Short answer
A TN support letter for a pharmacist 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 names the licence route. U.S. state licensure to practise pharmacy is a separate step from the TN credential. Source: 8 CFR 214.6(d)(3), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Pharmacists.
What a pharmacist 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 Pharmacist, three details deserve extra care:
- The list entry, quoted exactly: “Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license.”
- The licence route you actually use. Either a degree, or a state/provincial licence. This sample shows the licence route, so the qualifications paragraph names the provincial licence, its regulator and the year it was first issued, and a U.S. state licence, matching the documents the applicant brings.
- The separate step the letter does not replace. Practising pharmacy in the U.S. is licensed by the state where you’ll work: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that all states require pharmacists to be licensed, and licensure requirements vary. Pharmacists are not among the occupations listed in the health care worker certificate rule, 8 CFR 212.15.
Annotated sample letter for a pharmacist
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 Ava Marie Example, citizen of Canada
Profession: Pharmacist (USMCA, Chapter 16, Annex 16-A, Appendix 2)
Position: Clinical Pharmacist
Requested period: Three years, February 1, 2027 through January 31, 2030
Dear Officer:
Example Community Pharmacy Inc. (the “Company”) respectfully requests that Ava 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 a Pharmacist in the full-time position of Clinical Pharmacist.
About the Company. Example Community Pharmacy Inc. operates a community pharmacy that provides prescription services and clinical pharmacy care to patients in the Dallas area. The Company is located at 500 Sample Avenue, Suite 200, Dallas, TX 75201.
The position. As Clinical Pharmacist, Ms. Example will perform professional pharmacist work, reporting to the Company’s Director of Pharmacy. The position is based in Dallas, TX. Ms. Example’s principal duties will include:
- Review prescriptions for accuracy, appropriateness and potential drug interactions.
- Dispense medications and verify prescriptions prepared by pharmacy staff.
- Counsel patients on the safe and effective use of medications.
- Conduct medication therapy management and medication reviews.
- Advise physicians and other health professionals on drug selection and dosing.
- Monitor patient drug therapy and document clinical interventions.
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 Pharmacist as: “Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license.” Because the applicant will practise pharmacy, licensure as a pharmacist in the U.S. state where the work is performed is also expected.
Ms. Example’s qualifications. Ms. Example holds a pharmacist license issued by the Ontario College of Pharmacists, first issued in 2017, and a pharmacist license issued by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy.
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$118,000, 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 Pharmacist for the period stated above. Please contact me at [email protected] if you require any further information.
Sincerely,
Jordan Sample
Director of Pharmacy
Example Community Pharmacy 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 (“Pharmacist”), 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 pharmacist work: reviewing prescriptions, verifying dispensing, counselling patients, medication therapy management, advising physicians and monitoring drug therapy. None of them is technician or retail support work.
- The minimum requirement quotes the list entry word for word, and adds the engine’s own sentence for a role that involves practising pharmacy: licensure in the U.S. state where the work is performed is also expected.
- Qualifications state the credentials the applicant actually holds: the provincial licence, with its regulator and the year it was first issued, and the U.S. state licence, 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 licence route is shown, with a U.S. state licence also named, because the fictional applicant holds both. On the degree route, the qualifications paragraph names the degree instead of, or alongside, the licences.
Common pharmacist letter mistakes
- Technician or retail support duties. Counting pills, cashier work, stocking shelves and making deliveries read as pharmacy technician or retail support work, not professional pharmacist work. If the real job is support work of that kind, consider an independent review by a U.S. immigration lawyer.
- Treating the TN credential as permission to practise. Meeting the TN list credential is separate from being allowed to practise pharmacy: all states require pharmacists to be licensed, and the requirements vary by state. Check licensure with the board of pharmacy in the state where you’ll work.
- Naming a U.S. state licence you don’t hold. The sample names a Texas licence because the fictional applicant holds one. The letter must match the documents you bring; the builder only names a U.S. licence when you say you hold one.
- Confusing Pharmacist with Pharmacologist. The TN list has separate entries for Pharmacist and Pharmacologist, with different work. Which category, if any, fits a job is a classification question TNPath doesn’t decide.
- 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 pharmacist letter
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Common questions
Is there an official TN support letter for pharmacists?
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.
Can I present my Canadian pharmacist licence?
The list entry names a state/provincial licence as a credential, so a provincial pharmacist licence is one route. Bring proof that it’s active, such as a printout of the regulator’s online register.
Do pharmacists need a VisaScreen® certificate?
The health care worker certificate rule in 8 CFR 212.15 lists specific occupations, such as nurses, occupational therapists and physical therapists. Pharmacists aren’t among them. Rules change, so check the current regulation.
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: Pharmacists (Occupational Outlook Handbook)
- 8 CFR 212.15: Certificates for foreign health care workers (Cornell LII)
- 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.