Read the general professional work overview
Hypothetical example: a Harrison Hot Springs resort operations manager taking a U.S. lodge's general manager position qualifies under the hotel manager entry only if her post-secondary diploma is in hotel or restaurant management and she can document three years of management experience. The file therefore has two centres of gravity, the transcript and the experience letters, plus the lodge's offer, proof of citizenship and a statement that she owns no part of the employer.
Prove the diploma is in the field
The entry accepts a baccalaureate or licenciatura degree in hotel or restaurant management, or a post-secondary diploma or certificate in hotel or restaurant management plus three years of experience. Obtain the diploma, the full transcript and the college's program description showing the field of study, because a diploma titled hospitality operations or tourism management will be read for whether its content is hotel or restaurant management. For the diploma alternative, the credential must have been issued after at least two years of post-secondary education by an accredited institution in Canada or the United States; the regulation separately defines a Mexican post-secondary certificate. A foreign baccalaureate degree must be evaluated, but an evaluation does not convert a diploma from another country into the defined diploma alternative. Present the diploma route on its own; do not also claim a degree route the applicant does not have, which only confuses the assessment.
Document three years of management, year by year
For each period counted, obtain a letter on the employer's letterhead, signed by a person with authority, stating the title, the exact dates, the departments and functions managed, the number of staff supervised and the budget or revenue responsibility. The resort's letter should describe her rooms and front-of-house responsibilities in operational terms. Earlier management years at other properties need their own letters; where a property has changed hands, a letter from the former general manager supported by pay records and a period job description will do. List non-management hospitality years separately so the file is complete without inflating the count. Three years must be shown as management, and the officer will read for substance rather than titles.
The offer, the ownership statement and the household
The lodge's letter should identify the profession as hotel manager, describe the general manager's duties across rooms, food and beverage, staffing and budgets, state compensation and a period not exceeding three years, and confirm the applicant has no ownership interest. A Canadian passport proves citizenship. If a spouse or children accompany her, each needs a passport and the civil documents establishing the relationship, and the family should understand that TD status permits study but not employment; a spouse in a non-listed occupation such as massage therapy has no route on the strength of hers. Bring certified English translations for any document not in English, and keep a copy of everything presented at the port of entry for the renewal three years later.
What else is on your mind?
Is a matching job title enough for TN?Can years of experience replace a degree for TN?Can my own U.S. company employ me under TN?Can my spouse work if I hold TN status?Editorial source review: 2026-09-07. General preparation guidance, not an individual assessment.