Short answer
General information, not legal advice. TNPath provides general educational information and document-automation tools. It is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice, eligibility opinions or case-specific strategy. Only the officer who reviews an application decides whether it succeeds; for complex situations, consider an independent review by a U.S. immigration lawyer.
Under 8 CFR 214.6, the documentation for a TN application may be a letter from your company, the prospective U.S. employer, supported by your hire's diplomas, degrees or membership in a professional organization. The letter must fully affirm five things: the TN profession, a description of the professional activities, the anticipated length of stay, the educational qualifications or credentials, and the arrangements for remuneration.
The letter is your company's statement about a real job. A person authorized to speak for your company signs it, on company letterhead, after reviewing every fact in it — and your hire presents the signed letter when they apply.
What the regulation asks the letter to affirm
Section 214.6(d)(3) covers the documentation a TN applicant presents: proof of citizenship, and documentation demonstrating engagement in business activities at a professional level and the applicant's professional qualifications. That documentation may be in the form of a letter from the prospective employer in the United States, supported by the hire's diplomas, degrees or membership in a professional organization. The documentation shall fully affirm:
- (A) The TN profession — the profession from the USMCA list that the job is presented under.
- (B) A description of the professional activities — what the work actually is, including a brief summary of the daily job duties.
- (C) The anticipated length of stay — how long the job is expected to last, up to the three years of a single admission.
- (D) The educational qualifications or credentials — the degrees, diplomas or credentials that show professional-level status for that profession.
- (E) The arrangements for remuneration — how and what your hire will be paid for the work.
USCIS describes the same letter in plainer terms: a letter from the prospective employer detailing items such as the professional capacity in which the person will work in the United States, the purpose of the employment, the length of stay, and the educational qualifications. Where a degree was earned outside Canada, Mexico or the U.S., the regulation calls for an evaluation by a reliable credentials evaluation service.
Who signs, and on what
The letter comes from the prospective employer — your company — not from your hire. It is presented on company letterhead and signed by someone authorized to speak for the company; in practice, that is commonly HR or the hiring manager for the role.
Your hire presents the signed letter when applying for admission, at a Class A port of entry, a U.S. airport handling international traffic, or a preclearance or pre-flight station. A Canadian citizen applying from outside the U.S. does not apply for a TN visa at a consulate, and a CBP officer decides the application when your hire applies.
On TNPath, the same convention applies: your hire prepares the draft, and your company places the final letter on company letterhead and signs it.
The employer's job before signing: read it like it's yours — it is
Before anyone signs, review every factual statement in the draft against the real job: the duties, the job title, the dates and length of stay, the pay, and the credentials it describes. Change or remove anything that is inaccurate. Never sign a letter that describes a job different from the actual one.
The letter is the employer's statement, not the candidate's. TNPath does not verify the facts in a draft — your hire entered them, and the draft is editable precisely so your company can correct it before signing.
Before signing, you can run a draft through the TN support letter checker: it reports whether the letter mentions each of the five items above. It runs in your browser; the letter text is not stored or sent.
If the facts raise questions the letter cannot answer honestly, that is the point to pause and consider an independent review by a U.S. immigration lawyer before signing.
What signing does not do
On the border route, signing the letter files nothing with the government by itself. No employer petition, registration or Department of Labor filing is required for a Canadian citizen applying at a port of entry, and TN has no annual cap and no lottery. Signing is not a petition, and it is not a guarantee: the officer who reviews the application decides whether it succeeds.
Signing also does not create an account or an ongoing reporting relationship with USCIS for your company. The letter is a statement presented once, by your hire, as part of their application.
Reading this as the candidate?
Your hire can prepare the letter draft with TNPath and send it to you for review — or, if you are the candidate, start your TN visa packet and forward the draft to your employer. There is also a one-page summary written for HR teams: TN explained for HR.
Common questions
Who should sign the TN support letter?
The support letter is your company's document, so it should be signed by a person authorized to speak for the company — commonly someone in HR or the hiring manager. The letter is presented on company letterhead.
Does the support letter have to be on letterhead?
In practice, yes. The letter is presented as your company's own document, on company letterhead and signed by a person authorized to speak for the company.
What if something in the draft letter is wrong?
Change it before signing. Your company should only sign a letter that describes the real job. TNPath drafts are editable, and TNPath does not verify the facts your hire entered.
Does signing the letter make us a sponsor with filings to maintain?
No. For a border application, no petition is filed, and signing the letter creates no USCIS account or ongoing reporting duty for your company. Your hire presents the letter when they apply, and a CBP officer decides the application.
How long a stay should the letter state?
State the anticipated length of stay, up to the three years of a single TN admission. A renewal uses a new letter supporting a new period at a port of entry, or an extension filing by the employer on Form I-129.
Sources
Last reviewed October 19, 2026. General information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; confirm with official sources before you rely on them.