Which Job Titles Qualify for TN Status Under CUSMA

How the CUSMA Professional List Works

CUSMA Chapter 16 sets a fixed list of professional occupations that qualify a Canadian citizen for TN status. Your employer's job offer and your credentials both need to fit one listed category. A closely related job title with different duties, or a degree in an adjacent field, does not automatically qualify.

Most categories require a bachelor's degree, called a baccalaureate or licenciatura degree in the treaty text, in the specific field listed. A handful of categories accept an alternative combination of a postsecondary diploma or certificate plus several years of directly related work experience instead.

The list carries over almost unchanged from the original NAFTA Appendix 1603.D.1 that took effect in 1994. USMCA replaced NAFTA on July 1, 2020, but kept the same professional categories and structure, so the fundamentals your school's career office already knows still apply.

Business and Management

These roles cover most Canadian graduates going into consulting, finance, and design work for a US employer, and generally need a bachelor's degree in the specific field named.

• Management Consultant

• Accountant

• Economist

• Hotel Manager

• Industrial Designer

• Interior Designer

• Graphic Designer

Engineering and Technical

Engineering is the broadest single category, covering nearly every standard engineering discipline as long as your degree and job duties match a recognized branch.

• Engineer, across all standard branches: civil, mechanical, electrical, chemical, industrial, mining, and more

• Computer Systems Analyst

• Land Surveyor

• Architect

• Urban Planner

• Technical Publications Writer

Science and Research

This group covers a long, specific list of scientist titles rather than one general category, so check your exact job title against the list rather than assuming a related science degree qualifies.

• Scientific Technician or Technologist

• Research Assistant, working at a post-secondary educational institution

• Mathematician, including Statistician

• Named scientist categories: agriculturist, animal scientist, astronomer, biochemist, biologist, chemist, entomologist, epidemiologist, geneticist, geologist, geophysicist, horticulturist, meteorologist, pharmacologist, physicist, plant breeder, poultry scientist, soil scientist, zoologist

Health Professions

Several health categories, including registered nurse and physiotherapist, expect a professional license in addition to your degree, since these are regulated professions in most US states.

• Dentist

• Dietitian

• Registered Nurse

• Occupational Therapist

• Physiotherapist

• Pharmacist

• Psychologist

• Veterinarian

• Physician, limited to teaching or research, with no patient care

Education and Social Sciences

College Teacher is one of the more commonly used categories for Canadian graduates moving into an academic post, though it excludes primary and secondary school teaching.

• College, University, or Seminary Teacher

• Librarian

• Social Worker

• Vocational Counselor

Law

A Canadian LL.B., J.D., LL.L., or B.C.L. (or a five-year Mexican Licenciatura) qualifies on its own for the Lawyer category, including Quebec notaries. You do not need bar admission if you already hold one of these degrees. Membership in a state or provincial bar is only the alternative path for applicants without a qualifying law degree.

• Lawyer, including Notary in Quebec: LL.B., J.D., LL.L., or B.C.L. degree, or membership in a state or provincial bar

Categories With Alternative Requirements

A few categories do not require a bachelor's degree at all.

• Computer Systems Analyst: postsecondary diploma or certificate plus 3 years of directly related experience, or a bachelor's degree

• Management Consultant: bachelor's degree, or 5 years of experience in management consulting, or 5 years of experience in the field the consulting relates to

• Land Surveyor: a state or provincial license to practice

Common Mismatches

• A marketing manager or product manager title has no direct CUSMA category, even though many Canadian graduates hold these job titles.

• A data scientist role often gets evaluated against Computer Systems Analyst or Mathematician, and the fit depends on the actual job duties, not the title.

• A general business hire without a matching professional category usually does not qualify on its own.

• A public policy or international relations degree without a specific matching category, such as Economist, needs job duties that align closely with that category's definition.

Applying With a Recent Degree

A recent graduate with limited work experience still qualifies for most categories, since many rely on the degree itself rather than years on the job. Categories with an experience-based alternative, such as Management Consultant or Computer Systems Analyst, matter more for graduates without the exact matching degree.

Keep your degree transcript, diploma, and any professional licenses or memberships on hand before you travel to apply for TN status, since the border officer decides based on the documents in front of them, not your resume alone.

Matching Your Job Offer

Before you count on TN status, check three things line up: your degree matches the field name in the category, your job duties genuinely match the category description rather than a broader title on your business card, and your employer describes the role clearly in a support letter. A software developer job with a Software Engineer title still needs to match Computer Systems Analyst or Engineer duties specifically, not an engineering-sounding title alone.

Check the current USCIS TN guidance and CUSMA text for the full occupation list and exact wording before you apply, since a border officer decides your case against the treaty language, not a general description.