Read the general eligibility basics overview
Hypothetical example: the operations manager of a hotel near the airport in L'Ancienne-Lorette became a Canadian citizen last year; her husband, from a country that is not a U.S. treaty partner, holds Canadian permanent residence. A U.S. hotel group has offered her a role. Her citizenship certificate date is now the most important date in the file, because a Canadian passport issued after naturalization is what makes TN available. Her husband's permanent residence makes him neither a TN candidate nor an E-2 principal, and his own route depends on his own facts.
Check what each document proves and when it began
A Canadian passport proves citizenship on its face, but a recently naturalized applicant should carry the citizenship certificate too, because prior U.S. entries on a foreign passport will be on record and the change should be explained by a document, not a conversation. TN turns on Canadian or Mexican citizenship, which she now has. Her husband's permanent-resident card proves Canadian status, not citizenship; TN is closed to him. Because his passport is from a country without a qualifying treaty, E-2 principal status is also closed. He can be a dependant on her status, or an L-1 transferee on his own employment history, since L-1 asks nothing about nationality.
Test her offer against the hotel manager's actual entry
Hotel Manager is an Appendix 2 profession with its own rule: a baccalaureate or Licenciatura degree in hotel or restaurant management, or a post-secondary diploma or certificate in that field plus three years of experience. Her file must match one branch exactly; a business degree in another field does not fit the first, and management experience without the hospitality diploma does not fit the second. The U.S. hotel group's letter must describe a hotel-management position with duties, pay and duration, and the group must be the entity that arranged the work; any staffing intermediary must be disclosed. If her credential matches neither branch, the honest conclusion is that TN is unavailable on this offer.
Keep both spouses' Canadian obligations on the page
Her husband's permanent residence carries a residency obligation that a long U.S. stay can put at risk, and losing it while she holds a temporary U.S. status would leave the household with a Canadian problem and no U.S. solution for him. Record the date his PR obligation is measured from and how much absence it tolerates. If his own citizenship application is in progress, note the expected date; once he is a citizen TN opens to him on an offer of his own, not before. As a TD dependant he may study but not work. Put both passports, both status dates and both work intentions on one sheet before she accepts the offer.
What else is on your mind?
Does Canadian permanent residence give me access to TN?Is a matching job title enough for TN?Can years of experience replace a degree for TN?Can my own U.S. company employ me under TN?Editorial source review: 2026-09-07. General preparation guidance, not an individual assessment.