TN VISA RENEWAL..Please help

[georgeparillo]

I have a TN visa and it expires in October. When can I renew/extened it and what do I need to do this...is it any harder now with the economy ?...Please help thanks

[lawsrlaws]

It is the same as it always has been to get a TN. The unwritten rule is two to three weeks before your current TN expires before another will be given. (also depends on the Officer)

[MC]

You may extend your status internally in the U.S. via form I-129 which carries a cost of $320. If you return to the border, theoretically this is a brand new TN you are applying for at the port of entry, regardless of duration. Thus you would require a petitioning letter specifying your new term in TN Status, original degrees/transcripts, passport, and fee for $56.

Many say do a mail-in via I-129 as opposed to traveling back to the border as CBP is perhaps taking a tougher stance on TN's at the U.S. border due to the lingering recession.

This may or may not be true.

[agnelson]

If you extend by mail, you have until the last day of current TN to file I-129, and it will still be considered 'timely' and will get your 240 day grace period pending approval.

[Steven]

I don't think the recession has anything to do with CBP being tougher on TN-1 than USCIS, it's more to do with CBP coming into existence basically as far as I can see and hiring tons of new staff. A lot of TN-1s issued in the past were not that thoroughly checked, so when USCIS receives an application to extend it then they don't seem to check too closely because the person isn't there.

If you're a POE obviously they can ask you the question and look it up in the manual and check more closely.

I think initial applications are best done at a POE because you're there to answer their questions (plus it's not possible to do it any other way in most cases). Extensions I think boil down to what category you're in and how close to a POE you are. Because it can be cheaper, quicker and easier to go to a POE as it saves filling in I-129 and the fee is only $56.

Case in point. Obviously he'd been filing inside the US and it wasn't checked too closely. Years later he had to go to a POE and was denied.

[agnelson]

The recession impacts TN renewals only in the sense that --despite what some posters have said here recently -- POE officers are human with feelings.

When their wife/son/cousin lose their job (don't forget folks -- we predominantly are talking Michigan and New York rust belt POEs where most cross) they get a little edgy when they see a Cdn waltz down to get a freshly minted job.

We've seen it every downturn.

[georgeparillo]

Thank you so much for all the help. I am in Buffalo 5 minutes from the POE so I will be going in person to renew. I was wondering WHEN I should present myself for the extension and if anyone has been granted an extension lately? thanks again

[agnelson]

Since you are so close to the border, I wouldn't waste time/money on I-129.

Go during the business day, so at least POE can verify employer info if necessary and can fax any missing info to you -- and the POE is fully staffed.