New Filing Option for Canadian TN

Starting October 1, 2012, US Citizenship & Immigration Services (US CIS) will start accepting Form I-129 petitions for TN status filed on behalf of Canadian Citizens who are physically present outside the United States. 

Previously USCIS only accepted Form I-129 petitions to extend TN status of an individual physically present in the US or to change an individual’s status to TN, i.e., for a Canadian Citizen outside the US, the only option available to him/her was to apply for TN classification with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the port-of-entry (POE).  This new development is welcome news for prospective TN applicants as it would grant them with another option to apply for TN status besides the continued ability to request the CBP for TN classification.