TNPath — TN packets for Canadians

Sample packet · Fictional information

A sample TN packet

This is the packet TNPath built for a fictional applicant: Jordan Sample, a Canadian CPA joining an invented U.S. company as a Senior Accountant. Every person, company, address and date is invented. Your own packet is built from your answers.

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Sample — fictional information. Don’t copy details from this sample into your own letter. Your letter must describe your real job, and your employer must verify every statement before signing.

Employer support letter WORD

Sample — fictional information

You download this as an editable Word file. Your employer checks every statement, corrects anything that isn’t accurate, puts it on company letterhead and signs it. What the employer does.

Example Manufacturing Inc.100 Sample Avenue, Suite 400Houston, TX 77002

October 5, 2026

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Re: Request for TN classification for Jordan Sample, citizen of Canada

Profession: Accountant (USMCA, Chapter 16, Annex 16-A, Appendix 2)

Position: Senior Accountant

Requested period: Three years, January 11, 2027 through January 10, 2030

Dear Officer:

Example Manufacturing Inc. (the “Company”) respectfully requests that Jordan Sample, 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 an Accountant in the full-time position of Senior Accountant.

About the Company. Example Manufacturing designs and builds industrial equipment for customers across North America. Founded in 1998, the Company has approximately 850 employees. The Company is located at 100 Sample Avenue, Suite 400, Houston, TX 77002.

The position. As Senior Accountant, Ms. Sample will perform professional-level accounting work, reporting to the Company’s Corporate Controller. The position is based in Houston, TX. Ms. Sample’s principal duties will include:

  • Prepare monthly, quarterly and annual financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP.
  • Analyze financial results, variances and trends, and report findings to management.
  • Perform and review account reconciliations and month-end close activities.
  • Evaluate, document and test internal controls over financial reporting.
  • Research and apply accounting standards to complex transactions and document accounting positions.

The position requires, at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related field, or a professional accounting designation such as CPA, CA, CGA or CMA.

Ms. Sample’s qualifications. Ms. Sample holds the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation, granted by CPA Ontario in 2019. Evidence of this credential is enclosed.

Length of stay. This is a temporary position. The Company anticipates requiring Ms. Sample’s services for a period of three (3) years, beginning on or about January 11, 2027 and ending January 10, 2030.

Remuneration. Ms. Sample will be employed full-time, working 40 hours per week, at an annual base salary of US$92,000, paid through the Company’s U.S. payroll. Ms. Sample will also be eligible for the Company’s standard employee benefits, including health insurance and a 401(k) plan.

We respectfully request that Ms. Sample be admitted in TN status as an Accountant for the period stated above. Please contact me at [email protected] if you require any further information.

Sincerely,

Morgan Example

Corporate Controller

Example Manufacturing Inc.

Enclosure:

  • Copy of Ms. Sample’s CPA certificate and proof of good standing

Personalized packet guide PDF

Sample — fictional information

Five pages, written for the applicant: what to do next, what to bring, how the credential is presented, what happens at the port of entry, family and renewal. These are the actual pages TNPath generated for the fictional applicant.

Sample packet guide, page 1 of 5: Your packet at a glance and next steps. Fictional applicant.
Page 1 of 5 · Your packet at a glance and next steps
Sample packet guide, page 2 of 5: Document checklist and credential guidance. Fictional applicant.
Page 2 of 5 · Document checklist and credential guidance
Sample packet guide, page 3 of 5: Port-of-entry preparation. Fictional applicant.
Page 3 of 5 · Port-of-entry preparation
Sample packet guide, page 4 of 5: After admission, TD family status and renewal timeline. Fictional applicant.
Page 4 of 5 · After admission, TD family status and renewal timeline
Sample packet guide, page 5 of 5: Employer review checklist and important notice. Fictional applicant.
Page 5 of 5 · Employer review checklist and important notice
Read the sample guide as text

TN Packet Guide

Prepared for Jordan Sample · Accountant · October 5, 2026

1. Your packet at a glance

Applicant
Jordan Sample
Packet type
First TN application
Profession
Accountant
Employer
Example Manufacturing Inc.
Position
Senior Accountant
Where you’ll work
On-site, Houston, TX
Requested period
January 11, 2027 to January 10, 2030 (3 years)
Pay
US$92,000 per year
Schedule
Full-time, 40 hours per week
Also in the offer
Benefits
Credentials
CPA (CPA Ontario)
Applying at
Airport preclearance in Canada
Family coming
Spouse and 1 child
Keep every document consistent. Your title, duties, dates, pay, schedule, work location and credentials should match across the signed letter, your offer materials, your résumé and what you say at the counter.

2. Your next steps

  • Send the Word letter to Morgan Example. Ask them to review every line, put it on company letterhead, correct anything that isn’t accurate, then sign and date it. The employer review checklist at the end of this guide is written for them.
  • Collect the documents on the checklist below. Bring originals where you have them, plus one set of copies.
  • Read the port-of-entry section and practise describing your job in your own words.
  • Plan your entry date. CBP may admit TN professionals up to 10 days before the start of the approved period. For a January 11, 2027 start, that’s no earlier than January 1, 2027.
  • After you’re admitted, check your I-94 record online (see “After you’re admitted”).

3. Document checklist

  • Valid Canadian passport
  • Signed employer support letter on company letterhead (original, plus one copy)
  • Proof of your CPA designation from CPA Ontario, such as your certificate and a current letter of good standing or membership confirmation
  • Your current résumé, consistent with the letter
  • Your signed offer letter or employment agreement, if you have one
  • A way to pay CBP fees (credit or debit card is simplest)

For family members

  • Spouse: valid passport and your marriage certificate
  • Child: valid passport and birth certificate showing you as a parent
  • A copy of your TN letter and credential documents for family members to present with you

Fees to expect

  • A US$50 TN processing fee, paid to CBP when you’re admitted.
  • At land crossings, an I-94 fee for each person issued an I-94 (US$30 since September 30, 2025). There’s no TN fee for TD family members.
  • Fees change. Confirm current amounts on cbp.gov shortly before you travel.

4. Credential guidance

The TN profession list entry for Accountant reads: “Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or C.P.A., C.A., C.G.A., or C.M.A.”

You are presenting: CPA (CPA Ontario).

  • Use the designation exactly as it appears on your certificate.
  • Bring your certificate and a recent letter or printout from CPA Ontario confirming you are a member in good standing.
  • The list names the designation as an alternative to the degree, so a designation holder doesn’t need a degree evaluation to present it.
TNPath doesn’t assess whether your credentials are sufficient. That decision is made by the CBP officer.

5. At the port of entry

Put your packet in this order

  • Passports for everyone
  • Signed employer letter
  • Credential evidence
  • Résumé and offer letter
  • Anything else from the checklist

At airport preclearance

  • Arrive well before your usual check-in time. TN processing happens in secondary inspection and can take a while.
  • Keep the whole packet in your carry-on, never in checked luggage.
  • At the primary booth, tell the officer you’re applying for TN status as an Accountant. You’ll normally be sent to a secondary area to complete it.
  • Pay the fee when asked, then continue to your flight.

Designated ports for first-time applicants

CBP encourages first-time TN applicants from Canada to use designated locations for optimized processing. You may still apply at other ports of entry. Check cbp.gov for the current list.

  • Airport preclearance: Toronto Pearson International Airport, Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, Vancouver International Airport, Calgary International Airport.
  • Land ports: Blaine (Peace Arch), Washington; Sweetgrass, Montana; Detroit (Ambassador Bridge), Michigan; Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, Michigan; Buffalo (Peace Bridge), New York; Niagara Falls (Rainbow Bridge), New York; Alexandria Bay, New York; Champlain, New York; Highgate Springs, Vermont; Derby Line, Vermont.

Talking with the officer

  • Be ready to describe what you’ll do day to day, in your own words. Your answers should match the duties in the letter.
  • Know the basics without looking: your employer, title, who you report to, where you’ll work, your start date, your schedule and your pay.
  • Answer the question asked, directly and truthfully. If you don’t know something, say so.
  • Don’t add, change or embellish facts to fit a category.
  • If the officer raises a concern, listen carefully and ask whether additional documents would help. If you’re not admitted, consider speaking with a U.S. immigration lawyer before trying again.

6. After you’re admitted

  • Within a few days, look up your I-94 at i94.cbp.dhs.gov. Check that the class of admission shows TN and that the end date matches what you expected. If something’s wrong, contact CBP promptly to correct it.
  • Keep copies of your full packet. You’ll use them for your Social Security number application, driver’s licence and your next renewal.
  • Your TN status is tied to this employer and this role. A new employer needs its own TN approval before you start working there.
  • Carry your TN documents when you travel back into the U.S.

7. TD status for your family

Your spouse and unmarried children under 21 can apply for TD status alongside you, normally at the same time and place.

  • Each person needs a valid passport and proof of the relationship: a marriage certificate for a spouse, birth certificates for children.
  • Their TD status generally runs for the same period as your TN.
  • TD status does not allow employment in the United States.
  • TD family members may study in the United States.
  • If family members travel separately, they should carry a copy of your TN documents and I-94.

8. Renewal timeline

Requested end date
January 10, 2030
Start preparing your renewal
Around October 12, 2029
  • Your I-94 record, not this guide, controls how long you can stay. Use the date on your I-94.
  • Canadian TN professionals can renew by applying again at a port of entry with a new employer letter, or through an extension filed by the employer with USCIS.
  • TNPath can build your renewal packet when the time comes. Choose “A renewal” on the first step.

9. Employer review checklist

For Morgan Example at Example Manufacturing Inc. Please confirm each item before signing:

  • Every listed duty accurately describes the job as it will actually be performed.
  • The job title accurately reflects the role.
  • The minimum-requirements sentence matches the company’s real hiring requirement for this role. Edit or remove it if not.
  • Job title, start date, period, pay, schedule, hours and work location are correct.
  • The benefits details match the offer.
  • The company description, founding year, headcount and address are correct.
  • The enclosures listed at the end match what the applicant will actually bring.
  • The letter is printed on company letterhead (delete the company-name header at the top if your letterhead already shows it), then signed and dated by someone who can confirm these details if contacted.
  • The applicant receives the signed original and a PDF copy.

10. Important notice

This guide was assembled by TNPath from the answers entered. It provides general information and templates only. It is not legal advice, does not determine eligibility, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Immigration rules, fees and procedures change; verify current requirements with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (cbp.gov) before you travel. For advice about your specific situation, consult a U.S. immigration lawyer.

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