My Canada passport and TN visa will expire soon

[can_bos]

My Canada passport and TN will expire about the same time. Passport renewal will take about 5 weeks. If I renew my passport now, I will have no passport to get my new TN visa. Therefore I need to renew TN visa before my passport expire.

I have a serious concern:

Is it possible to renew your TN visa while your Canada passport has about 3 weeks validity left?

[Reba]

The would usually required that the passport be valid for the duration of the visa AFAIK.

[Christopher G. Rizzo, Esq]

Incorrect, you don't need a valid Canadian passport for a TN. You could apply with an expired Canadian Passport or other evidence of Canadian citizenship

Canadians don't need valid passports for nonimmigrant benefits.

[Reba]

We will however in a few months require a passport to cross the border, will we not? I would think a passport would be required now for a visa that will be vaild past that requirement point. Just a hunch though.

[Christopher G. Rizzo, Esq]

Not required for immigration benefits but required for travel/admission.

[Reba]

Well, I'm not going to chase my tail, but logically thinking as one would need to enter the US in order to actually use an immigration benefit, then a passport may well be required in future when it becomes law that Canadian citizens must produce a valid passport in order to enter the US.

Perhaps today it is not required for a TN visa, but in future months it may be, so you might as well go ahead and get a new passport asap.

[Christopher G. Rizzo, Esq]

Applying for admission and applying for an immigration benefit are different. For example, a Canadian could extend his or her nonimmigrant status without the admission process by way of a change of status or extension of status. In that case, there is no inspection process and no admission. If the same Canadian were to apply for TN status at the border, he or she would be applying for an immigration benefit AND for admission into the U.S. At this point in time, I believe the airports require a valid passport but the land crossings do not.

So the reality is that all Canadians should renew their passports unless they are not applying for admission in the future which would be a rare thing.

[qzhao6]

Christopher,

As you said "At this point in time, I believe the airports require a valid passport but the land crossings do not.", my question is, I have the citizenship card, can I use just that with my employment letter to get my TN visa at the border customs office by land crossing? Do I even need to show Canadian passport if that's not required? BTW, I don't have a passport. Thanks very much.