TN Category: Geography

I'm currently in the U.S. on a J-1 visa. In two weeks (Aug 16), I will be returning to Canada after the J-1 visa expires.

At this time, I've secured a job offer from an American firm to write for a political news and opinion website, to begin in September. I have a geography degree and would be writing on political geography (gerrymandering/redistricting, nationalism) and economic geography (location of firms), and local (Washington, DC) urban development issues, as well as the goings-on at Capitol Hill.

I'm wondering whether, based on the description I've given above, I can qualify for a TN-1 visa under the category: 'Urban Planner (including Geographer)'.

Do you know of anyone else who has qualified under this category? Can it be stretched to include writing on topics related to Geography ?

I'm currently in the U.S. on a J-1 visa. In two weeks (Aug 16), I will be returning to Canada after the J-1 visa expires.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong. But wouldn't it be better to do a change of status after the J-1 expires? I know under F-1 while on OPT, when that expires you have to stay out of the U.S. for 6 months before you can re-enter.

As for the category under the Urban Planner, I don't believe you would qualify if you're going in as a writer. For that your company would apply for an H1-B Read this: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos057.htm and it will tell you exactly what an UP does. This is the CBP bible so when you read it, you will know if you fit in or not.

Nothing can be stretched or moderated. Your job duties must be identical to what it says in the handbook.

It doesn't have to be exactly the same but it has to be pretty close. Writing a page for something like examiner.com isn't being an urban planner.

Ok. Well maybe not identical. I'm just going by personal experience of friends I have down here who are on TN's. CBP is pretty tough when it comes to the job description matching what it says in the ooh handbook.

"This is the CBP bible so when you read it, you will know if you fit in or not."

Not True.

It is a guideline that we use. Not the Law. Alot of information we use is not available to the public. NAFTA is VERY specific, with very narrow job duties allowed.

This sounds like a Journalist Job. Trying to adapt Geography to this to get a TN is wrong. Sorry, but writing about goings-on in capitol Hill is not Geographer!

"This is the CBP bible so when you read it, you will know if you fit in or not."

Not True.

And I did acknowledge that in my previous post. Thanks

I'm wondering whether, based on the description I've given above, I can qualify for a TN-1 visa under the category: 'Urban Planner (including Geographer)'.

Do you know of anyone else who has qualified under this category? Can it be stretched to include writing on topics related to Geography ?

I am here on a Geographer (Urban Planner) TN. I can say for sure that you would not qualify for this category. The job description is very specific, plus working in the urban planning field is very different from writing about it. For example, you don't need to be a lawyer to write articles about legal issues.

The job description is very specific,

That's what I thought! Although this is for Urban Planner
That was the terminology I was looking for. Like I said before, most CBP officers prefer the job you're doing is almost identical to what it says in the ooh handbook. I'm speaking based on experience.

What I'm wondering is why the word 'Geographer' is in the NAFTA category. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook:

"Geographers analyze distributions of physical and cultural phenomena on local, regional, continental, and global scales. Economic geographers study the distribution of resources and economic activities. Political geographers are concerned with the relationship of geography to political phenomena, and cultural geographers study the geography of cultural phenomena...Regional geographers study the physical, economic, political, and cultural characteristics of regions ranging in size from a congressional district to entire continents."

These seem to be the types of things I will be doing. Is the word that if I'm simply writing/consulting on this type of work, rather than engaging in it through some sort of academic pursuit, I don't qualify? If, after consultation with my employer, I take out the part in my job description about Capitol Hill, does that make a case for qualifying under the NAFTA category?

It sounds to me like you're a journalist. CBP will expect you to have an I visa for that sort of thing.

The only way to know for sure is to go to the POE and try.