Read the general professional work overview
Hypothetical example: a physiotherapist in Inverness County receives a United States offer that describes the position as a consultant paid by invoice against a fee schedule. TN requires prearranged professional employment for a United States employer, and self-employment in the United States is not permitted. Before the credential question is even reached, the structure of the engagement has to be examined, because a contractor arrangement may not support the classification at all. Hypothetical example: A university librarian receives an offer to manage research services for an American college, but the letter calls the role an information strategist. The decision is whether the actual duties and qualification fit a listed TN profession before collecting every possible record. The first review should produce a duty comparison, an evidence list, and a named employer. A Canadian citizen can request classification on arrival for inspection, while an employer may use the USCIS Form I-129 process. Neither route permits independently operating an American business under TN.
Ask who the employer actually is
Read the offer for the facts rather than the labels. Who directs the work and sets the schedule? Who supplies the premises and equipment? Who bears the professional liability insurance? Is the physiotherapist paid a wage or issuing invoices, and to whom? A clinic that treats a practitioner as an independent contractor for its own payroll reasons may still be an employer in substance, or may not be. That determination shapes whether a TN request is viable, and it is better made by an adviser looking at the whole arrangement than assumed from the word used in the heading. The reader must decide whether the facts show employment or an independent engagement. Obtain the signed offer, reporting line, compensation terms, and any agency agreement. These records settle control and payment better than a job title. If the college contracts with a staffing firm, identify the actual employer and the relationship among all parties before drafting the support letter.
Distinguish an agency from the place of work
Where a staffing agency arranges placements at clinics, identify which entity is the employer and which is the client. The letter should come from the entity that will employ the applicant, name the client sites if the work is performed at them, and describe who supervises the professional work and who pays the wage. Arrangements where the applicant effectively bills clinics directly, chooses which of them to serve and carries their own liability cover look much more like self-employment, which the classification does not permit. If any ownership interest in a United States clinic exists, however small, it should be disclosed rather than left out because it seems immaterial to the job. The reader must decide whether the placement structure changes the employer analysis. A client-site assignment can be workable only when the evidence accurately explains who employs, supervises, and pays the professional. Keep the agency contract, placement statement, and client description together. Do not use a generic client letter to conceal direct billing or ownership facts.
Then return to the credential
Once the employment structure is sound, the profession's own entry on the agreement's professional list governs the qualification. For physiotherapy that ordinarily involves both the required degree and, in practice, the licensing requirements of the state where the work will occur, which are a separate process with their own timelines. Ask the state board what it requires and how long it takes before agreeing a start date. A Canadian citizen requests the classification at a port of entry or through an employer petition, and holds no visa foil, so the file has to be complete when it is presented. The reader must decide which credential is the controlling one. Read the relevant profession entry before ordering transcripts, evaluations, or licensing confirmations. The original degree record settles education; a regulator's current verification settles registration. If neither matches the entry, a polished package does not cure the mismatch, and the worker should not begin services before the relevant permission exists.
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.