Short answer
A TN support letter for a graphic designer 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 design work — concepts, layouts, typography and brand systems — not production, marketing or web development. Source: 8 CFR 214.6(d)(3), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What a graphic designer 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 Graphic Designer, three details deserve extra care:
- The list entry, quoted exactly: “Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate, and three years experience.”
- The credential route you actually use. Either a degree, or a post-secondary diploma or certificate plus three years of experience, with letters from past employers proving that experience. This sample shows the degree route, so the qualifications paragraph names the degree, its field, the school, the country and the year.
- What the diploma route means. The list defines a post-secondary diploma as a credential issued on completion of two or more years of post-secondary education by an accredited academic institution in Canada or the United States. Whichever route you use, the duties should describe design work: concepts, layouts, typography and brand systems.
Annotated sample letter for a graphic designer
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 Chloe Anne Example, citizen of Canada
Profession: Graphic Designer (USMCA, Chapter 16, Annex 16-A, Appendix 2)
Position: Graphic Designer
Requested period: Three years, February 1, 2027 through January 31, 2030
Dear Officer:
Example Brand Studio Inc. (the “Company”) respectfully requests that Chloe Anne 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 a Graphic Designer in the full-time position of Graphic Designer.
About the Company. Example Brand Studio is a design studio that creates brand identities, packaging and marketing materials for consumer businesses. The Company is located at 45 Sample Lane, Suite 210, Portland, OR 97205.
The position. As Graphic Designer, Ms. Example will perform professional graphic design work, reporting to the Company’s Creative Director. The position is based in Portland, OR. Ms. Example’s principal duties will include:
- Develop visual concepts and design solutions for print and digital media.
- Consult with clients and art directors to define project objectives and design requirements.
- Create layouts, typography and color systems for brand and marketing materials.
- Design logos, illustrations and other visual elements.
- Present design concepts to stakeholders and refine them based on feedback.
- Develop and maintain brand identity guidelines.
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 Graphic Designer as: “Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post-Secondary Certificate, and three years experience.”
Ms. Example’s qualifications. Ms. Example holds a Bachelor of Design in Graphic Design (Example University, Canada, 2019).
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$68,000, 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 a Graphic Designer for the period stated above. Please contact me at [email protected] if you require any further information.
Sincerely,
Julia Marie Sample
Creative Director
Example Brand Studio 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 (“Graphic Designer”), 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 graphic design work: developing concepts, consulting on project objectives, layouts, typography and colour systems, logos and illustrations, presenting and refining concepts, and brand identity guidelines. None of them is operating printing equipment, print production, posting on social media or web development.
- The minimum requirement quotes the list entry word for word, including the diploma alternative.
- 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. On the diploma route, the qualifications paragraph names the diploma and the three years of experience instead.
Common graphic designer letter mistakes
- Production work. Operating printing equipment, print production and preparing files for production read as production work rather than design. If those tasks are a real part of the job, describe them accurately and discuss the letter with your employer. Consider an independent review by a U.S. immigration lawyer.
- Marketing and web duties. Posting on social media, marketing coordination and building websites read as marketing or development work, not graphic design.
- A title that points elsewhere. Titles such as Web Developer, Production Artist, Desktop Publisher, Print Technician or Social Media Coordinator usually describe different work. UI and UX titles vary widely between companies, so the duties decide it. Keep the real title, and make sure the duties honestly describe what you do.
- The diploma route without the experience. On the diploma route, the diploma and three years of experience are presented together. A letter that names the diploma but not the experience — or experience letters without titles, dates and the design work done — leaves the route unsupported.
- 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 graphic designer letter
Answer plain-English questions, pick from design-focused duty suggestions, and get flags for production or web-development wording. Preview free; $99 USD to download.
Common questions
Is there an official TN support letter for graphic designers?
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.
Do I need a degree for TN Graphic Designer?
No. The list entry accepts a bachelor’s degree, or a post-secondary diploma together with three years of experience. The list defines a post-secondary diploma as a credential issued after two or more years of post-secondary education by an accredited academic institution in Canada or the U.S. (The list also names a Post-Secondary Certificate, which its definitions describe as a Mexican credential.)
Can a UX or UI designer use this sample letter?
Titles vary widely. What matters is whether the duties describe graphic design work. Roles centred on user research, product management or front-end coding read differently. TNPath doesn’t assess where a particular role falls; if it’s borderline, get independent advice.
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)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Graphic Designers (Occupational Outlook Handbook)
- 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.