Maintenance of Status
Confirm Your Status
To double check that Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) has entered you in the correct visa status, you can access your I-94 record online here (go to “Get Most Recent I-94”): https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home. Please note, you should check this every time you re-enter the United States. If you find an error on your I-94 record, please contact ISSS at isss@middlebury.edu as soon as possible. It may take CBP some time after your entry into the United States to update your I-94 record.
Employment
The TN status is employer-, position/duties-, and location-specific. This means that USDHS, either via USCBP when the TN status is granted at time of admission or via USCIS if the employer filed a petition and it was approved, authorizes the TN status holder to work only in the position specified in the Middlebury/MIIS employer letter. An individual who has a TN approval from another employer is not eligible to work at Middlebury/MIIS and the Middlebury/MIIS-sponsored TN approval is not authorization to work for any other employer. A TN worker may work for more than one employer, but TN status must be approved for each each employer and position. Multiple employers that have sponsored and it was approved for TN status are referred to as “concurrent” TNs.
TN status holders may not accept compensation, including honoraria, from any other entity. Individuals in TN status invited to give a lecture, collaborate, conduct research or present at other institutions can receive reimbursement for reasonable living and transportation costs only. ISSS should be consulted before accepting any opportunity, especially if the opportunity includes potential compensation of some sort.
Travel
For travel outside the U.S. the following documents are required for re-entry to the U.S. to obtain TN status:
- Unexpired passport
- Employer letter that was used in obtaining the most recent TN status
- Copy of your degree certificate (diploma)
- Citizens of Mexico: must have a valid TN visa stamp in their passports
- Evidence of employment such as paystubs or an employment confirmation letter from HR may be requested, as well.
Extensions
Individuals are admitted in TN visa status up to three-year increments initially, but the TN status may be renewed indefinitely. The more expeditious way to extend TN visa status or to move to a different employer in TN status is to travel outside the United States and obtain the TN visa status by reentry. The process is identical to that of the original TN application. The longer way to extend TN status is to have the ISSS file for an extension application with a USCIS center. It could several months for the process. Although there is no fixed time limit on the TN visa, individuals are required to have a residence abroad which they have no intention of abandoning.
Transfers and Leaving Middlebury/MIIS
Leaving Middlebury/MIIS
Individuals in TN status are required to leave Middlebury/MIIS on or before the end date indicated on their Form I-94. They should make sure that their departments are informed of their intending departure and their future contact information. They should also inform ISSS of their departure.
Remaining in the United States
Individuals intending to remain in the United States after leaving Middlebury/MIIS should take the initiative to prepare and submit proper paperwork to maintain lawful immigration status. This may involve applying for TN status with another employer or changing to an entirely different visa category.
Last updated 9/20/2024.