Office of International Services (OIS) Procedures

TN Sponsorship

Human Resources, Office of International Services  |  Approved July 1, 2026

Purpose

Hire or retain faculty and highly specialized scientific staff.

Applicability

University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) departments may hire qualified Canadian and Mexican citizens (not permanent residents) seeking temporary entry into the United States to engage in business activities at a professional level. The TN visa may be used for non-tenure track faculty, scholar fellows, and staff positions requiring at least a bachelor’s degree.

Status may be granted for an initial period of up to three (3) years, and may be extended indefinitely in three-year increments.

Instructions

1. Someone in your department will require access to Sunapsis, the online system for submitting visa sponsorship requests. Learn how to Become a Sunapsis User. Email ois-info@umaryland.edu to inquire if there is already a Sunapsis user in your department.
2. Determine employment status:
   1. For individuals already employed by UMB, proceed to step 4.
   2. For individuals not currently employed by UMB, conduct recruitment as required by university policy and issue an offer letter to the prospective employee.
   3. For scholar fellows and faculty, submit paperwork requesting an academic appointment to the appropriate office in your school.
3. Log into Sunapsis and follow the instructions to Add a New Person in Sunapsis.
4. In Sunapsis select on the TN Employee Request. If you need the Sunapsis/University ID, contact ois-info@umaryland.edu with the name of the current UMB employee.
5. When both required e-forms in the group are submitted, OIS will review the request.
6. If eligible, OIS will provide a sample TN letter to the requesting department for completion.
   1. The department will finalize the letter, print on university letterhead, and receive signatures of the department chair or supervisor of the TN employee.
   2. Send a scanned copy to OIS. OIS will provide the scanned copy and TN instructions to the employee.
   3. The department will provide the original letter to the TN employee.
   4. Copies of the letter should be retained by the department and OIS.
7. To acquire status:
   1. TN employees outside the U.S. will acquire TN status at the border. Mexican nationals will first need to obtain a TN visa. OIS staff will provide applicable guidance when processing the TN request.
   2. TN employees currently in the U.S., either as TN employees or another non-immigrant status, may acquire/extend TN status by:
      • Traveling outside the U.S. and seeking readmission at the border, or
      • TN status may be acquired/extended by filing Form I-129 with U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (consult with the Director of OIS regarding this process).
   3. If extension is needed, complete the TN Employee Request in Sunapsis.