Use the listed graphic-designer routes
Graphic Designer is a listed TN profession. Its credentials are a baccalaureate or licenciatura degree, or a qualifying postsecondary diploma or certificate plus three years of experience. The diploma and certificate terms have specific definitions; an informal course certificate is not automatically equivalent. Review the actual institution, program and document rather than the English label alone. A first review should produce a route chart showing which document answers program length, accreditation and credential type. That chart exposes a missing institutional record before experience letters are drafted.
Explain experience without changing its nature
Identify dates, duties and a reliable source for each relevant period. Distinguish employment, independent work, study and portfolio projects. Do not silently count concurrent periods twice or portray a school project as paid employment. An experience narrative should explain the actual record and any uncertainty for review, not promise that every project will satisfy the requirement. Use a dated matrix that assigns each claimed month to one employer or project and identifies the best corroborating record. This avoids an impressive portfolio being used to conceal a gap in the chronology.
Check the proposed U.S. activity separately
TN also requires Canadian or Mexican citizenship, qualifying prearranged professional activity and temporary entry. The employer may be U.S. or foreign. Owning the sole or controlling interest in the U.S. receiving enterprise is treated as prohibited TN self-employment; assigning another person to supervise does not cure that issue. Review design duties that also include sales or general business operations rather than relying on the title. Decide early whether the proposed role is professional design work or a business-owner arrangement. The answer determines which facts must be disclosed and prevents a late change in the stated work model.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.