U.S., CANADA & MEXICO SIGN NEW NAFTA DEAL

The three countries signed the “new” NAFTA agreement today, the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA). No significant changes were made to the TN visa-related provisions of the agreement. Compare NAFTA’s TN visa provisions with USMCA’s “TN” visa provisions. The USMCA must now be approved by each country’s legislature before being implemented.

Any implementing legislation by Congress or subsequent regulations may not change the main substantive requirements for the new TN visa classification outlined in the USMCA (i.e. the available TN visa occupations and the qualifications for each occupation). However, it is possible that the implementing legislation or regulations may bring new procedures for applying for a TN visa (any such changes would likely be done at the administrative level). It is also possible that new regulations may trigger the issuance of a new USCBP field manual, or “clarifying memos” by the administration such as USCIS’ memo on the Economist occupational category issued last year.