United States of America
TN USMCA Professionals (Canada & Mexico): total cost to complete
By Sam Parks · Last checked:
A source-linked budget for a Canadian or Mexican TN professional: USMCA profession and employer-letter gates, the Canadian CBP land-border baseline, Mexican TN/TD MRV costs, I-129 extension/change-of-status alternatives, premium processing, credential-evaluation exposure, and TD family scaling.
What does the TN USMCA Professionals (Canada & Mexico) actually cost?
Mandatory non-refundable costs are US$80. Refundable proof-of-funds requirements are tracked separately at none tracked, because that money is shown or blocked rather than normally lost.
Verified against USCIS - TN USMCA Professionals on 1 July 2026.
What it actually costs
A source-linked budget for a Canadian or Mexican TN professional: USMCA profession and employer-letter gates, the Canadian CBP land-border baseline, Mexican TN/TD MRV costs, I-129 extension/change-of-status alternatives, premium processing, credential-evaluation exposure, and TD family scaling.
Money you don't get back
US$80-US$80
Mandatory fees, services and one month of insurance.
| Cost line | Amount | Type | When / who |
|---|---|---|---|
| USMCA profession eligibility gate | US$0 | Service | No separate fee, but the offered role must fit a profession in Appendix 2 to Annex 16-A of Chapter 16 of the USMCA and the applicant must hold the required credentials. USCIS - TN USMCA Professionals |
| Prearranged U.S. employer support-letter gate | US$0 | Service | TN is for prearranged professional activity for a U.S. employer or entity. The employer letter must describe the profession, duties, stay length, qualifications and remuneration. 8 CFR 214.6 |
| Temporary-entry / nonimmigrant-intent gate | US$0 | Service | No separate fee, but TN admission requires temporary entry without intent to establish permanent residence; weak nonimmigrant-intent evidence can block CBP or consular approval. 8 CFR 214.6 |
| TN processing / inspection fee at CBP | US$50 | Gov fee | Canadian-citizen direct admission baseline. 8 CFR 214.6 points Canadian TN admission to the prescribed fee, and 8 CFR 103.7(d)(11) lists the professional-business-activity request at USD 50. 8 CFR 103.7(d)(11) |
| CBP Form I-94 land-border fee | US$30 | Gov fee | Canadian land-border baseline. HR-1 added USD 24 to the existing USD 6 land-border I-94 fee, bringing the current total to USD 30; air/pre-clearance collection can differ. Federal Register - CBP Immigration Fees Required by HR-1 |
| Foreign credential evaluation where required(optional)· indicative | US$0-US$250 | Service | Conditional: 8 CFR 214.6 requires a reliable credentials evaluation when the degree was issued outside Canada, Mexico or the United States. 8 CFR 214.6 |
| Mexican TN/TD consular MRV visa fee(optional) | US$185 | Gov fee | Conditional: Mexican TN applicants must obtain a TN visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate before applying for admission. Department of State lists TN/TD under the USD 185 non-petition-based NIV fee. U.S. Department of State - Fees for Visa Services |
| Consular appointment, courier, photos and local travel(optional)· indicative | US$0-US$300 | Service | Country-specific cash-flow exposure for Mexican consular cases or non-Canadian TD dependants: appointment-provider charges, courier service, compliant photos and travel to the post. Country-specific U.S. visa appointment provider - verify locally |
| Form I-129 E/TN filing fee (paper, standard employer)(optional) | US$1,015 | Gov fee | Conditional: employer-filed change of status, extension, or pre-approval path instead of direct CBP/consular processing. USCIS - Form G-1055 fee schedule |
| Form I-129 E/TN filing fee (online, standard employer)(optional) | US$965 | Gov fee | Conditional online filing rate where Form I-129 online filing is available for the TN case. USCIS - Form G-1055 fee schedule |
| Asylum Program Fee (standard employer, if I-129 filed)(optional) | US$600 | Gov fee | Conditional standard-employer Asylum Program Fee for Form I-129 filings. Small employers pay a reduced amount and nonprofits pay USD 0. USCIS - Form G-1055 fee schedule |
| Premium Processing (Form I-907)(optional) | US$2,965 | Gov fee | Optional faster USCIS adjudicative action for eligible I-129 TN petitions; excluded from the Canadian border baseline. USCIS - Premium processing |
| Attorney or TN package-preparation fees(optional)· indicative | US$500-US$2,500 | Service | Common professional-service range for occupation mapping, employer-letter drafting, credential review and CBP/consular packet assembly. Not a government fee and not legally required in every case. Indicative immigration counsel range - verify engagement quote |
| TD dependant Form I-539 filing fee (paper)(optional) | US$470per dependant | Gov fee | Optional family-scaling line for TD dependants changing or extending status inside the United States by paper Form I-539. USCIS - Form G-1055 fee schedule |
| TD dependant Form I-539 filing fee (online)(optional) | US$420per dependant | Gov fee | Optional family-scaling line where online Form I-539 filing is available for the TD dependant case. USCIS - Form G-1055 fee schedule |
| TD dependant consular MRV visa fee(optional) | US$185per dependant | Gov fee | Optional family-scaling line for TD dependants who need a TD visa stamp abroad. U.S. Department of State - Fees for Visa Services |
Baseline sunk cost is the Canadian-citizen land-border TN path: USD 50 TN professional request fee plus USD 30 Form I-94 land-border fee, with zero-dollar USMCA profession, employer-letter and temporary-entry gates included because they are hard approval requirements. Mexican consular MRV, I-129 change/extension, premium processing, attorney, credential-evaluation and TD dependant lines are excluded from the baseline unless the actual filing uses that path. Last checked 1 July 2026.
Cite or reuse this dataset
This cost model is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite Visa Atlas for the compiled sunk/refundable split and cite each linked authority or provider source for the underlying line item.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "TN USMCA Professionals (Canada & Mexico) cost-to-complete model", https://visaatlas.org/cost-to-complete/us-tn. Last verified 1 July 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/cost-to-complete
FAQs
What does the TN USMCA Professionals (Canada & Mexico) actually cost to complete?
Mandatory non-refundable costs are US$80 in the current model. Separately, refundable proof-of-funds requirements are none tracked. The line table explains each item and source.
Is proof of funds a sunk cost?
No. Proof of funds is money you must show, hold or block. It can still be a cash-flow barrier, but it is different from application fees, document costs and insurance payments that you do not normally get back.
Why are some lines marked indicative?
Some third-party costs vary by country, provider and document count. Those lines use a range and are marked indicative so they are not confused with a single government tariff.