Graphic Designer TN-1 visa - question

[Design Girl]

It may be worthwhile consulting an immigration lawyer in Canada, the first consultation is often free.cos maybe your experience will take precedence over the degree issue.

[animatico]

Hi everyone,

Have read through the forum, great info out there!

I have a question about my particular situation. I'm an artist with a (one year) accredited college certificate and 7 years (freelance) work experience.

I'm noticing on most sites now, 'certificate' is not mentioned at all under the Graphic Designer profession.

If a certificate is still feasible, does it have to be two years? I'm finding mixed info on that and would like to confirm.

Also, any tips on establishing proof of freelance work would be great. It's hard to prove a 'living' to some. Thank you!

[axolotl]

Your certificate must be from a program that is at least two years in duration.

As for your freelance work, generally they just look at your resume so you should list your experience in detail there, and it would help if you brought your portfolio along with you.

[MC]

Your proposed application for TN is very shaky for 2 reasons. First of all, your one-year certificate does not meet the criteria as established under NAFTA, which is an accredited 2-year diploma program. Second, your freelance experience may or may not be scrutinized at the border.

I am not completely sure why your potential employer would even be trying to petition you when you are actually not even eligible for TN Status. You could end up getting in a lot of trouble depending on your interactions with the DHS.

The only hope you have is that the Free Trade Officer screws up and admits you with those credentials, which has happened a fair bit in the past at various ports.

This is definitely not a risk I would be recommending since the most likely outcome is being refused entry here and the potential for trouble with U.S. Immigration.

[Dremani]

Maybe your company can file an EB 3 visa on your behalf in the "skilled" or "unskilled" category since you don't quite have what they require. The skilled category would be based on your 7 years of experience. In your situation, your company should do everything through an attourney. Don't give up hope!