Read the general professional work overview
A TN file is a set of answers to fixed questions: is the applicant a Canadian or Mexican citizen, is the work in a listed profession, does the applicant meet that profession's own qualification rule, is the employment prearranged and temporary, and is there any self-employment or ownership issue. Each answer has one best document. For a social worker the qualification rule accepts a degree or a state or provincial licence, so the file should be built so that an officer can find each answer in seconds rather than reconstruct it from a résumé.
Citizenship and the profession: two documents, no ambiguity
Hypothetical example: a Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval social worker employed by a Québec City health agency is offered a case-management position with a U.S. community-health organization. The citizenship answer is her Canadian passport; if she holds a passport from another country as well, she presents the Canadian one for TN and does not rely on the other. The profession answer is the employer's letter, which must state that the position is that of a social worker within the meaning of Appendix 2 and describe duties recognisable as social work: assessment, case planning, counselling, referral. If the letter describes program administration or supervision of a team, the officer may conclude the job is managerial rather than professional. Ask the employer to write the letter from the duties the job actually involves and to avoid an inflated title.
Qualification: the licence or the degree, not both halves of each
The Appendix 2 entry for social workers accepts a baccalaureate or licenciatura degree, or a state or provincial licence. The applicant should decide which she is relying on and document that one completely. If the degree, present the official transcript and diploma, with a certified English translation where the originals are in French, and a short credential summary showing the degree is in social work or a closely related field. If the licence, present the current certificate of registration from the Québec professional order and a letter of good standing. Separately, check whether the U.S. state requires its own social-work licence to perform the duties, and if so, note its status in the letter; that is a practice question, but an employer letter that promises duties the applicant cannot lawfully perform undermines the whole file.
Prearranged, temporary and not self-employed: the letter carries these
The employer letter must state the start date, the expected period of employment up to three years, the remuneration and the fact that the applicant will be an employee of the organization. Add a sentence confirming the applicant holds no ownership interest in the employer, or disclosing one if she does, because self-employment in the United States is not permitted under TN and an undisclosed interest is worse than a disclosed one. Finally, add a résumé whose dates agree with the transcript and the letter, and any prior U.S. admission or refusal records. Decide with the employer whether to present at a port of entry or file an I-129 petition; for a first application with a licence-based qualification and French-language records, the petition's written process can be the safer choice.
What else is on your mind?
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?Can my spouse work if I hold TN status?Editorial source review: 2026-09-07. General preparation guidance, not an individual assessment.