NAFTA Work Permit in Canada
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is a trilateral reciprocal agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico. Its goal is to expand trade between the signatory countries.
To expand trade, individuals must have access to each other’s country to sell, provide goods or services or trade and invest. The NAFTA facilitates the temporary entry into Canada for American and Mexican business persons and selected categories of workers.
The NAFTA does not replace the existing general provisions for entering Canada temporarily. Rather, it is to be considered as an addition to the current rules to benefit American and Mexican citizens. The provisions of the NAFTA apply only to temporary entry into Canada.
To qualify, applicants must be American or Mexican citizens and have a job offer from a Canadian employer in one of the 63 recognized occupations under NAFTA. With the job offer, applicants must apply for a Canadian Temporary Work Permit (TN Visa). This is a fast and relatively simple way for Americans and Mexicans become engaged in the Canadian workforce.
NAFTA’s List of Professionals
General
- Accountant
- Architect
- Computer Systems Analyst
- Disaster relief Insurance Claims Adjuster
- Economist
- Engineer
- Forester
- Graphic Designer
- Hotel Manager
- Industrial Designer
- Interior Designer
- Land Surveyor
- Landscape Architect
- Lawyer (including Notary in the Province of Quebec)
- Librarian
- Management Consultant
- Mathematician (including Statistician)
- Range Manager/ Range Conservationalist
- Research Assistant (working in a post-secondary educational institution)
Medical/Allied Professional
- Dentist
- Dietitian
- Medical Laboratory Technologist (Canada)
- Medical Technologist (Mexico and the United States)
- Nutritionist
- Occupational Therapist
- Pharmacist
- Physician (teaching or research only)
- Physiotherapist/Physical Therapist
- Psychologist
- Recreational Therapist
- Registered Nurse
- Veterinarian
Scientific
- Technician/Technologist
- Social Worker
- Sylviculturist (including Forestry Specialist)
- Technical Publications Writer
- Urban Planner (including Geographer)
- Vocational Counsellor
Scientists
- Agriculturist (including Agronomist)
- Animal Breeder
- Animal Scientist
- Apiculturist
- Astronomer
- Biochemist
- Biologist
- Chemist
- Dairy Scientist
- Entomologist
- Epidemiologist
- Geneticist
- Geologist
- Geochemist
- Horticulturist
- Meteorologist
- Pharmacologist
- Plant Breeder
- Poultry Scientist
- Soil Scientist
- Zoologist
- Geophysicist (including Oceanographer in Mexico and the United States)
- Physicist (including Oceanographer in Canada)
Teachers
- College
- Seminary
- University
