Yesterday, Rosanna Berardi accompanied three Canadian clients to the Peace Bridge to present their applications for TN status. All three were approved in record time – just over one hour!
Two of the three applicants had a similar issue. Both were applying for TN work permits under the Computer Systems Analyst category. They both had advanced degrees from foreign institutions. One applicant attended a University in Moscow, Russia and obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting along with a Master’s degree in Electronic Engineering. The other applicant attended two Universities in Pakistan and obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, and a Master’s degree in Computer Science.
Provisions detailed in the NAFTA Treaty, which created the TN visa category, lay out specific requirements which would make an individual eligible for TN status. In the case of Computer Systems Analysts, the eligible applicant must possess a Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or PostSecondary Diploma; or PostSecondary Certificate and three years experience. If an applicant’s degree was awarded by an institution outside the United States, Canada, or Mexico (parties to the NAFTA Treaty), that degree must be evaluated by a reputable evaluation company to ensure that it is equivalent to a U.S., Canadian or Mexican degree.
Aware of this evaluation requirement, our team advised both applicants to send their degrees and transcripts out for equivalency evaluation. Both received confirmation that their education credentials was equivalent to the NAFTA requirements for a Computer Systems Analyst. We included these evaluations in their applications, and when the interviewing officer reviewed them along with the offer of employment, he approved both work permits without any issue.
Please contact us at Berardi Immigration Law for more information on obtaining a degree equivalency report or any of your immigration needs.
