Read the general professional work overview
Hypothetical example: an agronomist from Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel has a degree that plainly meets the Agriculturist entry and an offer whose title, territory agronomist, could describe either professional advice or seed sales. The credential is not the problem; the duties are. Before any letter is drafted, five written questions to the employer settle what the job is, and their answers become the support letter. A file built that way survives the port of entry because the applicant and the employer describe the same work.
The five questions and why each matters
First, what advice will the agronomist give, to whom and in what form; this establishes professional content. Second, what trials, sampling or data analysis the role includes; this shows applied science rather than product promotion. Third, what share of a typical week goes to those tasks compared with order-taking and account management; this tests whether the profession dominates. Fourth, how performance is measured and by whom; a supervising agronomist and agronomic measures point one way, a sales manager and volume targets the other. Fifth, how compensation is structured; a professional salary with a small bonus differs from commission-based pay. Written answers to these questions are the substance of the case.
Turn the answers into the letter and the package
The support letter should quote the employer's answers rather than paraphrase them into template language, state the degree the role requires and why, name the applicant's degree and institution, set out the temporary period and salary, and confirm the applicant holds no ownership in the company. Attach the internal job description if one exists. The credential package is the diploma and transcript, with certified translation of French documents under the USCIS rule; a Canadian degree needs no evaluation. Add proof of Canadian or Mexican citizenship. For dependants, prepare TD documents and note that TD permits study but not employment. Keep originals for the port of entry.
Prepare the applicant, not only the paper
At the port of entry the officer will ask the applicant what the job is. An agronomist who answers in terms of growers, crops, recommendations and trials is describing a listed profession; one who answers in terms of quotas and territory is describing sales, whatever the letter says. Rehearse the description from the employer's own answers. Confirm the entry route: port-of-entry presentation for a same-day decision, or Form I-129 for a decision before travel. Admission may be granted for up to three years and renewed. If the employer cannot answer the five questions in a way that describes agronomy, the honest conclusion is that the position is not a TN position, and that is better learned before the drive to the border.
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.