IN THIS GUIDE · Decide between the port of entry and a USCIS petition before a Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval TN file is finalized
Start with the TN eligibility and application overview
Understand what each route allows you to explain
Hypothetical example: a Sainte-Brigitte-de-Laval medical laboratory technologist with an offer from a U.S. hospital laboratory has a college diploma and provincial registration but no baccalaureate. The Appendix 2 entry for medical laboratory technologists accepts a degree or a post-secondary diploma plus three years' experience. At a port of entry she can answer questions about her experience directly; in a petition, the experience must be fully documented in writing because no one will ask. The route determines how the evidence is packaged.
Weigh speed against a written decision
A port-of-entry application is decided the same day and needs no advance filing, but a refusal is recorded and must be disclosed afterwards. A USCIS petition takes weeks or longer, can be expedited for a fee, and produces an approval notice that an employer can rely on before the applicant resigns. An applicant whose credential is unconventional, whose duties straddle two professions, or who has a prior refusal is often better served by the petition.
Write the employer letter for the chosen route
For the border, the letter must be complete on its face: profession, Appendix 2 basis, duties, qualification, pay, period, temporary intent, since the officer reads it once. For a petition, the letter is accompanied by a form and exhibits, and it should cross-reference them. In both cases the letter should avoid claiming a title the duties do not support and should disclose any agency or client relationship.
Keep the ownership and self-employment questions visible
If the applicant holds shares in the U.S. employer or would work through her own company, TN may still be possible but the arrangement must be reviewed against the self-employment bar. Disclose it in the letter rather than hoping it is not noticed. TD dependants may study but not work, and a spouse's work plans need their own route.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.