A few weeks ago I made the roundtrip trek to get my TN visa during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Under normal circumstances, this can be a stressful event. With the coronavirus pandemic looming over us, I felt even more anxious and it was definitely a memorable day. Here’s my experience.
An Overview
- Leaving my job during a pandemic
- Choosing between a mail-in or in-person TN application during COVID
- My flagpole trip
- Back in the States
Leaving my job during a pandemic
I decided to leave my job in San Francisco in early June to join a US based startup. This was right in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. It was a difficult choice given the uncertainty of the economy and also day-to-day life. However, once I set everything in motion there was one big thing on my mind, getting my next TN visa.
Before I announced that I was leaving my job in June, I clarified two items:
- Legal status to stay in the US during the interim
- New employer’s support for the next TN application
The first item resolved fairly quickly once I confirmed with legal council from my former employer that there’s a 60 day grace period following the end of employment. During this time, a TN visa holder can legally stay in the US.
As for the second item, my future employer was well aware of the TN process and was happy to support me through it. My new company hired a lawyer who drafted my employer support letter.
One tip I would offer is to start early. Although a 60 days grace period sounds like a long time, it can easily take weeks to get everything in order and have all the necessary documents on hand. Rushing and getting documents together at the last minute often results in typos or missed documents that can weaken your overall TN application.
Choosing between a mail-in or in-person TN application during COVID
I spent a good month in between jobs. During this time I had to make a decision on how to proceed with the TN application during COVID. There were two options for obtaining a new TN visa:
- Mail-in an application to USCIS
- Apply in person at the border
After a lengthy discussion with my lawyers, we decided the best option was to apply in person at the border. Mail-in applications often take more time and in June 2020 with COVID, the premium processing option was suspended. This meant it could take weeks if not months for me to obtain legal working status. The mail-in option looked even less attractive given the news that the USCIS planned to lay off thousands of workers.
The in person application isn’t risk-free of course. There was always the chance that a border officer could reject an application if the job category doesn’t match up with your duties or if your qualifications don’t meet the TN job category that you are applying for. My lawyer agreed that my application was strong and it was unlikely that a border officer would reject my TN application. However, due to the pandemic, a big logistical risk that remained was unforeseen border closure.
US-Canada border closures
Since March 2020, countries around the world have placed travel restrictions on each other to slow down the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Canada and the US were no exception. The rapidly changing situation was a risk factor because there was a chance that I might get stuck in Canada. Getting into Canada is easy because I am a Canadian citizen. Canada will not refuse citizens entry into the country, but the US is another story.
After double checking the rules, I found that I can enter the US as long as my travel is considered “essential”. Luckily, work was considered “essential” and with a TN stamp on my passport, I’d be able to take off and head back to the States. With that in mind, I booked a roundtrip flight to Vancouver from San Francisco. I would do my TN visa interview in Vancouver.
Given that my TN application was strong and travel was unrestricted for me, I felt confident about getting my next TN visa. The only gamble that remained was whether I would contract a deadly disease or not. No big deal.
My flagpole trip
The day had finally come. With a mask on my face and a bag full of TN documents and sanitizer, I set off for Vancouver from San Francisco. My trip to the airport was the first time I left the city since the start of the pandemic. Even though it was 5am, I was still surprised by how empty the roads were. SFO airport was no different. I flew through security and next thing I knew, I was at the gate where Air Canada was taking my temperature.
Normally, I’m the type of person to accept every freebie on a flight consuming every last pretzel crumb and chugging every glass of tomato juice. This time was an exception. During the 2.5 hour flight, I would keep my mask on the whole time and I avoided using the bathroom. Overall the flight was positive. The airplane was sparse with each person having their own private row.
Canada took COVID precautions more seriously than the States. As soon as I landed in Vancouver, I was asked to declare any potential symptoms or contact with infected persons. I also had to let the Canadian border officer know what my quarantine plans were. Incoming passengers must have a plan to quarantine themselves for two weeks before they are allowed to venture outdoors in Canada.
This mandatory quarantine was slightly complicated in my same day roundtrip. I told the border officer that I planned on leaving the airport the same day and that I will not be meeting anyone in the airport. Satisfied with this answer, the Canadian border officer allowed me into the country. Incidentally, this practice of making a same day roundtrip to a country for the purpose of obtaining a TN visa is known as doing a “flagpole”. After clearing Canadian customs, I was halfway through my flagpole and the next step for me was to turn around and clear US customs at the Vancouver International Airport (US border agents are typically staffed in Canadian international airports).
Again the lines were short going through security and clearing US customs. I approached the US border officer and declared that I was applying for a TN visa. He was the first person in the whole trip that I’ve encountered who didn’t have a mask. Before I had time to be astonished, he led me to the secondary inspection area where I patiently waited for an officer to review my case. I presented my documents to another unmasked officer and after minutes of silence and a few questions about what my job duties were, I was whisked away to pay the $50 USD application fee for the TN visa.
My flight back to San Francisco was just as uneventful as the flight to Vancouver. Before hopping on the plane I did manage to treat myself to lunch at Tim Hortons, a rare treat for an expat. A few hours later, I found myself back in San Francisco calling a Lyft home.
Back in the States
It took a good hour to disinfect everything and have a long shower. At last I was back where I started but with a three year extension on my stay in the US. My takeaway from this experience is that getting a TN during COVID-19 is unnecessarily stressful but very doable. In other words, it’s not much different from getting a TN during normal times.
At the time of writing, more than three weeks have passed and I’m happy to say that I’ve started full-time at my new company and have shown no COVID symptoms. I hope my experience have helped answer some of your questions about the process and shed some light on what a first-hand experience might look like. Good luck and stay safe!