When I first made up my mind about moving to Canada from the US the primary question was how do I get legally employed. I started doing a lot of research on the net and some time later I came across NAFTA. I want to share this information with VT members as it is relatively unknown fact that citizens of Mexico, US and/or Canada can obtain legal employment without much bureaucratic hassle in one of these countries if they meet certain professional criteria. The first step is to get hired by the company of your choice. Now, the problem here is that not many Human Resources people are familiar with NAFTA therefore it pays off to have a printout prepared when asked about your immigration status. Do not volunteer this info beforehand as it might scare them away; hand it out only after you convince your future employer that the company absolutely needs to hire you. Explain to them that all it takes is a quick dash to the border and back to obtain employment authorization. Do not send for application package to immigration authorities as it takes forever to get it processed. All you need is a dated letter from Human Resources that you were hired in the capacity of (...) (make sure it clearly spells one of the professions listed below) with a start date of (...); valid passport and of course money for the fees to take to the border. Of course, check with immigration first before you actually drive to the border in case some rules have changed. Here is a list of professions currently approved for employment authorization to Canada under NAFTA: Accountant (baccalaureate, CPA, CA, CGA, or CMA) Agriculturist/Agronomist Animal breeder Animal Scientist Apiculturist Architect (baccalaureate or state/provincial license. Also see Landscape Architect, below) Astronomer Biochemist Biologist Chemist Computer systems analyst Must have: baccalaureate or post secondary diploma *and three years' experience Dairy Scientist Dentist (DDS, DMD, or state/provincial license) Dietician (baccalaureate or state/provincial license) Disaster Relief Insurance Claims Adjuster Must have: baccalaureate or 3 years' experience in claims adjustment, and completed training in appropriate areas of insurance adjustment pertaining to disaster relief claims Economist Engineer (baccalaureate or state/provincial license) Entomologist Epidemiologist Forester (baccalaureate or state/provincial license) (Also see Sylviculturist, below) Geneticist Geochemist Geographer Geologist Geophysicist Graphic Designer Must have: baccalaureate or post secondary diploma *and three years' experience Horticulturist Hotel Manager Must have: baccalaureate in hotel/restaurant management or post secondary diploma * in hotel/restaurant management and three years' experience in hotel restaurant management Industrial Designer Must have: baccalaureate or post secondary diploma *and three years experience Interior Designer Must have: baccalaureate or post secondary diploma *and three years' experience Land Surveyor (baccalaureate or state/provincial/federal license) Landscaping Architect Lawyer (member of state/provincial bar, or LLB, JD, LLL, or BCL) Librarian (MLS, or BLS. BLS must be one for which another baccalaureate degree was a pre-requisite) Management Consultant Must have: baccalaureate or five years' experience in consulting or related field. Mathematician Medical Technologist/Medical Lab Technologist (Canada)/ Must have: baccalaureate or post secondary diploma *and three years' experience (U.S. job must be in a laboratory to perform chemical, biological, hematological, immunologic, microscopic, or bacteriological tests, and analyses for diagnosis, treatment or prevention of disease) Meteorologist Nurse, Registered (must have state/provincial license) Nutritionist Occupational Therapist (baccalaureate or state/provincial license) Oceanographer Pharmacist (baccalaureate or state/provincial license) Pharmacologist Physician (teaching and/or research only, MD or state/provincial license) Physicist Physio/Physical Therapist (baccalaureate or state/provincial license) Plant Breeder Poultry Scientist Psychologist (must have state/provincial license. Cannot qualify with just baccalaureate degree) Range Manager/Range Conservationist Recreational Therapist Research Assistant (baccalaureate and U.S. job in a post-secondary educational institute) Social Worker Soil Scientist Statistician Sylviculturist/Forestry Specialist (also see Forester, above) Teacher (baccalaureate degree: must be coming to work for a college, seminary or university only); no secondary or elementary school teaching. Technician or Technologist, Scientific. (E.g.: Electronic engineering technician.) Must: work in direct support of professionals in one of these disciplines: biology chemistry engineering forestry geology geophysics meteorology physics possess theoretical knowledge of discipline, and solve practical problems in discipline, or apply principles of the discipline to basic or applied research Urban Planner Veterinarian (DVM, DMV, or state/provincial license) Vocational Counsellor Writer, Technical Publications (Technical Publications Writer) Must have: baccalaureate or post secondary diploma *and three years' experience Zoologist

* A post secondary diploma (or certificate) is a credential from an accredited academic institution in Canada, Mexico or the U.S. showing completion of two or more years of post-secondary education.

Where to Apply: NAFTA Professionals may apply for an employment authorization at a Port of Entry, at a visa office abroad, or from within Canada if the applicant is already in Canada as a visitor.

At a Glance Main procedural step: Apply at border. Initial duration of status: One year maximum/trip. Total time-limit on the category: No time cap. Processing time: Instant approval.