TN Visa: Geochemist

Background of Geochemist TN Visa Category

  • The Geochemist occupation was initially not included 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 status only to Canadian citizens.

  • The Geochemist occupation was proposed for inclusion in the FTA in 1991 since both the Geophysicist and Geologist occupations were already part of the FTA. See 56 Federal Register 11528 (March 19, 1991).

  • The Geochemist occupation was carried over and included in the NAFTA list of available occupations in 1994, and then in the USMCA. See 58 FR 69205 (Dec. 30, 1993).

TN Visa Geochemist Applicant Requirements:

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

    • Bachelor’s (Baccalaureate) degree

    • Licenciatura Degree

  • The regulations governing TN visa status generally do not provide any guidance on the type of degrees or majors suitable for a particular TN occupational category.

  • To determine the types of degrees suitable for a Geochemist for purposes of a TN visa, we may refer to U.S. Department of Labor publications such as the Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH). See Royal Siam Corp. v. Chertoff, 484 F.3d 139, 145 (1st Cir. 2007).

TN Visa Geochemist Job Duty Requirements:

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