IN THIS GUIDE · Authorization steps a TN professional needs before starting work with a new US employer
Start with the TN eligibility and application overview
Confirm the current TN status is employer-specific
Review exactly which employer, role, and duties the existing TN admission or approval covers. Employment with a different employer generally is not authorized under that existing status, even if the profession and duties look similar. Confirm the current admission's validity period and whether the applicant is inside the US or would need to present at the border again. This baseline determines what new step is actually required before the new position can lawfully begin. Read the current admission record and the letter that supported it, and write down the employer name, the position, the duties, and the validity period. Those four facts define what is authorised today. Note also whether the applicant is inside the United States or would need to present at a border again, since that single fact determines which paths are even available.
Identify the correct authorization path for the new employer
Depending on whether the applicant is inside or outside the United States, options may include a new border admission request with the new employer's evidence, or another appropriate filing. Each path has different evidence needs and a different point at which work may lawfully start. Do not assume the fastest option is available in every case; the correct path depends on citizenship, location, and the new employer's readiness to provide a complete duty letter and offer. Ask the questions in the order that matters: citizenship first, current location second, the new employer's readiness third. Each path carries different evidence needs and a different moment at which work may lawfully begin. Do not assume the fastest option is available in every case, and do not let a hiring manager's preferred date decide which route is chosen.
Build the new employer's evidence file
The new employer needs to prepare a duty letter describing the actual proposed work, confirm the role matches a listed profession, and gather the applicant's relevant credentials again. Even if the profession is unchanged from the prior role, do not reuse the old employer's letter or assume approval carries over. Treat the new position as its own eligibility case, since duties, supervision, and worksite details may differ enough to matter. Ask the new employer to write the duty letter from scratch, describing supervision, worksite, and expected duration in their own words. Reusing the previous employer's letter produces a document describing a job nobody is offering. Refresh the credential evidence at the same time, since licensing or registration details can differ by state or by the particular role.
Sequence the transition around a lawful start date
Coordinate the last day with the current employer, the timing of the new authorization step, and the new employer's intended start date so there is no gap where work would occur without valid authorization. Discuss with both employers whether the start date can move if the authorization step takes longer than planned. Avoid resigning from the current position before the new authorization is actually in hand or the correct filing has been completed. Hypothetical example: a medical technologist moves from a reference laboratory to a hospital network in the same field. Nothing about the profession match carries over automatically, and the transition needs three dates that do not overlap badly: the last day with the current employer, the authorisation step, and the new start. Avoid resigning before the new authorisation is in hand or the correct filing has actually been made.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-07. This guide covers a preparation focus; it is not an individual eligibility assessment.