Tom Grayson’s TN application was just rejected because he did not meet the requirements defined under the Management Consultant profession that he applied for. Tom has over 8 years of consulting experience and a Bachelor in Computer Science.  Moreover, this was not Tom’s first TN visa application and had applied successfully under Management Consultant and Computer Systems Analyst category.

Tom’s current job can easily fall under the Computer Systems Analyst category so he contemplates on changing his application and return the next day hoping to get a different customs officer.

When he called his attorney friend about his plan, her advice to him was this.

1. It’s perfectly fine to have applied and worked under different professional categories in the past. The classification should match both the description of the job and the candidates’ qualifications.

2. To switch the category after a failed attempt, however, may raise a red flag with the officer in the second attempt.  There may be a strong case to switch the category but it should be carefully thought through.

3. Management Consultant happens to be one of the highly scrutinized categories due to the number of applicants who use this as a last resort if they do not qualify under other professions.

More on profession categories: http://canada.usembassy.gov/mobile/visas/doing-business-in-america/professions-covered-by-nafta.html