Read the general professional work overview
Hypothetical example: Anton works as a land surveyor from Bonfield, running boundary retracement and topographic work for building contractors and woodlot owners. A U.S. firm wants him for cadastral and construction layout work across the border. He holds a survey degree and assumes it settles the credential question. The document likely to decide his case is not the parchment but the licence, because the duties he is being hired to perform are the regulated practice of surveying in the state where he would work.
The list entry and the practice rule are two different things
The USMCA Appendix 2 entry for Land Surveyor is written with alternatives, and a baccalaureate degree can satisfy it. That is a statement about the immigration category, not a permission to practise. Where a state regulates land surveying and requires licensure to sign plans, set monuments or certify boundaries, a degree does not authorize the work. An officer reading an offer letter that describes licensed activities, held against an applicant who is not licensed in that state, sees a position the applicant cannot lawfully fill. Anton therefore has two separate questions to answer, and answering the immigration one first is what causes the trouble.
What to establish before anything is drafted
Anton should identify the specific state, obtain that state's licensure requirements for land surveyors, and find out how it treats a Canadian qualification, including any examination or experience conditions and whether any comity arrangement applies. He should ask the employer, in writing, which duties require a licensed surveyor's seal and which do not, because a role built around fieldwork and data collection under a licensed surveyor's direction is a different position from one that certifies plans. The answer determines whether the offer letter can honestly describe work he is permitted to perform. Where licensure will take months, the start date has to move rather than the description.
Building the package around the decisive paper
Once the licensing position is settled, the package is assembled around it. If Anton holds or obtains the state licence, the certificate with its current status is the lead document, supported by the degree, a transcript, the employer's detailed letter and proof of Canadian citizenship. If he will work under supervision without a seal, the letter must say so plainly and describe duties consistent with that. Any credential issued outside Canada, Mexico or the United States needs a reliable evaluation, and documents not in English require certified translations. Anton should also confirm whether the employer will apply on Form I-129 or whether he will present at a port of entry, and keep a complete copy either way.
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.