexican TN-2 visa holders and to non-Canadian family members of Canadian TN-1 entrants. For Canadians, TN status does not involve a visa.
Can a Mexican get a TN visa in the US?
Once the TN visa stamp is in the Mexican citizen's passport, they may enter the U.S. with TN status in a similar manner to a Canadian citizen. In fiscal years 2007 through 2009, between 4,000 and 5,000 TN visas (including TN-2 visas for Mexicans) were issued by U.S. consulates each year.
What do employers need to know about TN visa status?
In the case of an investigation or audit by the Immigration Service or Labor Department, the employer must show that the worker is in valid status. An employer must complete the Form I-9 for employees in TN visa status, as with all other employees.
How many TN visas are there?
There are two types of TN status for which these citizens can apply. A TN-1 is for Canadian professionals, and a TN-2 is for Mexican professionals. The applicants need to be qualified under one of the listed professions. Accepted NAFTA Professions must adhere to nonimmigrant classifications.
How hard is it to get a TN visa?
When compared to the process of obtaining other work visas, such as an H-1B Visa or an L-1 Visa, it is rather easy to get a TN Visa. In fact, in many cases you can obtain a TN Visa the same day at a qualifying port of entry.
How many visas are issued each year?
There are currently 66,000 visas available per year. In recent years, Congress has authorized the Homeland Security Secretary to increase the cap if the determination is made that there is sufficient need for additional workers.
How fast can you get a TN visa?
This is not a complicated process for NAFTA Professionals, which is why it can take only a few months (2 to 6 months) to receive the TN Visa. However, there is a Premium Processing that allows you as a NAFTA Professional to get your visa in 15 business days at most.
Is TN visa better than H1B?
Differences Between TN Visa and H1B Visa H1B visas are much more difficult to obtain but allow for dual intent, while TN visas do not. Also, eligibility for a TN visa is restricted to a list of approved occupations, whereas the H1B only requires that the occupation involves Bachelor degree-level skills or knowledge.
Can a TN visa be denied?
An individual may be denied a TN at the border not only if his/her job or credentials do not meet the requirements for a TN, but also on account of activities occurring during past visits to the U.S. Individuals who CBP believes violated the terms of a prior visa, e.g. by working without authorization, remaining in the ...
How many visas are denied each year?
4 million visa applicationsMore than 4 million visa applications are denied each year by the U.S. government for a wide variety of reasons.
What percentage of US visas are approved?
What are the Approval Rates for Visas? How Many Visas Are Approved?Visa TypeNumber of ApplicationsApproval Percentage RateB-1 and B-2 Visas7,585,47269.8%E-1 Visa7,25291.9%E-2 Visa48,40189.4%E-3 Visa5,97497.2%6 more rows•Jun 23, 2020
How many US visas are approved each year?
In 2020, the United States issued 38,088 IR-1 and 16,956 CR-1 visas.
How much does it cost an employer to sponsor a TN visa?
No Requirement To Pay Fees Unlike the H-1B visa category, an employer is not required to pay any of the costs associated with filing for a TN visa. Under the H-1B visa program, employers are generally required to pay all costs such as government filings fees and any associated legal fees.
Can TN visa be converted to green card?
Can TN visa holders transition to a green card? This is one of the most common questions that TN visa holders ask, especially after they have spent some time in the U.S. The short answer is yes, it is indeed possible to obtain permanent resident status as a TN visa holder.
Can I leave the US while on a TN visa?
Reply: There is no specific time period governing how long a TN visa worker and his/her dependents may remain outside the U.S. and then seek re-admission – provided a return is made within the validity period of the TN/TD visa status (as evidenced on the I-94).
Does TN visa require interview?
In addition to documentation requirements, the TN visa application process also requires an interview by a U.S. immigration officer.
Who qualifies for a TN visa?
Eligibility for NAFTA Professional (TN) Nonimmigrant Status Applicant is a citizen of Canada or Mexico; Profession is on the NAFTA list; Position in the United States requires a NAFTA professional; Applicant will work in a prearranged full-time or part-time job for an employer (see Required Documentation).
Do I need a lawyer for TN visa?
Overview. In short, you do not need a lawyer to successfully apply for a TN status but it could help. Applicants might often choose to apply without a TN visa lawyer if their future US employer can't pay for this extra legal support or if their TN visa case is very straight forward.
Can I apply for TN visa without job offer?
Qualifications for a TN visa To qualify for TN visa status, you must have an offer of employment from a U.S. company to work in a profession that is listed on the NAFTA occupations list. Your employer in the United States must require someone in your professional capacity for the position.
What is TN visa?
The TN Visa was created by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in order to facilitate temporary employment in the United States for approved Canadian and Mexican citizens. The purpose was to strengthen business and trade relations between the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
How many professions qualify for a TN visa?
Here is a list of the 60 professions that qualify you for a TN visa:
How to renew TN visa?
The process of renewing or extending your TN status can be carried out by filing Form I-129H1 along with proof of the TN status holder’s education/citizenship and a letter addressing the need for the extension. At the point in which the job or TN status officially expires, individuals are required to leave the country. Unlike the H-1B grace period, TN visas do not have this leeway period.
Can a spouse work in the US with a TD visa?
The TN visa holder’s spouse and/or children under the age of 21 may be eligible for TD nonimmigrant status. This status allows dependents to enter the U.S. with the TN visa holder and be granted the same period of stay. There are some restrictions to the TD nonimmigrant status for dependents. Spouses and children are not permitted to work while in the United States, but they are permitted to study.
What is a TN visa?
NAFTA or TN visas are special non-immigrant visas in the United States, Canada and Mexico that offer unique, expedited work authorization. A U.S., Canadian, or Mexican citizen can work in a NAFTA country for up to three years within a certain set of occupations.#N#The fiscal year is the accounting period for the federal government which begins on October 1 and ends on September 30 of the following year.#N#Beginning in 2010, the number of admissions greatly exceeds totals reported for previous year due to a more complete count of land admissions.
How many NAFTA visas were issued in 2018?
This statistic shows the number of NAFTA or TN visas that were issued by the U.S. Department of State from fiscal years 2006 to 2018. There were 731,496 NAFTA visa issuances for Mexican and Canadian citizens in fiscal year 2018.
How much does it cost to sponsor a TN visa?
USCIS petition filing fee: $460 (only necessary if the foreign national is inside the U.S. and switches to a TN visa from another visa status.
What documents are needed for TN visa?
The following documents must be provided to USCIS and/or border officials in order to be issued a TN visa:
Do you need a job offer for a TN visa?
You must have a job offer from a U.S. employer before applying for TN status. You cannot apply on your own without such an offer of employment. The TN visa was originally created under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Canada, U.S. and Mexico.
How do I get a TN visa at the border?
If you are a Mexican citizen, then you are required to obtain a visa to enter the United States as a TN nonimmigrant. You should apply for a TN visa directly at a U.S. embassy or consulate in Mexico. See the U.S. Department of State webpage, “Mexican and Canadian NAFTA Professional Worker.”
Can TN visa be converted to green card?
The short answer is yes, it is indeed possible to obtain permanent resident status as a TN visa holder.
Does Amazon sponsor TN visa?
Amazon does not sponsor for immigration, including for H-1B, TN, and other non-immigrant visas, for this role.
Is TN easier than H1B?
TN status is much easier to obtain and deal with, but transferring to H1B status gives you a path to permanent residence.
What are the categories of visas?
The Report of the Visa Office does not contain information on these categories: 1 Refugees entering from abroad or asylum-seekers in the United States or 2 Non-numerically controlled visa categories for people in the United States who are adjusting status (getting a green card or becoming a permanent resident) through the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security (USCIS). 3 The above statistics are available from the DHS Office of Immigration Statistics.
What is the report of the Visa Office?
The Report of the Visa Office is an annual report providing statistical information on immigrant and non-immigrant visa issuances by consular offices, as well as information on the use of visa numbers in numerically limited categories.
Does the Visa Office have older reports?
The Visa Office has a limited supply of older reports. You may ask about the availability of these from the Visa Office.
Visa Bulletin Final Action Dates
The lists below are updated annually. Please refer to the Visa Bulletin page for final action dates established during the current fiscal year or the archive section on that same page for past Visa Bulletins.
Multi-Year Reports
For more multi-year reports, please select a Report of the Visa Office.
Overview
Description
The visa category "Professionals Under the North American Free Trade Agreement" (NAFTA), also known as a TN (Treaty NAFTA) visa, is available only to citizens of Canada and Mexico, under the terms of the NAFTA. Starting in 1989 and continuing through 1993, qualifying individuals practicing one of the professions identified in the Canada–United States Free Trade Agreement (CUSFTA) were able to obtain TC status for legal work in the United States and Canada, creatin…
History
The governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States negotiated a regional free trade agreement, which came to be known as NAFTA, during the 1980s. The leaders of the three nations signed the agreement in their respective capitals on December 17, 1992.
NAFTA included an Appendix 1603.D.1 that required each of the member-states to institute laws and regulations for the free temporary movement of certain professionals among the three me…
Canadian citizens
For Canadians, TN status does not involve a visa. Canadian professionals are admitted into the United States in TN-1 status at the border. Canadian citizens are not required to obtain a visa, but instead receive TN status with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at their port of entry (most commonly it is done upon entry to the United States from Canada, but entry in TN status is permitted at any port of entry, such as an airport with United States border preclearance). The T…
Mexican citizens in the United States
A Mexican citizen must first obtain a U.S. TN-2 visa at an American consulate (generally in Mexico). Once the TN visa stamp is in the Mexican citizen's passport, they may enter the U.S. with TN status in a similar manner to a Canadian citizen. In fiscal years 2007 through 2009, between 4,000 and 5,000 TN visas (including TN-2 visas for Mexicans) were issued by U.S. consulates each year.
Extension options
Renewal/extension of TN status can be done either by mail (which requires filing of form I-129 "Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker" by the employer, along with proof of the TN holder's citizenship and education, and an extension letter similar to the original offer letter) or by duplication of the original process (for Mexican citizens, a trip to a US consulate; for Canadians leaving and re-entering U.S., document requirements are similar to those for obtaining the origin…
Income tax requirements
Canadian TN status workers are responsible for US Medicare, State, Federal and Social Security taxes in the US. US TN status workers in Canada are also subject to corresponding income tax liabilities and end-of-year filing of tax returns in Canada. In general, there will be income tax liabilities in accordance to where the employee works regardless of where legal or physical residence is maintained during employment. This is much like US citizens who live in one state b…
Comparison to H-1B visa
TN status has some similarities with the H-1B visa. TN status may be easier for some Canadians or Mexicans to obtain, as they are not subject to the annual cap for H-1B visas issued.
But the most important difference is that TN status does not include the doctrine of dual intent. Therefore, Canadians or Mexicans on TN status must be careful if they desire to ultimately pursue the green card. Either they should first switch to the H-1B visa before applying for the green card…