U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced this week that fourteen ports of entry, including four pre clearance inspection stations located in Canada, have been designated for “optimized processing” of first time Canadian citizen-filed TN and L visa applicants. With the designation of these ports of entry, CBP hopes to “ensure a more efficient approach to processing the high volume of TN and L applicants.”
The CBP bulletin states that first time applicants seeking TN or L visa classification can still choose to submit their applications at any port of entry along the Canadian border. But CBP encourages these applicants to go to one of the designated ports of entry for “optimized processing.”
The TN visa classification allows citizens of Canada and Mexico to seek temporary entry into the United States for the purpose of engaging in business activities which are considered to be professional. The L-1 visa classification authorizes employment pursuant to the transfer of overseas intracompany personnel -- managers or executives or persons with specialized knowledge -- to a U.S. entity with a sufficient qualifying relationship with the foreign company.
The list of designated ports of entry is here.
Timothy D. Widman is a Immigration Attorney and the owner of the Law Office of Timothy D. Widman, with offices in San Jose and Cupertino.