US - Non-Immigrant - NAFTA Visas
Canadian and Mexican citizens have a number of immigration and travel options available to them through the North American Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”).
NAFTA Visitors for Pleasure
Canadian citizens may enter the United States for up to six months of travel without a visa, as long as they maintain a residence in Canada and do not work or study while in the U.S.
NAFTA Business Visitors
Additionally, NAFTA permits Canadian citizens can enter the United States as business visitors. Business visitors can generally engage in business activities other than the performance of skilled or unskilled labor. Examples of activities that are allowed include:
- engaging in international commercial transactions, which do not involve gainful employment in the United States (such as a merchant who takes orders in the U.S. for goods manufactured abroad, or who travels to the U.S. to purchase American-made goods for export from the U.S.);
- negotiating contracts;
- consulting with business associates; and
- participating in scientific, educational, professional or business conventions, conferences, or seminars.
The performance of any skilled or unskilled labor - even if it is unpaid - is nearly always prohibited.
NAFTA Professionals
Finally, NAFTA also includes visas for certain professional fields, provided the applicant is sponsored by an employer in the U.S. The primary advantage of a NAFTA Professional Visa is expediency; once documents are collected and the application is prepared it can usually be processed at point of entry in just a few hours. NAFTA Professionals visas are issued for a period of three years and can be renewed. Positions eligible for a NAFTA Professional Visas are listed below.
NAFTA Professional Job List
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Minimum Education Requirements and Alternative Credentials |
Accountant |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or C.P.A, C.A., C.G.A., or C.M.A. |
Architect |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license |
Computer Systems Analyst |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post Secondary Certificate and three years experience |
Disaster Relief Insurance Claims Adjuster (Claims Adjuster employed by an insurance company located in the territory of a Party, or an independent claims adjuster) |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree and successful completion of training in the appropriate areas of insurance adjustment pertaining to disaster relief claims; or three years experience in claims adjustment and successful completion of training in the appropriate areas of insurance adjustment pertaining to disaster relief claims |
Economist |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Engineer |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license |
Forester |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license |
Graphic Designer |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or post-secondary diploma and three years experience |
Hotel Manager |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree in hotel/restaurant management; or post-secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate in hotel/restaurant management and three years experience in hotel/restaurant management |
Industrial Designer |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or post-secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate, and three years experience |
Interior Designer |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or post-secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate, and three years experience |
Land Surveyor |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree or state/provincial/federal license |
Landscape Architect |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Lawyer (including Notary in the province of Quebec) |
L.L.B., J.D., L.L.L., B.C.L., or Licenciatura degree (five years); or membership in a state/provincial bar |
Librarian |
M.L.S. or B.L.S. (for which another Baccalaureate or Licenciatura degree was prerequisite) |
Management Consultant |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or equivalent professional experience as established by statement or professional credential attesting to five years experience as a management consultant , or five years experience in a field of specialty related to the consulting agreement |
Mathematician (including statistician) |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Range Manager/Range Conservationist |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Research Assistant (working in a post-secondary educational institution) |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Scientific Technician/ Technologist |
Possession of (a) theoretical knowledge of any of the following disciplines: agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology, chemistry, engineering, forestry, geology, geophysics, meteorology, or physics; and (b) the ability to solve practical problems in any of those disciplines, or the ability to apply principles of any of those disciplines to basic or applied research |
Social Worker |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Sylviculturist (including forestry) |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Technical Publications Writer |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree, or post-secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate, and three years experience |
Urban Planner (including Geographer) |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Vocational Counselor |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Medical/Allied Professionals |
|
Dentist |
D.D.S., D.M.D., Doctor en Odontologia or Doctor en Cirugia Dental or state/provincial license |
Dietitian |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license |
Medical Laboratory Technologist (Canada)/Medical Technologist (Mexico and the United States) |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or post secondary diploma or post secondary certificate, and three years experience |
Nutritionist |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Occupational Therapist |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state provincial license |
Pharmacist |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state provincial license |
Physician (teaching or research only) |
M.D., Doctor en Medicina; or state/provincial license |
Physiotherapist/Physical Therapist |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license |
Psychologist |
State/provincial license; or Licenciatura degree |
Recreational Therapist |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Registered Nurse |
State/provincial license or Licenciatura degree |
Veterinarian |
D.V.M., D.M.V., or Doctor en Veterinaria; or state/provincial license |
Scientist |
|
Agricultural (Agronomist) |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Animal Breeder |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Animal Scientist |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Apiculturist |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Astronomer |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Biochemist |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Chemist |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Dairy Scientist |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Entomologist |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Epidemiologist |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Geneticist |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Geochemist |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Geophysicist (including Oceanographer in Mexico and the United States) |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Horticulturist |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Meteorologist |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Pharmacologist |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Physicist (including Oceanographer in Canada) |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Plant Breeder |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Poultry Scientist |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Soil Scientist |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Zoologist |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Teacher |
|
College |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Seminary |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
University |
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree |
Permanent Residents
NAFTA benefits apply only to Canadian and Mexican citizens, and are not available to permanent residents (or green card holders) of Canada and Mexico.