4 ms·

I wouldn't call the TN visa 'hell'.

by hackerboos 12y ago

jarek 12y ago
It's not exactly EEA level "show up whenever and register at an office" though.
- desdiv 12y ago
  The TN program is easier than that. For the EEA you have to go down to the immigration registration office and, well, register. For the TN program you simply present yourself to the immigration officer when you enter the country (this part is something that even a citizen will have to do), show them your documentation, pay $50, and you're done. You don't even have to fill out a form.
  - jarek 12y ago
    Yeah but in EEA you don't have to explain just how you're a Computer Systems Analyst and not a software developer
FD3SA 12y ago
The TN visa is arbitrary and random. You are at the whim of an uneducated border officer, who gets to unanimously decide on whether you get to work in the US or not. Furthermore, its renewal is also at the whims of said officer. You better hope he's in a good mood, or you can say goodbye to GoogFaceMicroZon! Try explaining to them why you have a degree in Electrical Engineering but work as a Data Scientist. My friend tried, and it would be funny if it didn't almost cost him his job. He literally got in due to a shred of mercy caused by his girlfriend's tears at the possibility of a refused visa. The USA sometimes feels like a dystopian nightmare, mainly populated with idiotic yes-men and ruled by Machiavellian bureaucrats. There are a few niche ecosystems that are impressive, but they are by far the minority.
- mahyarm 12y ago
  Don't renew at the border, don't change jobs at the border. Renew while in the country where your company lawyers send a small booklet of paperwork. Since there is no personal aspect to it, and everything is definitely in order, it gets approved and it only takes a few weeks. It's a far more objective process. It's what I've done twice so far. You can theoretically only do the border visa part once. Also remember to have the documentation when you cross the border, in case some border guard forgot to stamp your passport with your renewal number, which has happened to me. Their computer systems are so bad (or they are so untrained) that they can't just look it up by passport number. It's supposedly a pretty complicated process on their end at the secondary screening office.

I wouldn't call the TN visa 'hell'.

jarek 12y ago

It's not exactly EEA level "show up whenever and register at an office" though.

desdiv 12y ago
The TN program is easier than that. For the EEA you have to go down to the immigration registration office and, well, register. For the TN program you simply present yourself to the immigration officer when you enter the country (this part is something that even a citizen will have to do), show them your documentation, pay $50, and you're done. You don't even have to fill out a form.
- jarek 12y ago
  Yeah but in EEA you don't have to explain just how you're a Computer Systems Analyst and not a software developer

FD3SA 12y ago

The TN visa is arbitrary and random. You are at the whim of an uneducated border officer, who gets to unanimously decide on whether you get to work in the US or not. Furthermore, its renewal is also at the whims of said officer. You better hope he's in a good mood, or you can say goodbye to GoogFaceMicroZon! Try explaining to them why you have a degree in Electrical Engineering but work as a Data Scientist. My friend tried, and it would be funny if it didn't almost cost him his job. He literally got in due to a shred of mercy caused by his girlfriend's tears at the possibility of a refused visa. The USA sometimes feels like a dystopian nightmare, mainly populated with idiotic yes-men and ruled by Machiavellian bureaucrats. There are a few niche ecosystems that are impressive, but they are by far the minority.

mahyarm 12y ago
Don't renew at the border, don't change jobs at the border. Renew while in the country where your company lawyers send a small booklet of paperwork. Since there is no personal aspect to it, and everything is definitely in order, it gets approved and it only takes a few weeks. It's a far more objective process. It's what I've done twice so far. You can theoretically only do the border visa part once. Also remember to have the documentation when you cross the border, in case some border guard forgot to stamp your passport with your renewal number, which has happened to me. Their computer systems are so bad (or they are so untrained) that they can't just look it up by passport number. It's supposedly a pretty complicated process on their end at the secondary screening office.