🇺🇸 United States visas for Canadians
Last verified: October 1, 2026
Canadians moving to United States from Canada have 5 main visa routes: TN Visa (USMCA Professional), H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa, L-1 Intracompany Transferee Visa, E-2 Treaty Investor Visa and F-1 Student Visa. The fastest is the TN Visa (USMCA Professional) at 1 week. 2 of them need no job offer. Every requirement below links to the official government source.
Compare United States visas for Canadians: cost, processing time, and requirements
| Visa | Processing | Gov. fee | Job offer | Family | PR path |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TN Visa (USMCA Professional)work | 1 week | $50 | Required | Yes | No |
| H-1B Specialty Occupation Visawork | 26–30 weeks | $215 | Required | Yes | Yes |
| L-1 Intracompany Transferee Visawork | 1–3 weeks | — | Required | Yes | Yes |
| E-2 Treaty Investor Visawork | varies | $315 | Not required | Yes | No |
| F-1 Student Visastudy | varies | $350 | Not required | Yes | No |
United States visa guides for Canadians
TN Visa (USMCA Professional)
workThe route most Canadian professionals should check first. Under the USMCA (formerly NAFTA), a Canadian citizen with a prearranged job in one of about 60 listed professions — engineers, accountants, computer systems analysts, scientists, registered nurses, management consultants and more — can apply for TN status directly with a US Customs and Border Protection officer at a port of entry or at a preclearance station in a Canadian airport. Canadians need no visa, no USCIS petition and no lottery registration, and the decision is made when you apply for admission. You bring proof of Canadian citizenship, an employer letter describing the role, and proof of your qualifications, and pay a US$50 fee, plus a US$30 I-94 fee if you cross at a land border. Status is granted for up to three years and can be renewed with no overall limit, but it requires temporary intent and does not itself lead to a green card. A spouse and children get TD status, which allows study but not work. TN is for Canadian citizens only: permanent residents of Canada do not qualify.
H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa
workEmployer-sponsored status for specialty occupations that need a bachelor's degree or higher in a directly related field. For Canadians the petition is the hard part, not the visa. You face the same annual cap (65,000 plus 20,000 for US master's degrees), the same March registration (US$215) and the same selection process as every other nationality, weighted by wage level since the fiscal year 2027 season. Once the petition is approved, though, a Canadian citizen needs no visa stamp or consular interview and applies for admission at the border with the approval notice. The employer files the Labor Condition Application and Form I-129 and pays the petition fees, and work can start on 1 October at the earliest. H-1B runs for up to three years, extendable to six, lets you pursue a green card at the same time, and brings a spouse and children in H-4 status. If your profession is on the USMCA list, compare TN first; H-1B matters for roles TN does not cover and for long-term green-card plans. The US$100,000 payment announced in September 2025 is not being collected after a court vacated the guidance in June 2026, but the government has said it will collect it if that order is lifted.
L-1 Intracompany Transferee Visa
workFor employees moving to a US office of the company they already work for. You must have worked for the related company outside the United States for one continuous year within the last three, and be coming as an executive or manager (L-1A) or in a specialized-knowledge role (L-1B). There is no H-1B-style registration or lottery and no degree requirement. Canadian citizens have a shortcut: the employer's Form I-129 petition can be presented to US Customs and Border Protection together with your application for admission, at a land-border port of entry or a preclearance station in Canada, and no visa is required. Filing with USCIS in advance remains an option. The employer pays the filing fees: US$1,385 for the petition (US$695 for small employers and nonprofits), a US$500 fraud prevention fee, and a US$600 asylum program fee (US$300 for small employers, nothing for nonprofits). L-1A status lasts up to seven years and L-1B up to five. Spouses in L-2 status may work, and L-1 lets you pursue a green card at the same time.
E-2 Treaty Investor Visa
workFor Canadians who will invest in and run a US business. Canada is a treaty country under the USMCA, so a Canadian citizen who has invested, or is actively investing, a substantial amount in a real, operating US business, and who owns at least half of it or otherwise controls it, can qualify. So can certain executive, supervisory or essential employees of a Canadian-owned company. There is no fixed minimum investment: the amount must be substantial in proportion to the cost of the business, and the business cannot be marginal. Unlike almost every other category, E-2 does require a visa even for Canadian citizens. First-time applicants email their full application to the US Consulate General in Toronto, complete forms DS-160 and DS-156E, pay the US$315 application fee and attend an interview. Canadians are issued E-2 visas valid for up to 60 months with no issuance fee, and each admission is for up to two years, renewable without limit. A spouse may work in the United States, but E-2 requires an intent to leave when the status ends and is not itself a path to a green card.
F-1 Student Visa
studyFor full-time study at a US school certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. Canadian citizens do not need a student visa: you are admitted in F-1 status at the port of entry. You still need everything else — acceptance at a certified school, a Form I-20 issued in your name, the US$350 I-901 SEVIS fee paid before you arrive at the border, and documentary evidence of funds covering the amount shown on the I-20. You can enter up to 30 days before the program start date. Under a DHS rule in effect from 15 September 2026, new F-1 students are admitted for a fixed period — the length of the program on the I-20, up to four years, plus 30 days — rather than for the duration of their studies, and must apply to USCIS for an extension to stay longer. A spouse and children can come in F-2 status with their own I-20s. Students who live in Canada and commute to a school within 75 miles of the border can use the border commuter rules.
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Check my eligibilityFrequently asked questions
- Do Canadian permanent residents need a US visa?
- Usually, yes. US entry rules follow your citizenship, not your immigration status in Canada. The US Department of State says that permanent residents (landed immigrants) of Canada must have a nonimmigrant visa, while Canadian citizens do not need one for most temporary travel. A permanent resident applies on the passport of their country of citizenship, normally at a US embassy or consulate in Canada. The main exception is the Visa Waiver Program: citizens of the participating countries can visit for business or tourism for up to 90 days without a visa, once they hold an approved ESTA. The visa-free routes described on this page are for Canadian citizens only.Sources: US Department of State: Citizens of Canada and Bermuda; US Customs and Border Protection: Visa Waiver Program
- Can a Canadian permanent resident work in the US on a TN visa?
- No. TN status under the USMCA is limited to citizens of Canada and Mexico, and US Customs and Border Protection states that permanent residents of Canada and Mexico are not able to apply for it. Applying for L-1 status at the border and entering as an F-1 student without a visa also depend on Canadian citizenship, not on living in Canada. A Canadian permanent resident who wants to work in the United States needs a route open to their own nationality, such as an H-1B or L-1 petition filed by a US employer, followed by a visa in their passport.Sources: US Customs and Border Protection: For Canadian and Mexican Citizens; USCIS: TN USMCA Professionals
- Can Canada citizens move to United States?
- Yes. Canada citizens have 5 main routes into United States: the TN Visa (USMCA Professional), the H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa, the L-1 Intracompany Transferee Visa, the E-2 Treaty Investor Visa, and the F-1 Student Visa. Each has its own requirements, fees, and processing time, compared on this page.
- What is the fastest United States visa for Canadians?
- The TN Visa (USMCA Professional) typically processes in 1 week, the shortest of the 5 routes we track. Add time for gathering documents, translations, and apostilles.
- Can Canadians move to United States without a job offer?
- Yes. The E-2 Treaty Investor Visa and the F-1 Student Visa do not require a job offer from a United States employer.
- What is the cheapest United States visa for Canadians?
- The TN Visa (USMCA Professional) has the lowest government fee at about $50. Translations, apostilles, insurance, and courier costs come on top of every route.
- Which United States visas let Canadians bring family?
- The TN Visa (USMCA Professional), the H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa, the L-1 Intracompany Transferee Visa, the E-2 Treaty Investor Visa and the F-1 Student Visa allow accompanying family members with additional documentation.
- Which United States visas lead to permanent residency for Canadians?
- The H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa and the L-1 Intracompany Transferee Visa offer a path to permanent residency after the qualifying period.
- How much does a United States visa cost for Canadians?
- Government fees for Canadians are about $50 for the TN Visa (USMCA Professional), $215 for the H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa, $315 for the E-2 Treaty Investor Visa, and $350 for the F-1 Student Visa (USD equivalents). Translations, apostilles, medicals, insurance, and courier costs come on top of every route.
- How long does a United States work visa take for Canadians?
- Typical processing is 1 week for the TN Visa (USMCA Professional), 26–30 weeks for the H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa, and 1–3 weeks for the L-1 Intracompany Transferee Visa, counted from the date you apply. Add time for gathering documents.