Read the general professional work overview
Hypothetical example: a dietitian working near Oro-Medonte has an American offer and a support letter drafted by a recruitment coordinator who has never written one. The letter is warm, brief and unusable, because it never names the profession, never describes what the work involves and never says how long the engagement is for. The letter is the document the whole application rests on, and it has four jobs to do. Hypothetical example: Karis is an environmental scientist whose American employer has a short project deadline. She must choose whether to lead with the degree path or an alternative credential route, because the documents and review time are different. Her decision is to match the listed profession to the actual duties before requesting letters. A Canadian applicant should also confirm the temporary, prearranged employment structure and avoid an arrangement that is in substance self-directed business activity in the United States.
Name the profession and describe the duties substantively
The letter should identify the listed profession the position falls within, and then describe the actual work in enough detail that a reader can see why it belongs there. A job title is not a profession, and a list of adjectives is not a duty description. For a dietitian that means the clinical or nutritional work itself: assessment, planning, the population served, the setting. Job advertisements are written to attract applicants and make poor source material; a manager who supervises the work should draft this part, or at least review it before it is issued. Build a document index with one column for the requirement and one for the record that proves it. That lets the employer see quickly whether the support letter, degree, licence, or experience record is missing.
State the period, the employer and the terms of engagement
The letter needs to say who the employer is, for what period the person is being engaged, and on what terms they will be paid. Those facts speak to prearranged employment with an American employer and to the temporary nature of the classification. They also expose problems early: a letter that describes an indefinite appointment, or that describes the person invoicing rather than being employed, has revealed something that has to be resolved before anything is filed rather than at a border or in an adjudication. A letter that is silent on all three points is not neutral; it simply leaves the reader with no basis for the findings the classification requires, which is why generic templates cause so much difficulty. Put names, dates, and titles in chronological order before translating or certifying anything. A mismatch can often be explained, but it is easier to address when the supporting name-change or employer record is already beside it.
Identify the credential the profession requires
Each listed profession carries its own requirement, and the letter should say which credential the employer is relying on and confirm that the person holds it. For a dietitian the requirement can be met by a qualifying degree or by a state or provincial licence, so the letter and the supporting documents should be consistent about which basis applies. Where a licence in the American state is required to practise, that is a separate matter governed by that state's own rules and on its own timeline, and it should not be conflated with the immigration question. The practical choice is whether the evidence supports this job under this category now, or whether the employer should change timing or consider another route. Do not let a travel date decide that question by itself.
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.