TN Visa - Economist

Background of Economist TN Visa Category

  • The TN visa occupational category for Economists was first listed in the United States-Canada Free-Trade Agreement (FTA) in 1989. See 54 Federal Register 12 (Jan. 3, 1989). The predecessor to NAFTA, the FTA provided work authorization under TC visa status, which was only available to Canadian citizens.

  • The occupational category for Economists was carried over and included in the NAFTA list of available occupations in 1994. See 58 FR 69205 (Dec. 30, 1993). All NAFTA occupations were carried over into the USMCA.

TN Visa Economist Applicant Requirements:

  • To qualify for TN visa status under the occupational category for Economist, an individual must possess one of the following:

    • Bachelor’s (Baccalaureate) degree.

    • Licenciatura Degree.

  • Additional information on the educational background of Economists may be found in the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH). See Royal Siam Corp. v. Chertoff, 484 F.3d 139, 145 (1st Cir. 2007).

TN Visa Economist Job Duty Requirements:

  • The TN visa regulations do not specifically define the types of Economist positions or job duties that are permissible under this TN category.

  • In Nov. 2017, USCIS issued a policy memo clarifying that financial analyst, marketing analyst, and marketing specialist roles did not fall within the Economist TN category.

  • Like the degree requirement, individuals should refer to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) for guidance on the generally accepted job duties for this occupation.

More Information:

Revised April 29, 2023.