Short answer
A TN support letter for a mathematician 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 letter uses the list’s full title — Mathematician (including Statistician) — even when the job title is Statistician, and the duties should read as mathematical or statistical work. Source: 8 CFR 214.6(d)(3), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What a mathematician 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 Mathematician (including Statistician), three details deserve extra care:
- The list entry, quoted exactly: “Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.”
- The full list title, and the degree-only route. The letter names the profession as “Mathematician (including Statistician)” even though the job title is Statistician, because that is the entry on the list. The entry names a degree as the only route — no licence or experience alternative — so the qualifications paragraph names the degree, its field, the school, the country and the year.
- The actuarial note. A note to the list provides: “The term ‘Mathematician’ includes the profession of Actuary. An Actuary must satisfy the necessary requirements to be recognized as an actuary by a professional actuarial association or society. A professional actuarial association or society means a professional actuarial association or society operating in the territory of at least one of the Parties.” This sample’s role is not actuarial, so the letter doesn’t carry the note. TNPath’s builder has an actuarial option that adds the note and the applicant’s designation to the letter.
Annotated sample letter for a mathematician
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 Lucas James Example, citizen of Canada
Profession: Mathematician (including Statistician), listed in USMCA, Chapter 16, Annex 16-A, Appendix 2
Position: Statistician
Requested period: Three years, February 1, 2027 through January 31, 2030
Dear Officer:
Example Health Analytics Inc. (the “Company”) respectfully requests that Lucas James 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 Mathematician (including Statistician) in the full-time position of Statistician.
About the Company. Example Health Analytics analyzes health care data for hospitals and insurers to support planning and quality improvement. The Company is located at 300 Sample Road, Suite 450, Minneapolis, MN 55401.
The position. As Statistician, Mr. Example will perform professional mathematical and statistical work, reporting to the Company’s Director of Analytics. The position is based in Minneapolis, MN. Mr. Example’s principal duties will include:
- Develop mathematical and statistical models to analyze data and solve business problems.
- Design surveys, experiments and sampling plans to collect data.
- Apply statistical methods such as regression, time-series and Bayesian analysis.
- Validate models and assess the reliability of statistical results.
- Interpret statistical findings and present conclusions to management.
- Prepare technical reports documenting methodology and results.
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 Mathematician (including Statistician) as: “Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree.”
Mr. Example’s qualifications. Mr. Example holds a Bachelor of Science in Statistics (Example University, Canada, 2018).
Length of stay. This is a temporary position. The Company anticipates requiring Mr. Example’s services for a period of three (3) years, beginning on or about February 1, 2027 and ending on January 31, 2030.
Remuneration. Mr. Example will be employed full-time, working 40 hours per week, at an annual base salary of US$88,000, paid through the Company’s U.S. payroll. Mr. Example will also be eligible for the Company’s standard employee benefits.
We respectfully request that Mr. Example be admitted in TN status as a Mathematician (including Statistician) for the period stated above. Please contact me at [email protected] if you require any further information.
Sincerely,
Rachel Anne Sample
Director of Analytics
Example Health Analytics 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 (“Mathematician (including Statistician)”), 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 mathematical or statistical work: developing models, designing surveys and sampling plans, applying statistical methods, validating results, interpreting findings and documenting methodology. None of them is routine reporting, dashboard upkeep or database maintenance.
- 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, for a statistician role. Because the role is not actuarial, the letter does not carry the list’s actuarial note; the builder adds it, with the designation, when the actuarial option is used.
Common mathematician letter mistakes
- Reporting and dashboard duties. Routine reporting, building dashboards and spreadsheet upkeep read as reporting or data-management work rather than mathematics or statistics, even with an analytical job title.
- Programming as the main work. Roles built mainly around writing code or software development read differently from statistical work. Officers look at the actual duties, so make sure they honestly describe the mathematical or statistical work. Consider an independent review by a U.S. immigration lawyer.
- A title that points elsewhere. Titles such as Data Analyst, Reporting Analyst and Business Intelligence Analyst often describe reporting or business analysis. Data Scientist and Machine Learning Engineer can describe statistical work or software development — the duties decide what the job is.
- Shortening the profession name. Writing only “Statistician” as the profession drops the list’s actual entry. The letter uses the full list title, Mathematician (including Statistician), and keeps Statistician as the job title.
- 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 mathematician letter
Answer plain-English questions, pick from mathematics and statistics duty suggestions, and get flags for reporting or programming wording. Preview free; $99 USD to download.
Common questions
Is there an official TN support letter for mathematicians?
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.
Is Statistician a separate TN category?
No. The list names “Mathematician (including Statistician)”, so statisticians use that category, and the letter uses the full list title.
Are actuaries covered?
A note to the list says the term “Mathematician” includes the profession of Actuary, and that an actuary must satisfy the requirements to be recognized as an actuary by a professional actuarial association or society operating in Canada, the U.S. or Mexico. TNPath’s builder includes an actuarial option.
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: Mathematicians and Statisticians (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.