Professionals Under the North American Free Trade Agreement
The category "Professionals Under the North American Free Trade Agreement" is available only to citizens of Mexico and Canada.
Under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) a citizen of a NAFTA country may work in a professional occupation in another NAFTA country provided that
- the profession is on the NAFTA list,
- the alien possesses the specific criteria for that profession,
- the prospective position requires someone in that professional capacity and
- the alien is going to work for a U.S. employer.
The spouse and unmarried, minor children of the principal alien are entitled to the derivative status, but they are unable to accept employment in the United States.
Aliens entering under this classification are considered non-immigrants.
NAFTA Professional Job Series List
Profession
Minimum Education Requirements and Alternative Credentials
Accountant
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or C.P.A, C.A., C.G.A., or C.M.A.
Architect
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license
Computer Systems Analyst
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or Post-Secondary Diploma or Post Secondary Certificate and three years experience Disaster Relief Insurance Claims Adjuster (Claims Adjuster employed by an insurance company located in the territory of a Party, or an independent claims adjuster) Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree and successful completion of training in the appropriate areas of insurance adjustment pertaining to disaster relief claims; or three years experience in claims adjustment and successful completion of training in the appropriate areas of insurance adjustment pertaining to disaster relief claims
Economist
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Engineer
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license
Forester
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license
Graphic Designer
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or post-secondary diploma and three years experience
Hotel Manager
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree in hotel/restaurant management; or post-secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate in hotel/restaurant management and three years experience in hotel/restaurant management
Industrial Designer
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or post-secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate, and three years experience
Interior Designer
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or post-secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate, and three years experience
Land Surveyor
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree or state/provincial/federal license
Landscape Architect
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Lawyer (including Notary in the province of Quebec)
L.L.B., J.D., L.L.L., B.C.L., or Licenciatura degree (five years); or membership in a state/provincial bar Librarian M.L.S. or B.L.S. (for which another Baccalaureate or Licenciatura degree was prerequisite)
Management Consultant
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or equivalent professional experience as established by statement or professional credential attesting to five years experience as a management consultant, or five years experience in a field of specialty related to the consulting agreement
Mathematician (including statistician)
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Range Manager/Range Conservationist
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Research Assistant (working in a post-secondary educational institution)
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Scientific Technician/ Technologist
Possession of (a) theoretical knowledge of any of the following disciplines: agricultural sciences, astronomy, biology, chemistry, engineering, forestry, geology, geophysics, meteorology, or physics; and (b) the ability to solve practical problems in any of those disciplines, or the ability to apply principles of any of those disciplines to basic or applied research
Social Worker
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Sylviculturist (including forestry)
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Technical Publications Writer
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree, or post-secondary diploma or post-secondary certificate, and three years experience
Urban Planner (including Geographer)
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Vocational Counselor
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
MEDICAL/ALLIED PROFESSIONALS
Dentist
D.D.S., D.M.D., Doctor en Odontologia or Doctor en Cirugia Dental or state/provincial license
Dietitian
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license
Medical Laboratory Technologist (Canada)/Medical Technologist (Mexico and the United States)
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or post secondary diploma or post secondary certificate, and three years experience
Nutritionist
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Occupational Therapist
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state provincial license
Pharmacist
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state provincial license
Physician (teaching or research only)
M.D., Doctor en Medicina; or state/provincial license
Physiotherapist/Physical Therapist
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree; or state/provincial license
Psychologist
State/provincial license; or Licenciatura degree
Recreational Therapist
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Registered Nurse
State/provincial license or Licenciatura degree
Veterinarian
D.V.M., D.M.V., or Doctor en Veterinaria; or state/provincial license
SCIENTIST
Agricultural (Agronomist)
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Animal Breeder
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Animal Scientist
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Apiculturist
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Astronomer
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Biochemist
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Chemist
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Dairy Scientist
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Entomologist
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Epidemiologist
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Geneticist
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Geochemist
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Geophysicist (including Oceanographer in Mexico and the United States)
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Horticulturist
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Meteorologist
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Pharmacologist
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Physicist (including Oceanographer in Canada)
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Plant Breeder
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Poultry Scientist
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Soil Scientist
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Zoologist
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
TEACHER
College
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
Seminary
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
University
Baccalaureate or Licenciatura Degree
