IN THIS GUIDE · Decide whether a forester’s licence or degree is the credential the TN listing actually names
Start with the TN eligibility and application overview
Choose the credential route and stop mixing them
Her provincial registration as a professional forester and her forestry degree are separate proofs, and either one satisfies the listing on its own. Presenting both is fine, but the file should say which one she relies on and include the complete record for it: the degree certificate and transcript, or the current licence with the regulator’s verification. A lapsed registration or a degree in an adjacent field would each raise a question that the other route can answer only if it is documented properly.Ask the regulator for a dated status record, not merely a wallet card. A name mismatch, expired renewal, or incomplete transcript is best corrected before the employer fixes a start date.
Make the offer describe forestry, not fieldwork alone
The employer’s letter should describe inventory design, silvicultural prescriptions, harvest scheduling and regulatory reporting — the professional content of the role — and state the wage, the location and the intended period. If the position also involves operating equipment or supervising a crew, say so, but the professional duties must be the substance of the job. A letter that reads like a technician posting invites an inspector to conclude the work is not a listed profession.Compare the proposed week of duties against the listed profession before signing the letter. The decisive question is the work the company is actually paying for, not an attractive job title.
Disclose any stake in the U.S. company
If she has been offered shares or a partnership interest in the timberland manager as part of the package, that must be disclosed. TN does not permit self-employment, and a controlling or sole ownership of the U.S. entity paying her would defeat the category. A minority holding does not automatically disqualify her, but it changes the analysis and must appear in the record rather than surface later.Put the ownership question in a signed disclosure. Corporate records, option agreements, and side letters can resolve whether the applicant remains an employee rather than becoming the business itself.
Use the port-of-entry route deliberately
As a Canadian citizen she can present the application at a port of entry without a visa stamp, or the employer can file Form I-129 with USCIS. A port-of-entry application is decided during inspection, while Form I-129 provides advance USCIS adjudication and a written decision before travel. Choose based on how clean the deciding document is, and check the current fee on the USCIS G-1055 schedule for whichever path is used.Choose the filing sequence after the documents are complete. An officer can decide only the material presented, whereas a petition gives the employer a chance to assemble a fuller record first.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.