Short answer
A TN support letter for an economist is written by the U.S. employer and should cover the TN profession, the job’s professional activities, the length of stay, your credentials and your pay. For this category, the duties should read as professional economics work — research, modelling and forecasting. USCIS guidance (June 2025) excludes financial analysts, market research analysts and marketing specialists from this category. Source: 8 CFR 214.6(d)(3), USCIS Policy Manual.
What an economist letter must contain
No government form exists for the letter. Under 8 CFR 214.6(d)(3)(ii), the documentation for a Canadian applicant should describe the profession, the professional activities with a summary of daily duties, the anticipated length of stay, the applicant’s educational qualifications or credentials, and the arrangements for pay. For Economist, three details deserve extra care:
- The list entry, quoted exactly: “Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.”
- The degree is the only route. There is no licence or experience alternative. The entry names no field, but USCIS guidance looks for a degree related to the position, so this sample names the degree, its field, the school, the country and the year — an economics degree, matching the documents the applicant brings.
- Duties that describe economics work. Research, econometric modelling and forecasting, data analysis and written findings read as the profession. Officers look at the role’s primary purpose rather than its title, and USCIS guidance (June 2025) excludes financial analysts, market research analysts and marketing specialists from this category.
Annotated sample letter for an economist
Fictional example. Every name, company, address, date and salary below is invented to show the structure. Your letter must describe your real job, confirmed by your employer.
January 15, 2027
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Re: Request for TN classification for Sofia Marie Example, citizen of Canada
Profession: Economist (USMCA, Chapter 16, Annex 16-A, Appendix 2)
Position: Economist
Requested period: Three years, February 1, 2027 through January 31, 2030
Dear Officer:
Example Regional Economics Inc. (the “Company”) respectfully requests that Sofia Marie Example, a citizen of Canada, be admitted to the United States in TN status under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to work for the Company as an Economist in the full-time position of Economist.
About the Company. Example Regional Economics provides economic research and forecasting services to businesses and public agencies in the Pacific Northwest. The Company is located at 1200 Sample Avenue, Suite 800, Seattle, WA 98101.
The position. As Economist, Ms. Example will perform professional economics work, reporting to the Company’s Director of Research. The position is based in Seattle, WA. Ms. Example’s principal duties will include:
- Conduct economic research on markets, industries and policy issues.
- Build and maintain econometric models and forecasts.
- Analyze economic data and prepare written findings for management.
- Evaluate the economic impact of proposed business decisions.
- Prepare reports on economic trends affecting the company.
- Present economic analysis to executives and stakeholders.
The TN list of professions (Appendix 2 to Annex 16-A of the USMCA, set out in 8 CFR 214.6(c)) states the minimum requirement for Economist as: “Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.”
Ms. Example’s qualifications. Ms. Example holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics (Example University, Canada, 2017).
Length of stay. This is a temporary position. The Company anticipates requiring Ms. Example’s services for a period of three (3) years, beginning on or about February 1, 2027 and ending on January 31, 2030.
Remuneration. Ms. Example will be employed full-time, working 40 hours per week, at an annual base salary of US$92,000, paid through the Company’s U.S. payroll. Ms. Example will also be eligible for the Company’s standard employee benefits.
We respectfully request that Ms. Example be admitted in TN status as an Economist for the period stated above. Please contact me at [email protected] if you require any further information.
Sincerely,
Karen Louise Sample
Director of Research
Example Regional Economics Inc.
What each numbered part is doing
- The Re: block names the applicant, “citizen of Canada”, the TN profession exactly as it appears on the list (“Economist”), the job title and the requested dates.
- The request connects the employer, the applicant, the TN profession and the position in one sentence.
- About the Company says what the employer does, in its own words, and where it is.
- The position and duties carry the case. Every duty describes professional economics work: research, econometric models and forecasts, analysis and written findings, evaluating the impact of decisions, trend reporting and presenting analysis. None of them is data entry, bookkeeping or marketing work.
- The minimum requirement quotes the list entry word for word.
- Qualifications state the credential the applicant actually holds — the degree, its field, the school, the country and the year — matching the documents they bring.
- Length of stay says the job is temporary and gives dates, up to three years.
- Remuneration states pay, hours and the U.S. payroll.
This sample was generated by the same engine that builds TNPath letters, from fictional answers. The degree route is shown — the only route this list entry names.
Common economist letter mistakes
- Excluded analyst roles. USCIS guidance (June 2025) specifically excludes financial analysts, market research analysts and marketing specialists from the Economist category. A letter describing that work doesn’t become economics work by using this sample’s structure.
- A title that points elsewhere. Titles such as Business Analyst, Data Analyst and Investment Analyst draw questions if the work isn’t economics. Officers look at the role’s primary purpose rather than its title. Keep the real title, and make sure the duties honestly describe what you do.
- Clerical or general business duties. Data entry, bookkeeping and marketing work read as clerical or general business analysis rather than professional economics work.
- A degree unrelated to the work. USCIS guidance looks for a degree related to the position. An economics degree, or one with substantial economics content, keeps the packet coherent; if the relationship between your degree and the work is unclear, consider an independent review by a U.S. immigration lawyer.
- No dates or pay. A letter without a period of stay or pay arrangements leaves out elements the regulation describes, and officers focus on a clearly temporary stay with defined dates.
Never add or inflate duties to fit a category. Every line should be something your employer will confirm and you can describe in your own words at the border.
Build your own economist letter
Answer plain-English questions, pick from economics-focused duty suggestions, and get flags for excluded-analyst wording. Preview free; $99 USD to download.
Common questions
Is there an official TN support letter for economists?
No. There’s no government form. The regulation, 8 CFR 214.6(d)(3), describes what the employer’s letter should cover, and the sample on this page is one way to lay it out.
Does the degree have to be in economics?
The list entry names a degree without a field, but USCIS guidance looks for a degree related to the position. A degree with substantial economics content keeps the packet coherent. If the relationship between your degree and the proposed work is unclear, consider independent immigration advice.
My job title is financial analyst. Can I use this sample letter?
USCIS guidance specifically excludes financial analysts from the Economist category, and officers look at the role’s primary purpose, not its title. If your work is genuinely economic research or forecasting, that’s a conversation to have with an immigration lawyer. TNPath doesn’t decide which category fits a job.
Who signs the letter?
Someone at the U.S. employer with authority who knows the role, such as the hiring manager or an HR representative, on company letterhead.
Will TNPath tell me whether I qualify?
No. TNPath is a document-assembly tool. It organizes the facts you provide into templates and gives general information. It doesn’t make eligibility determinations or recommend case-specific strategy. Only U.S. Customs and Border Protection decides whether to admit you.
Sources
- 8 CFR 214.6: Citizens of Canada or Mexico seeking TN status (Cornell LII)
- USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 2, Part P: USMCA Professionals (TN)
- CBP: Traveling on a TN visa or L-1 from Canada
Last reviewed October 19, 2026. General information, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with official sources before you travel.