TN Visa for Physicians: Teaching or Research Only

By Kyle Farmer, Farmer Law PC, Austin, Texas.

Last reviewed: November 9, 2026.

Short answer: Physician is a listed TN profession, but only for teaching or research. A Canadian or Mexican physician qualifies with an M.D. or Doctor en Medicina, or a state or provincial license, plus a prearranged U.S. teaching or research job. A job whose main work is treating patients does not fit the TN Physician category as written.

If you’re a Canadian or Mexican physician with a U.S. teaching or research offer, or a university, hospital or research employer hiring one, book a free 15-minute intro call.

Physician under TN, in plain terms

TN status lets citizens of Canada and Mexico work in the United States in listed professions under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). The law is INA 214(e), and the rules are in 8 CFR 214.6. The professions list, Appendix 2 to Annex 16-A of USMCA Chapter 16, is repeated in 8 CFR 214.6(c). It names the profession as “Physician (teaching or research only).”

That limit is the key point of this page. TN can work well for physicians who teach at a medical school or university, or who work on research, but it is not a route for a physician whose U.S. job is mainly clinical practice.

For every TN category, see our TN visa career categories and jobs list.

The credential rule

8 CFR 214.6(c) sets the minimum for Physician (teaching or research only) as:

• An M.D. or Doctor en Medicina, or
• A state or provincial license.

Under the treaty footnote repeated in 8 CFR 214.6(c), a “state/provincial license” means a document issued by a state, provincial or federal government, or under its authority, that permits a person to engage in a regulated profession. A license issued by a local government does not count.

• Foreign degrees need an evaluation. A medical degree from a school outside the United States, Canada or Mexico must come with an evaluation from a reliable credentials evaluation service (8 CFR 214.6(d)(3)(ii)).
• Mexican degree evidence. State’s manual says a título or a cédula profesional can show a completed licenciatura, and a carta de pasante alone is not enough (9 FAM 402.17-5(C)). We expect officers to apply the same logic to a Mexican medical degree, so plan on the título or cédula, not a carta de pasante.

What “teaching or research only” means for the job

Officers check that you will do the work of the listed profession, and they look at duties rather than titles (9 FAM 402.17-4(A)). For this category, the employer letter should show that the role is built around:

• Teaching, such as faculty work at a medical school, university or teaching hospital, or
• Research, such as laboratory, clinical or population research for a university, research institute, hospital or company.

If the main purpose of the job is seeing and treating patients, the role does not fit the category as written. USCIS guidance says a TN physician may not provide direct patient care, but patient care that is incidental to teaching or research is allowed. USCIS looks at factors such as how much time goes to patient care compared with teaching or research, whether you are paid for patient care, whether the teaching or research salary makes direct patient care unlikely, and whether you will have a recurring or scheduled patient load (USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 2, Part P, Ch. 6(B)(2)). If the role includes any patient contact, the letter should explain how it is incidental to the teaching or research. Talk with us before you sign an offer, because this line needs careful planning.

Physicians who want a clinical practice job usually need a different visa category, which has its own requirements. See our H-1B visa page for one common option.

Licensing and the health care worker certificate

• U.S. license. TN classification does not require a U.S. license. Licensure is a post-entry matter enforced by the state (9 FAM 402.17-4(B)). Some teaching or research roles may still need a state license under state rules, depending on the duties. For a USCIS filing, USCIS guidance says you must meet any state license requirement that applies to the duties, and an extension asks for proof of continued licensing if it is required (USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 2, Part P, Ch. 3(B)(3), Ch. 4(B)(2)).
• Health care worker certificate. Physicians are not covered by the health care worker certificate rule in 8 CFR 212.15. The rule also does not apply to non-clinical health care occupations, which it describes as roles without direct or indirect patient care, such as medical teachers and medical researchers (8 CFR 212.15(b)).

Supervisory and leadership roles

A department head or lab director role can fit a TN profession when the job requires professional-level knowledge, such as reviewing other professionals’ work. A mostly administrative role may not (9 FAM 402.17-12). For a physician, the leadership work should still be teaching or research leadership.

How physicians apply

Canadian citizens do not need a visa. You apply for admission with a CBP officer at a U.S. Class A port of entry, a U.S. airport that handles international traffic, or a U.S. preclearance or pre-flight station (8 CFR 214.6(d)(2)). You bring proof of Canadian citizenship, the employer letter and your credentials, and you pay the CBP fee on admission. An employer may choose to file Form I-129 for a Canadian outside the U.S.

Mexican citizens apply for a TN visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate, then present the passport and TN visa to CBP at the port of entry (8 CFR 214.6(d)(1)). Workers outside the U.S. don’t need a USCIS petition.

For a worker already in the U.S., the employer files Form I-129 to extend TN status, change employers, or change to TN from another status (8 CFR 214.6(h), (i); 8 CFR 248.3(a)). See TN at a port of entry vs a U.S. consulate for the two paths side by side.

Stay, renewals and limits

• Up to 3 years per admission (8 CFR 214.6(e)).
• No total limit on years in TN status while each stay remains temporary (8 CFR 214.6(h)(1)(iv); 9 FAM 402.17-9).
• Temporary entry. You must show the assignment will end at a predictable time and that you will leave when it ends (8 CFR 214.6(b)).
• No self-employment. TN does not cover work for a company of which you are the sole or controlling owner (8 CFR 214.6(b)).

See TN renewal and changing employers for later steps.

How Farmer Law PC helps

Our attorneys work with universities, research institutes, hospitals and companies hiring Canadian and Mexican physicians for teaching and research roles. We check that the role fits the teaching-or-research limit, prepare or review the employer letter, line up degree or license evidence and plan extensions and employer changes inside the U.S.

FAQ

Can a physician get a TN visa?
Yes, but only for teaching or research. The Physician category requires an M.D. or Doctor en Medicina, or a state or provincial license, plus a prearranged U.S. teaching or research job.

Can a TN physician treat patients?
Only incidentally. The category is limited to teaching or research, and USCIS allows patient care only when it is incidental to that work. A job whose main purpose is treating patients does not fit, so physicians seeking clinical practice usually need a different visa.

Do TN physicians need a health care worker certificate?
No. Physicians are not covered by the health care worker certificate rule in 8 CFR 212.15, and the rule also does not apply to non-clinical roles such as medical teachers and medical researchers.

Do I need a U.S. medical license for a TN teaching or research job?
A U.S. license is not a TN requirement. Licensure is a post-entry matter for the state, and some roles may still need a state license depending on the duties.

How long can a TN physician stay?
Up to 3 years per admission, with no total limit on years in TN status while each stay remains temporary.

Talk with us

If you’re a Canadian or Mexican physician with a U.S. teaching or research offer, or an employer hiring one, book a free 15-minute intro call with one of our attorneys, or call (512) 588-5909.