IN THIS GUIDE · A veterinarian whose immigration category is ready long before her state licence is
Start with the TN eligibility and application overview
Two authorities are deciding, and only one of them is an immigration officer
Appendix 2 lists Veterinarian and sets its own credential rule, satisfied by a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree or by state or provincial licensure. Anneli's Ontario degree and registration answer that rule on their own terms. Practising on animals in the United States is a different permission entirely, granted by the veterinary board of the state where the hospital sits, on its own timetable and often after an examination or a reciprocity review. A route can be available while the right to work in it is still pending. Treat the board's requirements as a parallel file with its own deadlines, because an admission that permits her to hold the job does not create the licence the job legally requires.
The partnership buy-in is the clause most likely to end the application
Self-employment in the United States is outside what this category allows, and a buy-in offered in year two moves Anneli toward exactly that. The question is not whether she owns shares but whether the arrangement remains genuine employment by an entity that directs her work, or becomes a practice she runs for herself. A minority interest in a hospital with independent management and a real reporting line is a different arrangement from an equal partnership where she sets her own caseload and draws profits. Any equity, present or promised, should be disclosed rather than left out of the letter, and the structure should be reviewed before she signs, not at the point where the option vests.
How a Canadian citizen actually presents the case
Canadian citizens do not need a visa for this category and normally seek admission in person at a land border or a preclearance facility, presenting the passport, the employer's letter and the credentials together. The alternative is for the hospital to file Form I-129 with USCIS and for Anneli to present the approval afterwards. Mexican citizens follow the consular visa process instead, which is worth knowing if a colleague's experience is being used as a guide. Admission is granted for a period not exceeding three years and is tied to the employment described, so an officer reads the letter as the definition of what she has been admitted to do.
Make the assignment letter prove the U.S. work, not merely the payroll
The controlling rule is that a TN applicant must have prearranged professional-level business activities in the United States; employment may be with an American or foreign employer, but living there to perform a foreign job without a legitimate U.S. business need is not TN work. Before choosing a border application or employer-filed petition, make the assignment letter identify the U.S. project, professional duties, worksite, reporting structure, remuneration and requested period. A vague letter saying only “North American support” leaves the officer to guess whether any qualifying American engagement exists. Hypothetical example: a Canadian geologist employed by an aggregate-testing laboratory near Minden Hills is assigned to examine core samples and prepare site models for an American quarry operator. Her Ontario employer will keep paying her, which is permitted, but its first letter mentions only remote technical support. She should obtain a signed revision tying her geology duties to the quarry project and naming who receives each deliverable before presenting the case; payroll location cannot repair an undefined U.S. assignment.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.
- USCIS: TN NAFTA Professionals
- U.S. Department of State: USMCA professional workers
- Department of State: 9 FAM 402.17, TN and TD guidance
- USTR: USMCA Chapter 16, Temporary Entry for Business Persons, Appendix 2
- eCFR: 8 CFR 214.6, Citizens of Canada or Mexico seeking temporary entry as business persons
- USCIS: Form G-1055, Fee Schedule