Short answer
Apply at preclearance and a CBP officer inspects you in a Canadian airport, before your flight: the fee is $50, and if you’re admitted you land in the U.S. as a domestic arrival. Apply at a land port of entry and the officer inspects you at the border itself: the fees are $50 plus a $30 I-94 fee, $80 in total. The TN rules, the documents and the officer’s decision are the same in both places. What changes is the setting, the published processing hours at the location you choose, and what a problem does to your trip. Source: CBP, CBP Preclearance.
How preclearance differs from a land port, in general
Preclearance is the stationing of CBP officers at designated foreign airports to inspect travellers before boarding a U.S.-bound flight. CBP says travellers who are precleared bypass CBP and TSA inspection on arrival in the U.S. and proceed directly to a connecting flight or their destination. Public Safety Canada describes the same arrangement: officers stationed in Canada “clear or deny the admission of travellers” before they leave.
At a land port of entry there is no inspection in advance. You present yourself at the U.S. border station, the officer inspects you there, and the decision governs whether you cross that day.
| Topic | Airport preclearance | Land port of entry |
|---|---|---|
| Where the inspection happens | Inside a Canadian airport, before you board | At the U.S. border station |
| Government fees for the TN applicant | $50 | $50 + $30 I-94 fee = $80 |
| What you need that day | A departing U.S.-bound flight from that airport | Yourself and your packet at the crossing; no flight |
| If you’re admitted | You board, and arrive in the U.S. without another CBP inspection | You cross and continue your drive |
| If the officer can’t approve you | You don’t board. You’re still in Canada, and travellers may withdraw from preclearance | Withdrawal is the officer’s decision, not a right (8 CFR 235.4). You return to Canada if not admitted |
| Published TN processing hours | Daily hours on CBP’s designated-ports page for the four designated airports | Short weekday windows at most designated ports — see each location below |
Same classification, same test. Nothing in CBP’s published material says the TN standard is easier or harder at one type of location than the other, and this page makes no claim about that. For what happens during the inspection itself, see applying for a TN visa at the border or preclearance.
Fees at each type of location
The $50 is the TN fee a Canadian pays on admission (8 CFR 214.6(e); the amount is listed in 8 CFR 103.7). The $30 charged at land ports is the Form I-94 fee: CBP charges it at land border ports of entry and does not assess it for travellers arriving at an air or sea port, because they aren’t required to apply for an I-94. Preclearance travellers arrive by air, so no I-94 fee applies to them. TD family members pay no TN fee; at a land port the I-94 fee applies to each person issued an I-94. The full breakdown is in the TN visa cost guide.
The four designated preclearance airports
CBP designated 14 ports for optimized processing of first-time Canadian TN and L-1 applicants, including four preclearance locations. CBP says you may still apply at any port of entry or preclearance facility; it encourages first-time applicants to use the designated ones. The hours below are the ones CBP lists for each airport on its designated-ports page. Note that CBP’s general preclearance page lists longer general operating hours for some of these airports — preclearance being open is not the same as TN processing being available — so confirm TN processing with CBP before you book around an early or late flight.
Toronto Pearson (YYZ)
Designated: yes — one of CBP’s four designated preclearance locations for first-time TN applicants. Hours CBP lists on its designated-ports page: 4:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., daily. CBP’s preclearance page lists Toronto preclearance at Terminals 1 and 3, 3:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Fees: $50; no I-94 fee. Preparation: preclearance happens after check-in and security, on the day of a U.S.-bound flight, with your whole packet in your carry-on. If the officer can’t approve you, you don’t board — protect anything scheduled at the other end accordingly.
Vancouver International (YVR)
Designated: yes. Hours CBP lists on its designated-ports page: 4:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., daily, at the International Terminal, Level 3. CBP’s preclearance page lists Vancouver preclearance operating until 12:00 a.m. — again, confirm that TN processing, not just preclearance, is available at the time you plan to use it. Fees: $50; no I-94 fee. Preparation: the same flight-day logic as Pearson — packet in carry-on, time built in before departure, and nothing unmovable scheduled on arrival day.
Calgary International (YYC)
Designated: yes. Hours CBP lists on its designated-ports page: 4:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., daily — and CBP’s preclearance page lists the same 4:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. hours for Calgary. Fees: $50; no I-94 fee. Preparation: arrive for preclearance well ahead of your flight with the packet in your carry-on, and confirm current hours with CBP before an early-morning or evening departure.
Montréal-Trudeau (YUL)
Designated: yes, listed by CBP as Trudeau International Airport, Dorval. Hours CBP lists on its designated-ports page: 4:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., daily; CBP’s preclearance page lists the same hours for Montréal. Fees: $50; no I-94 fee. Preparation: the same as the other preclearance airports — the inspection is tied to that day’s departing flight, so a problem means a missed flight, not a drive home and a second try the same afternoon.
Preclearance also operates at other Canadian airports — CBP lists Calgary, Toronto (Pearson and Billy Bishop), Edmonton, Halifax, Montréal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Victoria and Winnipeg among its 16 preclearance locations worldwide — but only the four above are on CBP’s designated list for first-time TN processing. If CBP publishes nothing location-specific about TN processing at another airport, this page doesn’t guess: confirm with CBP.
Four designated land crossings
Ten of CBP’s 14 designated ports are land crossings. Four of the busiest for Canadians are below. The pattern to notice: unlike the airports’ daily hours, the designated land ports publish short weekday windows for this processing — and one publishes appointment times instead of operating hours. The crossing itself may be open to general traffic around the clock; that doesn’t extend the TN window CBP lists.
Peace Arch / Blaine, Washington
Designated: yes, as the Blaine Peace Arch port of entry, 123 Second Street, Blaine, WA. Hours CBP lists: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday — the narrowest window on CBP’s designated list. Fees: $80 in total ($50 TN fee + $30 I-94 fee). Preparation: plan the crossing for a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday inside that window, expect to park and go inside for secondary inspection, and confirm with CBP before you go — a Monday or Friday arrival relying on this designated processing is relying on hours CBP doesn’t publish.
Detroit–Windsor, Michigan
Designated: yes — twice. Detroit is the only city on CBP’s list with two designated ports: the Ambassador Bridge port of entry and the Detroit Canada Tunnel port of entry. Hours CBP lists: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, for the Ambassador Bridge. CBP’s designated-ports page lists no hours for the Tunnel — if you plan to use the Tunnel, confirm TN processing hours with CBP rather than assuming the Bridge’s hours apply. Fees: $80 in total at either port. Preparation: decide which crossing you’re using before you set out, and check the hours for that specific port.
Peace Bridge / Buffalo–Fort Erie, New York
Designated: yes, as the Peace Bridge port of entry, One Peace Bridge Plaza, Buffalo, NY. Hours CBP lists: not operating hours but appointments, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday to Friday — the same appointment format CBP lists for the Lewiston and Rainbow Bridge ports. Fees: $80 in total. Preparation: treat this as an appointment-based stop, not a walk-up one: confirm how to arrange the appointment with CBP before you travel, and don’t plan a same-day crossing on the assumption you can simply arrive.
Champlain / Lacolle, New York
Designated: yes, as the Champlain port of entry, 232 West Service Road, Champlain, NY — the U.S. port opposite Lacolle, Quebec, on the Montréal–New York corridor. Hours CBP lists: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. Fees: $80 in total. Preparation: a weekday-morning-to-afternoon crossing fits the published window; confirm with CBP before a trip timed outside it.
If it doesn’t work: preclearance vs land
The practical difference is where you are when it happens.
- At preclearance, you’re still in Canada. Public Safety Canada notes that signage at preclearance areas tells travellers about their right to withdraw, and that preclearance officers “clear or deny” admission before departure. If you’re not cleared, you don’t board, you leave the airport, and you can address the problem the officer identified and try again on a later trip. Your cost is the disrupted flight and anything booked at the other end.
- At a land port, you’re at the U.S. border station. Withdrawal of an application for admission there is not a right: under 8 CFR 235.4 an officer may permit it, normally only if you intend and are able to depart immediately. If you’re not admitted, you return to Canada. You can fix the problem the officer identified and apply again later.
Either way, keep anything the officer gives you, write down the reasons you were given, and read refused TN at the border before trying again. If anything about your situation is unusual — a past refusal, a job that may not fit one category cleanly, or an immigration or criminal history — that is the point to consider an independent review by a U.S. immigration lawyer.
Preparing, whichever you choose
- Same packet either way. Passport, signed employer support letter and credential evidence — work through the TN document checklist and bring originals plus a set of copies.
- Check the published window for your specific location in the sections above, then confirm with CBP close to your travel date. Hours on a designated-ports page are not a promise that TN processing runs whenever a crossing or preclearance hall is open.
- At preclearance, keep the packet in your carry-on and leave a buffer before your flight; a long secondary inspection can cost the flight even when the answer is yes.
- At a land port, expect to park and go inside, and have a card ready for the $80 in fees.
- After you’re admitted, check your electronic I-94 and confirm the class shows TN and the end date matches what the officer told you.
One packet, ready for either route
TNPath builds the support letter and packet guide you carry to preclearance or the border. Preview your letter free.
Common questions
Is a TN visa cheaper at airport preclearance than at a land crossing?
Yes, by $30. At airport preclearance the government fees are the $50 TN fee only. At a land port of entry you pay the $50 TN fee plus the $30 I-94 fee, for $80 in total. See the TN visa cost guide for the full fee breakdown.
Which Canadian airports are designated for first-time TN applicants?
CBP’s designated list for optimized processing of first-time TN and L-1 applicants includes four preclearance airports: Toronto Pearson, Montréal-Trudeau, Vancouver International and Calgary International. Canadians can apply at other preclearance airports too; CBP encourages first-time applicants to use the designated locations.
What are the TN processing hours at the Peace Arch crossing in Blaine?
CBP’s designated-ports page lists the Blaine Peace Arch port of entry at 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, for this optimized TN and L-1 processing. The crossing itself is open to general traffic beyond those hours, but TN processing outside them isn’t promised. Confirm with CBP before you go.
Do I need an appointment for TN at the Peace Bridge in Buffalo?
CBP’s designated-ports page lists the Peace Bridge port of entry with appointments from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. It doesn’t publish appointment windows like that for every designated land port, so check the listing for your crossing and confirm with CBP before you travel.
What happens if I’m not approved at preclearance?
You don’t board your flight, and you’re still in Canada. Travellers in a preclearance area may withdraw from preclearance, and signage at preclearance areas tells travellers about that right to withdraw. You can regroup, address what the officer identified, and apply again on a later trip. A problem at preclearance can mean a missed flight, so build in time and don’t schedule anything in the U.S. that can’t move.
What happens if I’m not approved at a land crossing?
You remain on the U.S. side until the officer finishes the inspection. At a land port there is no right to withdraw your application for admission: under 8 CFR 235.4 an officer may permit withdrawal, normally only if you intend and are able to leave right away. If you’re not admitted, you return to Canada and can fix the problem the officer identified and apply again later.
Will TNPath tell me which crossing to use?
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
- CBP: Traveling on a TN or L-1 from Canada (designated ports, addresses and hours)
- CBP: Preclearance (locations, operating hours, how preclearance works)
- Public Safety Canada: Preclearance in Canada and the United States
- eCFR: 8 CFR 214.6, TN classification (fee on admission)
- eCFR: 8 CFR 103.7, Fees (the $50 TN fee)
- eCFR: 8 CFR 235.4, Withdrawal of application for admission
- Federal Register: CBP Immigration Fees Required by HR-1 for Fiscal Year 2025 (the $30 land-border I-94 total; no I-94 fee at air or sea ports)
Last reviewed October 19, 2026. General information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; confirm with official sources before you travel.