Read the general professional work overview
Hypothetical example: a Val-des-Monts graphic designer with a three-year college diploma in graphic design has been offered a staff position by a U.S. packaging-design studio. The Graphic Designer entry on the USMCA list accepts a baccalaureate degree, or a post-secondary diploma or certificate together with three years of experience. Because she has a diploma rather than a degree, the experience letters are the documents that decide the case, and the officer will read them for dates, duties and who signed them.
Two routes to the same credential
The professionals list gives Graphic Designer two alternative qualification rules: a baccalaureate or licenciatura degree, or a post-secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate plus three years of experience. A degree holder brings the degree and is done with the credential question. A diploma holder must prove both halves: the diploma, with a transcript showing it is a post-secondary program in the field, and three years of experience as a graphic designer after or alongside it. The regulation does not accept experience in place of the diploma, so a self-taught designer with a strong portfolio but no post-secondary credential does not qualify under this entry, however good the work. The experience does not have to be with one employer, and freelance work counts if it can be documented.
What an experience letter must say
Each letter should be on the former employer’s or client’s letterhead, signed by a person with authority, and should state the dates of engagement, that the work was graphic design, the kinds of projects handled and whether the position was full-time. Letters that say only that she was employed from one date to another do not establish that the work was design. For freelance periods, invoices, contracts and a client letter together do the job; a portfolio can illustrate but is not proof of duration. The letters should add up to at least three years without relying on overlapping periods to reach the total, and the dates should match the résumé she carries and the biography on any website the officer may look at.
Assemble the file in the order the officer reads it
The support letter from the U.S. studio comes first and must name the profession as Graphic Designer, describe design duties, state the term of up to three years and the salary, and confirm she is an employee rather than self-employed. Next, the diploma and transcript, then the experience letters in chronological order with a one-page summary of dates. Then proof of Canadian citizenship. Any French-language diploma or letter should have a certified translation. She may apply at a port of entry with these documents and no visa stamp, or the studio may petition on Form I-129. If she is refused at the border for a curable reason, such as a missing letter, she may return with the corrected document, but a clean first presentation avoids a refusal record.
What else is on your mind?
Is a matching job title enough for TN?Can years of experience replace a degree for TN?Can my own U.S. company employ me under TN?Can my spouse work if I hold TN status?Editorial source review: 2026-09-07. General preparation guidance, not an individual assessment.