Problems for Mexican Applicants for TN Visas. Why has the Refusal Rate Doubled?

Posted on October 21, 2024

The US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) created a special category of visas for professionals from Canada and Mexico to work in the United States. The role of the consular officer is to ensure that the applying professional has the qualifications for the offered job and that the job is bona fide, as well as to facilitate the prompt entry into the United States of these professionals. But apparently some consular officers in Mexico are infused with a “culture of no” mentality, denying and victimizing many well-qualified Mexican applicants.

To be clear, there has been some fraud in Mexico in TN applications. This is not about those cases, in which the consul is justified in imposing a bar under Section 212(a)(6)(C)(i). The consuls in Mexico are under daunting time pressures: they issue nearly 50,000 TN and TD (for dependents) visas a year, with only a few minutes to make a decision at the interview. By cutting out the requirement of filing petitions with USCIS, USCMA has streamlined the work visa process, but has unilaterally empowered the consul with primary authority in reviewing the TN applications.

This unilateral authority has recently taken a turn for the worse for thousands of Mexican professional, such as engineers, accountants, architects, management consultants, and scientists. There has been a sharp spike in the refusal rate and the number of refusals for TN professionals. In 2022, the refusal rate was 8.76%, and in 2023, the rate doubled to 17.57%. This translated to thousands of additional refusals in 2023. What explains this phenomenon? Skeptical consuls, generic job descriptions and language barriers are partly to blame. So are suspicions triggered by a low salary offered or a widespread or amorphous occupation (e.g., management consultant), as well as situations in which the applicant changed his or her status in the United States. In addition, a lack of ties can also be cited as a valid reason for a denial.

But many of these denials can be avoided with better preparation for the interview. There is the misconception that the applicant does not need to “present” at the interview, that the documents prepared by the lawyer will “speak” for him. But the reality is that the applicant must understand that the interview is not just about documents; it is also about the ability to articulate and convey a positive impression at the interview. And so if the applicant fails to do so, the consul could invoke a decision-by-default: 214(b).

The bottom line is that the TN visa interview preparation is critical. An ounce of prevention is truly the best medicine. But even if you are refused, that does not mean the end of the line: you have visa rights, that is, rights to challenge the decision or reapply.

Feel free to contact us to discuss your situation.

Tags: 212(a)(6)(C), 214(b), TN Visa, US Consulate Ciudad Juarez, US Consulate Guadalajara, US Embassy Mexico City, US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, USMCA, Visa Fraud