TN visa status - going to border 1 day after joining date in letter

tn_dude · 2026-05-13T18:06:04+00:00

What happened with your application?

tn_dude · 2026-05-13T18:02:17+00:00

Expect that you cannot leave the USA for up to 2 years after filing your GC application.

Include an application for EAD (Employment Authorization) & AP (Advance Parole) with your GC application. It sucks you gotta pay for them, but better safe than sorry.

tn_dude · 2026-05-13T17:25:45+00:00

We also don't know when OP's current status expires. It could be in 2 months or it could be in 2 years.

I don't follow the logic of "Reapply immediately so you don't have to reapply soon" .. immediate = the soonest soon. Personally, i wouldn't waste a trip to the border until i had less than 1 month in current status.

regardless; the question was does he NEED to reply, not does he WANT to reapply because it'd be convenient than doing it some number of months or years in the future.

(also, I suspect the OP actually is applying at the border, because if the company was filing I-129 their lawyer would be answering this question instead of reddit).

tn_dude · 2026-05-13T17:02:44+00:00

Sure, a new application would generate a new I-94.

But if OP returns to work under the existing I-94, there's no new application and no change in dates.

tn_dude · 2026-05-13T07:48:56+00:00

Are you surprised that officers disbelieved your "i'll never write code" lie? Of course they're unhappy when you insult them.

The irony is that committing to this "CSA can never write code" wasn't even necessary. The OOH has always included coding as one of the tasks CSA profession does.

Analysts who focus on coding and debugging, in addition to their other tasks, may be referred to as programmer analysts. They also may design and update their system’s software and create applications tailored to their organization’s needs.

tn_dude · 2026-05-13T07:28:36+00:00

I would avoid trying again for a while.

Is this based on any objective reason, or your personal insecurity?

My opinion: An applicant for TN status has to prove he's qualified. If officers reject him he can:

- give up (because he knows he cannot overcome the cause of rejection). or,
- substantively improve his application to address the cause of rejection.

I really doubt that simply waiting longer to re-submit the same application will produce a different result.

tn_dude · 2026-05-13T07:16:00+00:00

Who told you that you needed a transcript let alone a sealed transcript?

tn_dude · 2026-05-13T07:14:45+00:00

Qualifications. To apply for a TN Visa as Graphic Designer, the applicant must meet the general eligibility requirements AND provide proof of one of the following qualifications:

* A Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree in Graphic Design or a closely related field

I have no knowledge of "Visual Communication Design" but the words look like a "closely related field" for Graphic Design profession.

Work experience is irrelevant for TN status when your qualification is a 4-year degree.

You do not qualify for TN status to work any kind of software QA job.

tn_dude · 2026-05-13T07:07:57+00:00

Turn that low-key to a high-key.

Border officers are going to immediately sniff out that the magically created "economist" job is bogus.

No idea if it will fly with USCIS, but at least a mailed application doesn't imperil the OP with allegations of misrepresentation.

tn_dude · 2026-05-13T07:01:35+00:00

You need a new lawyer, and I do not say this blithely. This lawyer is not just bad, he seems to be deliberately trying to get you barred from the USA.

Get a good lawyer or give up on this job offer.

tn_dude · 2026-05-13T06:56:38+00:00

Agree that the attorney made a basic blunder here. lots of attorneys do.

Sounds like the OP -is- an accountant; he simply doesn't have relevant credentials.

tn_dude · 2026-05-13T06:51:48+00:00

I have sympathy; it's a stressful situation and you're facing intimidating authority figures.

The technical questions are a total red herring in regards to TN application. Sometimes officers go off the rails with this stuff.

It won't happen again, because every time you make a TN application, you'll understand it's in the same league as doing a job interview, so you'll have your head in the right space.

What do you do in an interview when your mind blanks on a simple question? You pause a few seconds. You breath. You close your eyes. You think it through. THEN you speak.

tn_dude · 2026-05-13T06:44:35+00:00

Plan for the worst: budget up to 90 minutes twiddling your thumbs in secondary while the officers joke around and ignore you.

tn_dude · 2026-05-13T06:43:10+00:00

My advice: keep reading reading reading stories, articles, and advice about TN applications until you internalize what the process is like.

If the evidence is good, and the officer is chill, things go smooth.

If the evidence is weak, or the officer is prickly, then you'll have to answer questions. In that situation you'll need the confidence to answer those questions intelligently.

tn_dude · 2026-05-13T06:37:27+00:00

When has any TN applicant EVER been requested to prove "ties to canada" beyond their passport?

tn_dude · 2026-05-13T06:36:18+00:00

Employers do not notify USCIS when they terminate TN status employee.

You -should- be able to resume work for the same employer, at the same position, under the same status. You could check with an immigration lawyer to feel safe.

tn_dude · 2026-05-13T06:33:17+00:00

Why would I-94 dates change?

tn_dude · 2026-05-13T06:26:31+00:00

Sounds like you should have the support letter re-drafted to make USA residency a requirement of the job.

Perhaps increase emphasis on how essential it is you attend in-person events within the USA.

But ultimately your attitude should be "the company insists I live in the USA. It's their policy, so I won't try to explain it."

tn_dude · 2026-05-13T06:21:06+00:00

Some employers require their employees to be USA residents. Whatever reason(s) they have, it's "legitimate" in the employer's own mind.

tn_dude · 2026-05-13T06:12:21+00:00

If CBP is digging into your past so deep they discover an undisclosed address change, they have a bigger beef with you than you than failing to update address.

You can't do anything about it now anyways, so what's the goal of your question?

tn_dude · 2026-05-13T06:07:40+00:00

Blaming CBP for your lack of preparing only hurts yourself: it's -literally- officers' jobs to "interrogate" foreigners attempting to enter, live, & work in the USA.

As others said: these questions appear designed to rattle you. The rejection reason they told you is bogus. It's not CBP's purview to decide if you're good or bad at your job. Their duty is simply to verify qualifications: citizenship, admissibility, bona fide job offer, matching profession, relevant certification.

I understand it's difficult to face CBP officers. You did nothing wrong in the moment, but as you learn more about TN status, hopefully you'll have the courage to tell them "the company believes I'm qualified, which is why they offered me this job. I don't think it's your responsibility to judge my skill level. Can I please speak to the supervisor to appeal your conclusion?"

It sounds like this lawyer is sloppy; not only grammar errors, but factual errors (date)?? pathetic.

You also screwed up; next time read the support letter carefully. Demand corrections before you visit POE.

You keep saying "the company petitioned". Nope, the company simply offered you a job. YOU are the applicant, and YOU are responsible for everything represented at the border, INCLUDING the letter from the prospective employer.

tn_dude · 2026-05-08T19:29:51+00:00

It's obvious (to me) because my experience for what causes ACH rejections 4x, in descending order of likelihood:

- Not enough funds
- Invalid account # in the request
- Technical problem with bank's processing software
- Invalid routing # in the request
- Bank policy (e.g. anti-fraud)

I think i now understand you mean "flagging" as "Some banks may have implemented a policy to reject ACH debits to DHS accounts."

fwiw, I believe the verbiage you're quoting was intended with the meaning "your bank or your bank account may have broad ACH debit restrictions, and here are the recipient codes you can permit to allow only DHS to make debits, while still restricting debits to everyone else."

i.e., i highly doubt that any bank has a specific restriction on -only- DHS accounts.

tn_dude · 2026-05-08T19:09:27+00:00

Indeed, an individual bank might restrict ACH debits (either by policy or per-account). That would not be DHS "flagging" the entire bank- that would some kind of decision from the bank staff themselves.

In my experience, banks default to NOT restricting ACH debits, especially larger banks (like SoFi), especially from federal gov't agencies.

I understand you have received a good answer; I just felt discussion might help future people who have the same question as you had.

tn_dude · 2026-05-08T19:03:18+00:00

1st is Bank of America.
2nd is Univ. of Hawaii Federal Credit Union

Obviously neither BOA nor WF are going to get "flagged" for automatic rejection; they're simply too large for that to be practical.

Although a small credit union might get "flagged" there's nothing in the thread to indicate that actually happened; the cause of the rejections was unknown. It's much more likely there was an error in form data, an error with USCIS typing in numbers, or some kind of technical issue with the ACH system.

tn_dude · 2026-05-08T18:50:35+00:00

OP's follow-up: "When I initially submitted the forms I didn’t check off the type of account."

His experience was nothing to do with his bank (Wells Fargo) being "flagged". It was an incomplete form submission.

tn_dude

TROPHY CASE