TN Visa Licensing Requirements
Satisfaction of State License Requirements No Longer Mandatory for Admission under TN Visa Status:
- Previously, regulations provided that Canadians applying for TN visa status were to meet all applicable requirements of the state in which they intend to practice.
- In 2004, USCIS adopted a rule that removes the requirement that a Canadian TN must present a license at the time of application for admission to the United States. See 69 FR 60939. In select instances, a license is noted as an alternative document for entry, but not as a required primary document for entry. In no case is a license required by a prospective Canadian TN applicant as the absolute primary documentary requirement for entry.
- However, all Canadian TN nonimmigrants are still subject to any individual state’s licensure requirements. In those jurisdictions where a particular profession or occupation requires licensure, State or Federal law will require the TN worker’s employer to ensure that the TN worker has the proper license before the he or she commences employment. For example, Canadian registered nurses will need to obtain any required state licensure before they may begin work in the U.S., but the state license is not a mandatory documentary requirement for entry.
Reference Materials:
Revised March 23, 2008.