Before the employer drafts a support letter, list the individual claims the file must establish: citizenship, an identified professional position, and the specific qualification the listed profession requires. Assign each claim a record and a person who can confirm it. This produces a genuinely useful review file without inflating the description of the actual job.
Start with whichever duty needs the most clarification
Hypothetical example: a St. Catharines offer describes both technical design work and day-to-day project coordination. Ask the hiring manager for a typical week and the concrete deliverables expected. Keep both categories of activity visible in the working file, since the reviewer needs to assess the actual position against the listed profession rather than a title chosen first and duties trimmed to match it afterward.
Keep employer-verified facts separate from credential facts
The employer confirms the role, pay, and intended period, while the applicant supplies the actual qualification and identity records. Retain original credential names and identify whether translation or a formal credential evaluation is genuinely required before commissioning either service. An employer's stated confidence in the candidate is not itself proof of a degree, licence, or years of qualifying experience.
Resolve every discrepancy before anyone signs
Compare the offer, any staffing-agency or client agreement, and the proposed support letter side by side. Identify the current version of each document and ask the responsible party to explain any material difference. Disclose ownership interests and the real employer relationship, and let the finished file describe the job that will actually be performed rather than a version smoothed over to look consistent. TN principals must be Canadian or Mexican citizens in a listed profession with its prescribed qualifications. A degree from an institution outside Canada, Mexico or the United States needs a reliable foreign-credential evaluation. TN cannot cover services to a U.S. entity solely owned or controlled by the applicant; a foreign business interest alone is not a blanket bar. Canadian citizens generally may seek TN admission without a TN visa; Mexican citizens generally need the visa. Neither process removes temporary-intent or any applicable practice-licensing requirement.
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.