You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. Hi All, I'm a Canadian citizen that recently made the switch from a career in finance B.
Comm 4 year Undergrad to software engineering at one of the large tech companies where I have been employed in Canada full time for 6 months.
My job title is Software Development Engineer, and I'm self taught and did not take any official classes related to computer science or engineering. I have recently been wondering what it would take for me to get work status within the US for a different or the same company. I did some preliminary research on the TN visa and it seems that even those with computer science degrees have a tough time getting the visa. Is there any chance or pathway for those with a 4 year degree in a different field?
Does the work experience with a "engineer" title help my chances at all? If I am ineligible for the TN visa, am I completely out of luck? The H-1B visa is a nonimmigrant visa issued to workers coming to the United States to perform work within one of the designated specialty occupations.
If the rule is made Final Applicants for Permanent Residency in the United States are able to acquire employment authorization while they are waiting to adjust status. Adjustment of Status Testimonials Schedule a Consultation. Within the TN visa occupation list, there are some IT-related professional occupations that can qualify for the TN visa and some that cannot.
The following discussion summarizes some of the considerations. This is due in part to the fact that the Cronin memo goes on to state that it is reasonable for an officer to require that the applicant possess a degree which is in an Engineering field. In such instances, it may be a good idea to furnish additional information in the application about any particular courses studied within the degree that specifically relate to software engineering in order to establish a sufficient nexus between the degree and the engineering occupation.
It is quite common for a person to be performing some degree of programming duties, which is something that all computer science and software engineers may do to some extent, even if their core duties revolve around designing software and hardware systems.
However, mentioning that programming is part of the job duties may lead to the officer incorrectly classifying the position as a computer programmer job, which is not covered as a TN approved occupation. A systems analyst is an information specialist who analyzes how data processing can be applied to the specific needs of users and who designs and implements computer-based processing systems.
The computer systems analyst category does not include programmers see below. The job must also align with what a Computer Systems Analyst does. Computer programmer is not a qualified TN occupation. This means that those performing purely programming duties would not qualify for the TN Visa, whereas those whose job duties include programming as only one tool being used may qualify.
There is one final area where an IT professional could get a TN visa. As such, an IT expert can qualify if the management consulting relates to providing management consulting in the IT field. In order to avoid any type of confusion, it is important to ensure that the TN application is prepared carefully to reflect the occupation as a Software Engineer or Computer Systems Analyst. This can be done by ensuring that the degree matches or has some degree of arguable nexus to the occupation, and if necessary, supplying additional information about any specific courses within the degree attained that may be relevant to the occupation.
However, adjudicating officers do retain a significant level of discretion, and as such, the outcome is never one that can be guaranteed.
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