Assess both the immigration classification and the applicable practice rules for the actual interim duties. Do not assume that a different title or the word trainee makes the work permissible. The applicant must have a lawful basis for the activity they will actually perform at that stage. For a Canadian citizen, TN status generally can be requested at a port of entry without a visa stamp; alternatively, a U.S. employer may file Form I-129. TN does not permit U.S. self-employment, relevant ownership interests must be disclosed, and TD dependants may study but may not work.
Describe the interim position concretely
Identify tasks, supervision, duration and compensation and compare them with the proposed authorization. If the role later changes, review any further requirements before beginning the changed work. An employer’s internal arrangement cannot override immigration or licensing conditions.
Begin with the planned start, worksite, admission procedure, licensing milestones, and the employer's real flexibility. The first review should produce a dated sequence of evidence collection, travel or petition steps, and a lawful contingency for delay.; each conclusion should point to the record that settles it. Next, identify the document outside the applicant's control before promising a start. This order keeps a later explanation from being asked to repair a missing fact. What commonly goes wrong is orientation may become productive work despite a harmless label. Preserve dated source material and identify the unresolved issue instead of using a confident generalization. Hypothetical example: A speech-language pathologist awaits state verification after completing examinations. The review maps what can be prepared remotely, what cannot start in the United States, and when the job duties need reconsideration. The decision is whether the actual record supports the proposed activity now, requires a different sequence, or calls for a separate route. TN requires eligible Canadian or Mexican citizenship and a listed professional category. A Canadian may seek admission on arrival or through preclearance, while an employer may submit an I-129 to USCIS. It cannot be structured as self-employment through a U.S. enterprise the worker owns or controls.