Should I hire a lawyer for TN1?

[SarniaGrl]

My TN-1 is due for renewal on June 29th. I used a lawyer my first time and had a good experience (took 15 minutes @ border) My lawyer has contacted me and is looking for $800 plus the $56.00 renewal fee. I have read some of the posts about having all of your paperwork in order... Having a lawyer do it the first time, I don't know what paperwork is essential. Does anyone have a check list??
Zach

Did the lawyer give you a copy of the first petition? It's typically pretty straightforward, unless you are in a scrutinized occupation. If your lawyer is like the lawyer I used, all he did was change the dates and a line here and there - and charged 500.00USD. A monkey could've done the job faster and cheaper, lol.

Your renewal/extension will require the same docs your first did. In reality, every petition is a new petition.

You need to provide:
1/ A letter from your employer with the details of the position and a request to extend, just like the letter for your first TN-1. If you have a copy of that letter, you can refer to the format he used. TN-1's can now be granted for up to 3 years at a time.
2/ Proof of Canadian citizenship (passport as of June 1st)
3/ Your credentials (degree, transcript, etc.)
4/ Fee (56.00USD).

[axolotl]

For some of the professions where they are known to scrutinize the applications more intently, like the computer systems analyst and management consultant professions, it can be useful to hire a lawyer to make sure that your application is not denied. However, most TNs are pretty cut and dry, so if your application is one of those (e.g., architect applying for a TN and has a degree in architecture), you probably don't need to hire a lawyer.

[SoCal Canuck]

I am here under a management consultant TN so, I guess I should just pay.... She wants $800 plus the $56.00. Seems like a joke considering the application is virtually a duplicate of the one we submitted last year.

[axolotl]

If you already have a management consultant TN, just recycle the job offer letter and change it so it says 3 years. That's basically what the lawyer is going to do for $800.

[Steven]

I am here under a management consultant TN so, I guess I should just pay.... She wants $800 plus the $56.00. Seems like a joke considering the application is virtually a duplicate of the one we submitted last year.

Management consultant is the hardest TN-1 category to get because the CBP manual has various warnings about it plus the language used is highly legalistic and I doubt the average CBP agent understands what they're reading with words like "supernumerary temporary position" (which is not to knock CBP, it's not easy to understand).

I can possibly save you $800 by telling you that if you are working for a management consultant company in the US you're unlikely to have a problem, but if you are in a supernumerary position with a US company then you may have a problem because management consultants by definition are supposed to only work temporarily with the company they're consulting with.

For your edification:

Management consultants provide services which are directed toward improving the managerial, operating, and economic performance of public and private entities by analyzing and resolving strategic and operating problems and thereby improving the entity’s goals, objectives, policies, strategies, administration, organization, and operation. Management consultants are usually independent contractors or employees of consulting firms under contracts to U.S. entities. They may be salaried employees of the U.S. entities to which they are providing services only when they are not assuming existing positions or filling newly created positions. As a salaried employee of such a U.S. entity, they may only fill supernumerary temporary positions. On the other hand, if the employer is a U.S. management consulting firm, the employee may be coming temporarily to fill a permanent position. Canadian or Mexican citizens may qualify as management consultants by holding a Baccalaureate or Licenciatura degree or by having five years of experience in a specialty related to the consulting agreement.

[SoCal Canuck]

Funny, my lawyer never once mentioned that i was going to fall into the "supernumerary temp position....
I did not work for a consulting firm in the past...

[Steven]

It depends on who you get at CBP, but that's what's written in their manual and is the reason why people have problems with this category.