TN Visa Process Overview

The TN nonimmigrant status allows professionals from Canada and Mexico to work in the U.S. Mexican
professionals must obtain a TN visa at a U.S. Consulate or Embassy to enter the U.S. Canadian
professionals can request TN status at a U.S. port of entry.

TN Visa is approved for a 3-year entry. It is renewable an indefinite number of times, as long as they
continue to show intent to return to Mexico.

Although technically “Mechanics” aren’t listed as a professional under the TN Requirements, a loophole
allows them to be considered under the “Scientific Technician” category.

Basic Requirements:

Active FAA A&P certifications are preferred. A two-year degree from college is required to qualify for a
TN visa. You must have at least two (2) years of recent working experience as an Airframe & Powerplant
Mechanic. Requires easy mobility and dexterity.

In order to qualify for FAA A&P Exams, candidates must have three (3) years of experience + their
Mexican Technician license.

In Mexico, technicians have to renew their license every 5 years until they turn 50, then it's every 2 years.

Placement Process:

 Step 1: Complete the placement in BH. We will need to initiate onboarding using the address of their
worksite as their permanent address. Once onboarding is complete, we can switch it back to their
Mexico address. Compliance will send out a spreadsheet to recruiters who will communicate with the
employee to make sure they have everything they need for tracking, which will need to be done as
usual on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. In order to complete employment verification, employee
must send us letters/documentation from their previous employers.

 Step 2: Candidate applies for the TN Visa. Only Ciudad Juarez, Mexico City and Guadalajara are
processing TN’s at this time, with Ciudad Juarez having the quickest processing times. Appointments
are usually 2 to 3 months out, but once scheduled, Candidate can check back for cancellations to get a
sooner timeslot. More info on application process at https://ais.usvisa-info.com/.

Steps to Obtain Visa:

o Candidate will complete the DS-160 application at https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/. There is a

lot of information to be filled out so the application can take some time to complete. Spouse
and children under the age of 21 must apply for a TD nonimmigrant visa at an American
 Embassy. We do not prepare anything on their behalf. The base nonimmigrant visa fee is
$190. Here is a comprehensive guide to filling out the visa application:
https://visaguide.world/us-visa/ds-160/.
o The candidate will schedule 2 appointments, one for the interview and the other one for the
biometrics (photo and fingerprints). For the interview, they will need to bring the TN Letter
and supporting documents. They should review the letter thoroughly so they can answer all
questions asked by the US Consulate Officer.
o Once approved, there is a “reciprocity fee” that is country specific and visa type specific. For
TNs, that is $79 for a one year visa or $357 for a 4 year visa stamp.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-
Country/Mexico.html. They will still be admitted for only three years at a time but the visa
validity is the time in which they can present themselves at the border. In other words, if visa
expires tomorrow, they can still be admitted for three years if applied today.
o After the payment, they can pick up the visa at the consulate office in 10 business days. The
cost of the TN visa will be reimbursed to the employee once they start.
o Transferring a Visa: If candidate is transferring a visa from another employer, they will not
have to schedule an appointment with the US Consulate if their visa is still valid. They will
just present the valid visa stamp and letter from STS at the border. There will be a fee at the
border of $50 plus a $6 I-94 fee to adjudicate the new TN application. If their visa has
expired, they will need to go through the US consulate.

 Step 3: Prepare TN Visa documents to be sent to the lawyer. Recruiter will complete Master TN
checklist B. Candidate will complete Master TN checklist C: This should be completed and returned
within 72 hours of an accepted job offer. Recruiter sends the following email to Robin Pecaro &
Brian Boje attaching both Master TN checklists, passport, license, education & training documents,
resume and current visa (if applicable):

Good morning/afternoon,

I am requesting a TN Visa letter for CANDIDATE. He/She has an appointment scheduled

with the US Consulate at LOCATION on DATE. He/She will tentatively start on DATE.

 Attached documents Current Visa (if they have one)

 Passport
 License, Education & Training documents
 Resume
 TN Checklist B
 TN Checklist C

Thank you,
 Step 3: An electronic copy of the TN Visa letter will be provided to Recruiter to provide to the
candidate. The original signed copy will be mailed via FedEx (provide tracking # to candidate).
Candidate must bring original letter along with supporting documents to the appointment.

 Step 4: Once TN Visa is obtained, we can schedule them to travel to the US 10 Days before their
tentative start date. Once in the US, we will then schedule the drug test. They will need to use their
passport as ID when they take the drug test. They will also need to apply for a SSN and will need to
provide that letter along with the TN Visa approval letter to Compliance. We will have to wait to
begin the background check until they get their SSN which can take 4 to 8 weeks. We will approve
Clear to Start so they can start before the background check is completed. For the employment
verification, they will need to provide documentation to prevent us from calling companies in Mexico
to get verified (letters from employers).

***Note: If the employee works out for at least 6 months, we can consider starting the paperwork for
the immigration visa if they want to stay in the US permanently.

Other TN Visa FAQ’s

1. Can they bring their spouse/children? Spouse and unmarried children under 21 can accompany TN
as TD Dependents with same expiration dates.
2. Can they sign their children up for school while in the US on a TN Visa? Yes
3. Will the process take the same amount of time for their spouse and children (will they be able to
enter the US at the same time)? If coming from Mexico, they each need to apply for their own TD
Dependent visa. They can come with TN or come later. It doesn’t matter.
4. On the DS-160, what do they put as their address where they will be staying (if they do not know
yet): They should use the worksite address if they have no other.
5. Would spouse be able to get a social security card and sign up for benefits w/us? Employees and/or
dependents can be enrolled under the plan insurance without an SSN. Cigna’s eligibility team
would create a pseudo-SSN for enrollment purposes in order to create an AMI number. The TD
visa isn’t an issue.