General Occupations

TN Visa: Land Surveyor

BACKGROUND OF TN VISA CATEGORY

The TN visa occupational category for Land Surveyors was notlisted in the initial version of the United States-Canada Free-Trade Agreement (FTA) in 1989 (the predecessor to NAFTA). See 54 Federal Register 12 (Jan. 3, 1989). The Land Surveyor occupation was later added to the FTA in 1991. 56 FR 480 (Jan. 7, 1991). It was then carried over and included in the NAFTA list of available occupations in 1994. See 58 FR 69205 (Dec. 30, 1993).
 


TN VISA APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS

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

  • Bachelor’s (Baccalaureate) degree;
  • Licenciatura Degree; or
  • State, provincial, or federal license.

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 Land Surveyors 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).

Read more about the TN visa degree requirements.


TN VISA JOB DUTIES REQUIREMENTS

The TN visa regulations do not specifically define the types of Land Surveyor 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.

Read more about TN visa job duties.