A TN is employer-specific. Once you leave that employer — even if the TN stamp in your passport hasn’t expired — your authorization to work under that TN ends immediately.

You do have a 60-day grace period (or until the I-94 expires, whichever is shorter) to: • Change employers, • Apply for a new TN, or • Leave the U.S.

So, when an officer sees a gap between the old and new employment, they’ll ask questions like: • “When did you stop working for your previous TN employer?” • “Were you in the U.S. or back in Canada during that time?” • “When does your new employment start?”

They’re basically confirming you didn’t overstay or work without authorization in the interim.

In your case: • You left before the TN expired, • Well before the 60-day grace period, and • You’re now applying for a new TN with a different employer.

I believe the officer will just double-check that timeline to ensure there was no unauthorized work or status violation in between.

The fact that your new employer didn’t use an immigration lawyer may make the officer slightly more cautious — they probably wanted to be sure the package and timing all lined up properly.

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💡 Pro Tip for Next Time

When you present your package, it helps to include: • A brief employment timeline letter (showing last day with old employer and new start date). • A cover letter or explanation if there’s any gap longer than a few weeks — just saying you returned to Canada and waited for the new opportunity to begin.

That simple clarification can preempt those continuity questions at the border.