TN Visa Canada: The CUSMA Professional Work Permit Explained

How does a US or Mexican citizen apply to work in Canada under CUSMA?

Short answer: The process has two halves, employer first. Your Canadian employer submits an offer of employment through the Employer Portal and pays the employer compliance fee, which produces an offer number. You then apply for the employer-specific work permit using that number, either online before you travel or, depending on your situation, on arrival. IRCC sets out the employer's duties on the Hire through the International Mobility Program page.

A few practical points follow from being employer-specific. You can work only for the employer on the permit, in the role it names. If you change employers, you generally need a new permit. Bring proof of citizenship, your job offer, and your credentials, and be ready to show how your occupation matches the listed profession.

How is the US TN visa different from the Canadian CUSMA work permit?

Short answer: They face opposite directions and answer to different governments. The TN visa carries Canadian or Mexican citizens into the United States and is decided by US authorities. The CUSMA professional work permit carries United States or Mexican citizens into Canada and is decided by IRCC. The same trade agreement underpins both; the United States calls it USMCA, Canada calls it CUSMA, and Mexico calls it T-MEC. The table sets the two side by side.

The practical takeaway: a US citizen reads the Canada column, and a Canadian citizen reads the United States column. Mexican citizens can appear in either, depending on the direction of the move.

What does the US TN visa involve for Canadian citizens?

Short answer: It lets a Canadian citizen work in the United States in a listed profession, and it is a US process from start to finish. You apply on the strength of a US job offer in a qualifying occupation, and Canadian citizens usually request TN status at a United States port of entry rather than getting a visa sticker in the passport. The decision is made by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), with policy set alongside US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Canadian permanent residents are not eligible; the route is for citizens.

Two limits matter. TN is a non-immigrant status, which means it does not carry "dual intent," so it is not designed as a step toward a US green card. And it is profession-bound and employer-specific on the US side as well. Because this is United States immigration, a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant cannot act for you on it. Start with the official USCIS TN USMCA professionals page and a US immigration attorney.

Can the CUSMA work permit lead to permanent residence in Canada?

Short answer: Indirectly, yes. The permit itself is temporary, but the skilled Canadian work experience you gain on it can count toward permanent residence later. Time worked in Canada can support an Express Entry profile through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), or a nomination under a Provincial Nominee Program (PNP). Permanent residence is always a separate application with its own criteria; the work permit does not convert into it automatically.

If permanent residence is the goal, treat the CUSMA permit as the first move, not the finish. Keep records of your hours and duties, confirm your occupation's skill level early, and look at the Express Entry streams while you work. The right sequence can turn a temporary professional posting into a durable Canadian future.

Frequently asked questions

These are the questions we hear most from United States and Mexican professionals looking at Canada, and from Canadians asking about the United States route. Each answer keeps the two directions apart, so you can act on the one that actually applies to your citizenship and your destination.

Who is eligible for a Canadian TN visa?

There is no permit literally called a "Canadian TN visa." The Canadian equivalent is the CUSMA professional work permit, open to United States and Mexican citizens whose occupation is on the CUSMA professionals list and who hold a prearranged Canadian job offer in that profession with the required credentials.

Do Canadians need a TN visa to work in the US?

A Canadian citizen needs TN status to work in the United States in a qualifying TN profession, but usually not a visa sticker. Canadians typically request TN status at a US port of entry. It is a US process decided by US authorities, not by Canada.

Can a Canada PR apply for a TN visa?

No. The TN route is for citizens of Canada, the United States, or Mexico, depending on direction. A Canadian permanent resident who is not also a citizen of one of those three countries cannot use it, on either side of the border.

Is a TN visa better than an H-1B?

It depends on the person. TN is faster and cheaper and has no annual cap, but it is profession-bound and is a non-immigrant status with no dual intent. The H-1B allows dual intent, which can suit someone aiming at a US green card. This is a United States comparison, so confirm it with a US immigration attorney.

What are the disadvantages of a TN visa?

The main drawbacks are that it ties you to one employer and one listed profession, it is temporary, and it carries no built-in path to permanent residence. On the US side, the absence of dual intent can complicate a later green card. On the Canadian side, the CUSMA permit shares the same employer-specific and temporary limits.

How can a licensed RCIC help with your CUSMA work permit?

Short answer: On the Canadian side, the details decide the case. Go Far Global is a licensed Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) firm in Toronto, regulated by the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC). We confirm that your occupation truly matches the CUSMA professionals list, structure the employer's offer of employment and compliance step, prepare the work permit application, and map whether your Canadian experience can later support permanent residence. Because we are regulated for Canadian immigration, we advise on the Canada-bound CUSMA permit, not the United States TN. Book a consultation to confirm your route.

Sources

• IRCC, Business people: Work in Canada under a free trade agreement
• IRCC, Hire through the International Mobility Program
• IRCC, Express Entry: Canadian Experience Class
• IRCC, Immigrate as a provincial nominee
• IRCC, Immigrate through Express Entry
• USCIS, TN USMCA professionals (United States side only)

Go Far Global is a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) firm in Toronto. We represent clients on Canadian immigration matters only. The United States TN visa is a US process handled by US authorities; the US section above is general information, not legal advice.