Big News Coming Regarding TN Validity Extension to Three Years

On April 23, 2008, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) concluded a regulatory review of a draft regulation submitted by the Department of Homeland Security and USCIS that proposes to extend the validity period of TN visa status from one to three years. DHS and USCIS submitted the proposed rule for review to the OIRA on April 9, 2008.

DHS had issued a statement on Aug. 10, 2007 announcing immigration reform measures where it planned to extend the TN visa category to three years. The OIRA notice is the first publicly issued document I have seen indicating that this rule is still going forward. The government has not yet published the proposed rule in the Federal Register, thus the specifics on the proposed extension are not available yet.

I will continue to monitor this rule and provide updates as it goes through the regulatory process.