IN THIS GUIDE · Let the credential rule of the listed profession decide whether a Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier offer is a TN case
Start with the TN eligibility and application overview
Find the line in Appendix 2 first
Hypothetical example: a forester living in Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier is offered a timber-management position with a Maine landowner. The Appendix 2 entry for Forester accepts a baccalaureate or a state or provincial licence, so the deciding document is the Québec order's licence or the degree, not a résumé listing years of fieldwork. Locate the entry before the employer drafts anything, because the letter must describe duties that belong to that profession, and the qualification column tells the applicant which document to put on top of the file.
Check what usually goes wrong
Refusals at the port of entry in TN cases tend to trace back to three mismatches: duties that read like a trade or supervisory job rather than the listed profession, a credential that exists but is not the one the entry names, and an employment arrangement that is actually contracting through the applicant's own company. Test each of these against the real offer. If the forester will also be selling equipment on commission, that activity belongs in the letter so it can be assessed, not left out to keep the story tidy.
Ask the employer for a letter that states facts
The support letter should identify the employer, the professional position, the duties, the qualification the applicant holds and the period of employment, which can be up to three years. Ask the U.S. employer to describe the actual work in plain sentences and to avoid borrowed language from other TN letters. Where a staffing agency or a client site is involved, say so; the port of entry can ask about the arrangement, and an undisclosed intermediary is harder to explain later than upfront.
Decide between the port of entry and an I-129
Canadian citizens can apply for TN admission at a Class A port of entry or preclearance location with the letter and supporting documents, or the employer can file Form I-129 with USCIS and the applicant travels after approval. No visa stamp is needed for Canadians. The port-of-entry route is fast but public; the petition route takes longer and produces a written decision. Choose based on how much the file depends on judgment calls, and check the current fee on the USCIS fee schedule for whichever path is used.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.