Read the general eligibility basics overview
Hypothetical example: a Pilot Butte software developer holds both Canadian citizenship and the citizenship of the country where she was born, which has no treaty with the United States. Her husband is a Canadian permanent resident from a third country. She is weighing a TN job and, later, an E-2 business purchase. Her Canadian citizenship qualifies her for both; a dual national may rely on the treaty nationality. His permanent residence gives him nothing under U.S. law: as her dependant he needs a consular visa, and on his own he would need a route with no nationality requirement.
How dual nationality is treated
TN requires Canadian or Mexican citizenship, and she has it; her second citizenship is irrelevant except that she should travel on the Canadian passport to make the basis of the application obvious. For E-2, treaty nationality is determined by the passport the applicant presents and by the ownership of the enterprise; a dual national may choose to apply as a Canadian, and the enterprise must then be at least half owned by Canadian nationals. Her non-treaty citizenship does not taint the enterprise's nationality as long as she is applying as a Canadian. Keep the corporate records consistent: shares held by her as a Canadian citizen, not through an entity in the other country.
The permanent-resident spouse
A Canadian permanent resident is, to the United States, a citizen of his own country who happens to live in Canada. He cannot use TN, cannot be an E-2 principal unless his own country has a treaty, and as her TD or E-2 dependant must obtain a visa at a U.S. consulate before travelling, because visa exemption at the border belongs to Canadian citizens. As a TD dependant he may not work; as an E-2 spouse he is employment-authorized incident to status. If he wants his own U.S. employment while she is on TN, L-1 is the category with no nationality requirement, available if his Canadian employer has a related U.S. entity. Children born in Canada are Canadian citizens and travel as such.
Sequencing the two routes
The TN engagement comes first, and its letter, her Canadian passport and her qualification are the file. He applies for a TD visa at the consulate once her admission is planned; interview wait times vary, so start early. If she later buys a business and applies for E-2, she applies as a Canadian at a consulate, with the ownership records showing Canadian control; his E-2 spouse visa follows in the same application and, once admitted, he may work. Both should keep his Canadian permanent residence alive by tracking Canada's residency obligation during U.S. assignments, and consider whether Canadian citizenship for him is worth pursuing, since it would eventually remove the consular step and open TN. Those are Canadian questions for Canadian advice.
What else is on your mind?
Does Canadian permanent residence give me access to TN?Is a matching job title enough for TN?Can years of experience replace a degree for TN?Can my own U.S. company employ me under TN?Editorial source review: 2026-09-07. General preparation guidance, not an individual assessment.