Read the general professional work overview
Hypothetical example: a Pilot Butte resident who spent six years as an internal continuous-improvement adviser at a Regina manufacturer, and two years consulting independently through her own corporation, is offered a twelve-month engagement by a U.S. consulting firm. Management Consultant is listed, with a rule of a bachelor's degree or five years of consulting experience. The two dangers are proving the five years, and structuring the engagement so she is employed or contracted by the U.S. firm rather than selling her own corporation's services, which TN treats as self-employment.
Which qualification the letter should claim
The listing offers a baccalaureate or licenciatura degree, or equivalent professional experience established by a statement or professional credential attesting to five years of experience as a management consultant or in a field of specialty related to the consulting engagement. If her degree is in history, it still satisfies the degree route as written, since the listing does not require the degree to be in a related field; many applicants nevertheless present both routes. The five years should be evidenced by employer letters describing improvement work, engagement summaries and client references, with dates that add up. Choose the stronger route and state it; presenting both without saying which is relied on invites confusion at the port.
Why her corporation cannot be the contracting party
Management consultants are routinely scrutinized because the profession is a common vehicle for people who are really running their own business in the United States. TN permits a Canadian to be employed by a U.S. firm or to provide prearranged services to a U.S. entity under contract, but it does not permit self-employment, and a contract between the U.S. firm and her own Saskatchewan corporation, with her as the corporation's only worker, looks like exactly that. The workable structures are direct employment by the U.S. firm for the engagement, or a contract in which the U.S. firm engages her personally as an independent professional. Any ownership she holds in the U.S. firm must be disclosed.
The rest of the file
The U.S. firm's letter should describe the consulting engagement, the client problem she will address, the deliverables, the duration of up to a year for this engagement, the compensation and the fact that she will not be self-employed. It should be signed by an officer of the firm. Attach the degree and transcript, the experience letters, proof of Canadian citizenship and a short résumé consistent with the letters. A Canadian citizen may apply at a port of entry or have the U.S. firm file Form I-129; no TN visa stamp is required. Officers sometimes ask a consultant to explain what she will actually do; she should be able to describe the engagement in plain terms. Renewals require a fresh letter and a continuing temporary purpose. TD dependants may study but not work, and children age out at 21.
What else is on your mind?
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?Can my spouse work if I hold TN status?Editorial source review: 2026-09-07. General preparation guidance, not an individual assessment.