TN Visa Success Story: Software Engineer Approval for a Canadian Professional

Written October 16, 2026 by Ruth Garbanzo, Esq.

Our client, a Canadian citizen, was offered a Software Engineer position with a U.S.-based business and technology consulting firm supporting software development initiatives in the financial services industry. The role involved a client-site engagement, requiring a carefully documented application that established both the professional nature of the position and the beneficiary’s qualifications for TN classification under the USMCA.

Immigration Snapshot

• 🛂 TN application submitted at a U.S. Port of Entry under the USMCA
• ✅ TN classification approved for a Software Engineer position
• 💻 Role focused on designing, developing, testing, integrating, and maintaining enterprise software applications
• 🏢 Filing documented the employer-employee relationship despite a client-facing consulting arrangement
• 🎓 Academic evidence included a Master’s degree in Computer Information Systems
• 📊 Position supported technology initiatives within the financial services industry
• ✅ Approval secured for a three-year period

Building the TN Application: Qualifications and Professional Capacity

TN applications for technology professionals often require careful analysis of the beneficiary’s education and how it relates to the offered position. In this case, the beneficiary held an undergraduate engineering degree that was not directly focused on software engineering.

To build a strong application, we provided:

• Evidence of Canadian citizenship and eligibility under the USMCA
• A detailed employer support letter outlining the software engineering duties
• Documentation establishing the employer-employee relationship and oversight structure
• Evidence regarding the consulting engagement and client-site work arrangement
• Academic records demonstrating advanced training in computer information systems
• Course descriptions highlighting relevant studies in programming, database design, systems analysis, software development, and application architecture
• Evidence connecting the beneficiary’s combined education and technical expertise to the offered Software Engineer position

We emphasized that while the beneficiary’s undergraduate degree was in a different engineering discipline, the subsequent Master’s degree provided substantial training directly related to software engineering and enterprise application development. The filing connected the beneficiary’s academic background to the specialized responsibilities of the offered position, including software design, development, testing, integration, and maintenance.

Conclusion

A key aspect of this case involved presenting the beneficiary’s complete educational profile rather than focusing solely on a single degree. By highlighting graduate-level coursework and technical training directly relevant to the position, the application demonstrated that the beneficiary possessed the educational foundation necessary to perform professional software engineering services.

The filing also clearly explained the structure of the consulting engagement and documented that the U.S. employer maintained the requisite employment relationship despite services being provided in support of an end client.

This approval demonstrates the importance of carefully evaluating a beneficiary’s entire academic and professional background when preparing a TN application. For technology professionals, advanced degrees and specialized coursework can play a critical role in establishing eligibility, particularly when an undergraduate degree is not directly aligned with the offered occupation.

At Berardi Immigration Law, we help Canadian and Mexican professionals navigate the TN process by developing well-documented applications that clearly connect a candidate’s qualifications to the requirements of the position, whether the role involves traditional employment or complex consulting arrangements.