CBP: VISA SCREEN CAN BE REQUESTED DURING LATER TRAVEL ON TN VISA

Question: I am a Registered Nurse working in the U.S. under TN visa status. I have a valid visa screen. When returning to the U.S., do I need to have my visa screen, or can I enter with just my I-94 card?

Reply: Technically, under the regulations an individual required to possess a visa screen must not only have this document available when applying for TN visa status, but must also have it on hand when re-entering the U.S. See 8 CFR 212.15 (d) (stating that an individual "who has previously presented a foreign health care worker certification or certified statement for a particular health care occupation will be required to present it again at the time of each application for admission"). 

In a recent liaison meeting with AILA, USCBP confirmed this requirement specifically within the TN visa context. The agency stated that while its officers may not always request to see the visa screen certificate at each entry, the regulations do require that the visa screen be available for presentation "at all times." AILA/CBP Liaison Meeting, AILA Doc. No. 11080850 (posted Aug. 8, 2011).