Fictional example · DS-160 · USMCA professional worker

TN DS-160 Sample for a Software Professional (Mexico)

See how a fictional systems analyst from Mexico answered the DS-160 for a TN visa, including his USMCA profession and credentials, a lost earlier visa, past residence in Spain and a consultant as preparer. Know what the form asks before you start your own.

20sections283responses~55 minto fillTN & USMCA work visas
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This is a fictional example for educational purposes, not an official or pre-approved application. Your DS-160 answers must reflect your own circumstances. Do not copy the sample answers unless they are independently true for you.

Is this example similar to your situation?

  • TN professional visa under USMCA, applying in Monterrey
  • A systems analyst joining a company in Seattle for about three years
  • Travelling with his wife
  • Had a B1/B2 visa before, lost with his passport
  • A permanent resident of Spain, where he once studied and worked
  • An immigration consultant prepared the form

Different situation? Browse other completed DS-160 examplesSkip to the full sample

Before you start: information you'll want ready

The form will ask for

  • Your passport, and the number of any passport you have lost
  • Your U.S. job offer: the employer's name, address and phone, and your monthly salary in dollars
  • The degree, licence or other credential your USMCA profession requires
  • The issue date and number of your earlier U.S. visa, and the year it was lost
  • The name of any other country where you are a permanent resident
  • The details of whoever helps you fill in the form, as the preparer

Helpful to have nearby

  • The report you made when your passport was lost
  • Past jobs and schools with dates and addresses, including any abroad
  • The dates and length of your last U.S. trips
  • A recent photo that meets the U.S. visa photo rules

Questions applicants commonly get stuck on

How this fictional applicant answered, why, and what to check for your own form. Answer for your own situation, which may differ.

  1. Sample answer

    Purpose of Visit
    Why
    Diego is the professional with the job offer, so he chooses NAFTA Professional (TD/TN) and then TN for himself.
    For your application
    The list still uses the old NAFTA name for USMCA visas. TN is for the professional, and TD is for a spouse or child going with them.

  2. Sample answer

    NAFTA / USMCA Professional (TN) Details

    Which profession to enter

    The profession you will practise in the U.S., as it appears on the USMCA professions list, in 20 characters or fewer (e.g. ENGINEER). CEAC asks this instead of a primary occupation for TN applicants.

    Which credentials to enter

    The qualifications that make you eligible for the profession, in 50 characters or fewer (e.g. BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING; P.ENG LICENSE).

    Why
    His job in Seattle is as a systems analyst, a profession on the USMCA list, so he names it and gives the degree that qualifies him: a BSc in computer science from Tec de Monterrey.
    For your application
    Use the profession's name as it appears on the USMCA list and in your offer letter, and give the credential that profession requires.

  3. Sample answer

    Where Do You Intend to Work?
    Why
    He gives his new employer's Seattle office and the monthly salary from his offer, 11,250 dollars.
    For your application
    Copy the employer's name, address and salary from your offer letter, in U.S. dollars a month, so the form and the letter agree.

  4. Sample answer

    Have you ever been issued a U.S. Visa?required
    Previous U.S. Visa
    Date Last Visa Was Issuedrequired
    19 DEC 2020

    Visa Number

    Enter the 8-digit number that is displayed in red on the lower right hand side of your visa. If your previous visa was a Border Crossing Card enter the last 12-digit number of the first line of the machine readable zone.

    NA Do not know
    Are you applying for the same type of visa?required
    Are you applying in the same country or location where the visa above was issued, and is this country or location your place of principal of residence?required

    Ten-printed

    Ten-printed means that you have provided fingerprints for all your fingers, as opposed to having provided only two fingerprints.

    Have you been ten-printed?required
    Has your U.S. Visa ever been lost or stolen?required
    Has your U.S. Visa ever been cancelled or revoked?required
    Why
    His last visa was in the passport he lost during a move. He answers Yes to lost or stolen, gives the year and says he reported it, and No to the same type of visa, since this time he applies for a TN.
    For your application
    If you have a copy or photo of your old visa, take its number and issue date from it. The lost or stolen question is about the visa itself, separate from the passport.

  5. Sample answer

    Have you ever lost a passport or had one stolen?required
    Provide the following information for each lost or stolen passport:
    NA Do not know
    Why
    The same move cost him the passport, so he lists its number, Mexico as the issuer, and how it was lost and reported.
    For your application
    List every passport you have lost or had stolen, with its number if you can find it. Keep the explanation to what happened and where you reported it.

  6. Sample answer

    Permanent Resident

    Permanent resident means any individual who has been legally granted by a country/region permission to live and work without time limitation in that country/region.

    Are you a permanent resident of a country/region other than your country/region of origin (nationality) indicated above?required
    Other Permanent Resident Country/Region
    Why
    Diego is a permanent resident of Spain, from the years he studied and worked in Madrid, so he answers Yes and names Spain. He has only ever held Mexican nationality, so the question before it is No.
    For your application
    This asks about permanent residence you hold now, not a visa or a past stay. Check the card or document that grants it.

  7. Sample answer

    Preparer of Application

    If someone other than you completed this application, provide their details here. You must still electronically sign the application yourself.

    Did anyone assist you in filling out this application?
    Preparer Details
    NA Does Not Apply
    NA Does Not Apply
    NA Does Not Apply
    NA Does Not Apply
    NA Does Not Apply
    Why
    An immigration consultant filled in the form with him, so he answers Yes and gives her name, organisation and address.
    For your application
    Answer Yes if anyone else filled in the form for you or with you, and give their details. Read every answer yourself before you sign.

Common questions about this example

Do I need a visa to work in the U.S. on a TN?

As a Mexican citizen, yes. You apply for a TN visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate, with a DS-160, as Diego does. Canadian citizens usually do not need a visa and apply at the border instead.

Does my profession have to be on the USMCA list?

Yes. TN is only for the professions the agreement lists, each with its own minimum credential, such as a bachelor's degree. Diego is a systems analyst with a degree in computer science. Check the list, and check that your offer letter describes a role on it.

Does my wife need her own DS-160?

Yes. A spouse or child going with a TN professional applies for a TD visa, on a DS-160 of their own. Diego lists his wife Valeria as a travel companion and as his spouse, and she fills in her own form.

Official source
My earlier visa was lost with my passport. What goes on the form?

Two answers. On the travel history page, say the visa was lost, with the year and a short explanation. On the passport page, list the lost passport and its number. The State Department's page on lost and stolen visas explains how to report one.

Official source
How long can I stay on a TN?

Officers at the border can admit a TN professional for up to three years at a time, and the stay can be extended. Diego plans to stay just under three years.

The completed DS-160, question by question

§1

Personal Information - Part 1

13 responses

Surnames

Enter all surnames as listed in your passport. If only one name is listed in your passport, enter that Surname.

Given Names

If your passport does not include a given name, please enter 'FNU' in Given Names.

Full Name in Native Alphabet

If your passport does not include a given name, please enter 'FNU' in Given Names.

NA Does Not Apply/Technology Not Available

Other Names

Other names used include your maiden name, religious name, professional name, or any other names which you are known by or have been known by in the past.

Have you ever used other names (i.e., maiden, religious, professional, alias, etc.)?required
Provide the following information:

Telecode

Telecodes are 4 digit code numbers that represent characters in some non-Roman alphabet names.

Do you have a telecode that represents your name?required

Sex

Please select MALE or FEMALE

Date of Birth

If day or month is unknown, enter as shown in passport.

Date of Birthrequired
22 JUN 1994
NA Does Not Apply

Country/Region

Select the name that is currently in use for the place where you were born.

§2

Personal Information - Part 2

7 responses
Do you hold or have you held any nationality other than the one indicated above on nationality?required

Permanent Resident

Permanent resident means any individual who has been legally granted by a country/region permission to live and work without time limitation in that country/region.

Are you a permanent resident of a country/region other than your country/region of origin (nationality) indicated above?required
Other Permanent Resident Country/Region

Identification Numbers

Your National ID Number is a unique number that your government provides. The U.S. Government provides unique numbers to those who seek employment (Social Security Number) or pay taxes (Taxpayer ID).

NA Does Not Apply
NA Does Not Apply
NA Does Not Apply
§3

Purpose of Visa

29 responses
Purpose of Visit
Have you made specific travel plans?required
Provide a complete itinerary for your travel to the U.S.

Travel Plans

If you are unsure of your Date of Arrival in U.S. or Date of Departure from U.S., please provide an estimate.

Arrival Daterequired
11 FEB 2027
Departure Daterequired
08 FEB 2030
Locations you plan to visit in the USA:
Address where you will stay in the U.S.
Provide the following information:
NA Does Not Apply
Is the address of the party paying for your trip the same as your Home or Mailing Address?required
Address of Person Paying
NA Does Not Apply
NA Does Not Apply
§4

Travel Companions

5 responses

Traveling with Others

You should answer Yes to this question if you are traveling with family, as part of an organized tour, or as part of a performing group or athletic team. You do not need to list individuals who are traveling with you for the purposes of employment with the same employer.

Are there other persons traveling with you?required
Are you traveling as part of a group or organization?required
Provide the following information for each person traveling with you:
§5

Previous U.S. Travel History

21 responses
Have you ever been in the U.S.?required

Previous U.S. Visits

If you are unsure about when you visited the U.S., please provide a best estimate.

Details on your visit
Provide information on your last U.S. visit:
Date Arrivedrequired
28 JUN 2025
Date Arrivedrequired
17 MAR 2024
Do you or did you ever hold a U.S. Driver's License?required
Have you ever been issued a U.S. Visa?required
Previous U.S. Visa
Date Last Visa Was Issuedrequired
19 DEC 2020

Visa Number

Enter the 8-digit number that is displayed in red on the lower right hand side of your visa. If your previous visa was a Border Crossing Card enter the last 12-digit number of the first line of the machine readable zone.

NA Do not know
Are you applying for the same type of visa?required
Are you applying in the same country or location where the visa above was issued, and is this country or location your place of principal of residence?required

Ten-printed

Ten-printed means that you have provided fingerprints for all your fingers, as opposed to having provided only two fingerprints.

Have you been ten-printed?required
Has your U.S. Visa ever been lost or stolen?required
Has your U.S. Visa ever been cancelled or revoked?required
Have you ever been refused a U.S. Visa, or been refused admission to the United States, or withdrawn your application for admission at the port of entry?required
Have you ever been denied travel authorization by the Department of Homeland Security through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)?required
Has anyone ever filed an immigrant petition on your behalf with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services?required
§6

Address and Phone Details

28 responses
Home Address
NA Does not apply
NA Does not apply

Mailing Address

If your mailing address is different from your home address, please provide your mailing address.

Is your Mailing Address the same as your Home Address?required
Mailing Address
NA Does not apply
NA Does not apply

Phone

You must provide a primary phone number. The primary phone number should be the phone number at which you are most likely to be reached; this could be a land line or a cellular/mobile number. If you have an additional land line or a cellular/mobile number please list that as your secondary phone number.

Phone
NA Does not apply
NA Does not apply
Have you used any other phone numbers in the last five years?required
Provide the following information for each phone number:

Email Address

You must provide an email address. The email address you provide will be used for correspondence purposes. Provide an email address that is secure and to which you have reasonable access.

Have you used any other email addresses in the last five years?required
Social Media
Do you wish to provide information about your presence on any other websites or applications you have used within the last five years to create or share content (photos, videos, status updates, etc.)?required
Provide the following information for each website or application:
§7

Passport Information

13 responses

Passport/Travel Document Number

Enter the information on the travel document you will be using when traveling to the U.S. Your travel document should be a valid, unexpired passport or other valid, unexpired documentation that is sufficient to establish your identity and nationality.

Passport Book Number

The Passport Book Number is commonly called the inventory control number. You may or may not have a Passport Book Number on your passport. The location of the Passport Book Number on your passport may vary depending on the country that issued your passport. Please contact your passport issuing authority if you are unable to determine whether or not your passport contains a Passport Book Number.

NA Does not apply
Where was the Passport/Travel Document Issued?
Issuance Daterequired
26 FEB 2026

Expiration Date

In most cases your passport/Travel Document must have at least six months of validity beyond the date of your visa application and/or your arrival in the United States.

Expiration Daterequired
26 FEB 2036
NA No expiration
Have you ever lost a passport or had one stolen?required
Provide the following information for each lost or stolen passport:
NA Do not know
§8

US Contact Information

11 responses

Contact Person or Organization in the United States

Your U.S. Point of Contact can be any individual in the U.S. who knows you and can verify, if necessary, your identity. If you do not personally know anyone in the U.S., you may enter the name of the store, company, or organization you plan to visit during your trip.

Contact Person or Organization in the United States

Contact Person

Do Not Know

Organization Name

Do Not Know
Address and Phone Number of Point of Contact
NA Does not apply
§9

Family Information

13 responses
Father's Full Name and Date of Birth
NA Do not know
NA Do not know
Date of Birthrequired
09 MAR 1964
NA Do not know
Is your father in the U.S.?required
Mother's Full Name and Date of Birth
NA Do not know
NA Do not know
Date of Birthrequired
24 AUG 1966
NA Do not know
Is your mother in the U.S.?required

Immediate Relatives

Means fiancé/fiancée, spouse (husband/wife), child (son/daughter), or sibling (brother/sister).

Do you have any immediate relatives, not including parents, in the United States?required
Provide the following information:
§10

Spouse Information

7 responses
Spouse's Date of Birthrequired
10 NOV 1995
Spouse's Place of Birth
NA Do not know
§11

Current Occupation

14 responses
Present Work/Education/Training Information
Present Employer or School Information
Present Employer or School Address
NA Does not apply
NA Does not apply
Start Daterequired
08 JAN 2021
NA Does not apply
NAFTA / USMCA Professional (TN) Details

Which profession to enter

The profession you will practise in the U.S., as it appears on the USMCA professions list, in 20 characters or fewer (e.g. ENGINEER). CEAC asks this instead of a primary occupation for TN applicants.

Which credentials to enter

The qualifications that make you eligible for the profession, in 50 characters or fewer (e.g. BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING; P.ENG LICENSE).

§12

Previous Occupation

50 responses
Were you previously employed?required
Employer/Employment Information:
Employer Address
NA Does not apply
NA Does not apply
NA Do not know
NA Do not know
Employment Date Fromrequired
23 OCT 2017
Employment Date Torequired
04 JAN 2021
Employer Address
NA Does not apply
NA Does not apply
NA Do not know
NA Do not know
Employment Date Fromrequired
11 DEC 2014
Employment Date Torequired
08 OCT 2017

Level of Education

You must answer Yes to this question if you have ever attended, for any length of time, a high school/secondary school (or its equivalent in your country) or college, university, graduate school, a doctoral program, or a vocational program.

Have you attended any educational institutions at a secondary level or above?required
Provide the following information on the educational institution(s) you have attended.
Address
NA Does not apply
NA Does not apply
Date of Attendance Fromrequired
16 NOV 2009
Date of Attendance Torequired
01 SEP 2014
Address
NA Does not apply
NA Does not apply
Date of Attendance Fromrequired
24 DEC 2015
Date of Attendance Torequired
28 SEP 2017
§13

Additional Occupation Details

21 responses
Do you belong to a clan or tribe?required
Provide a List of Languages You Speak

Enter only one language per field. To add more languages, use the Add Another button below — do not list several languages in the same field.

Have you traveled to any countries/regions within the last five years?required
Provide a List of Countries/Regions Visited
Have you belonged to, contributed to, or worked for any professional, social, or charitable organization?required
Provide a List of Organizations
Do you have any specialized skills or training, such as firearms, explosives, nuclear, biological, or chemical experience?required
Have you ever served in the military?required
Provide the following information:

Name of Country/Region

Please select the current name of the country/region where you performed military service.

Date of Service Fromrequired
15 MAY 2012
Date of Service Torequired
19 MAR 2013
Have you ever served in, been a member of, or been involved with a paramilitary unit, vigilante unit, rebel group, guerrilla group, or insurgent organization?required
§14

Security Background - Part 1

3 responses
Do you have a communicable disease of public health significance? (Communicable diseases of public significance include chancroid, gonorrhea, granuloma inguinale, infectious leprosy, lymphogranuloma venereum, infectious stage syphilis, active tuberculosis, and other diseases as determined by the Department of Health and Human Services.)required
Do you have a mental or physical disorder that poses or is likely to pose a threat to the safety or welfare of yourself or others?required
Are you or have you ever been a drug abuser or addict?required
§15

Security Background - Part 2

7 responses
Have you ever been arrested or convicted for any offense or crime, even though subject of a pardon, amnesty, or other similar action?required
Have you ever violated, or engaged in a conspiracy to violate, any law relating to controlled substances?required
Are you coming to the United States to engage in prostitution or unlawful commercialized vice or have you been engaged in prostitution or procuring prostitutes within the past 10 years?required
Have you ever been involved in, or do you seek to engage in, money laundering?required
Have you ever committed or conspired to commit a human trafficking offense in the United States or outside the United States?required
Have you ever knowingly aided, abetted, assisted or colluded with an individual who has committed, or conspired to commit a severe human trafficking offense in the United States or outside the United States?required
Are you the spouse, son, or daughter of an individual who has committed or conspired to commit a human trafficking offense in the United States or outside the United States and have you within the last five years, knowingly benefited from the trafficking activities?required
§16

Security Background - Part 3

12 responses
Do you seek to engage in espionage, sabotage, export control violations, or any other illegal activity while in the United States?required
Do you seek to engage in terrorist activities while in the United States or have you ever engaged in terrorist activities?required
Have you ever or do you intend to provide financial assistance or other support to terrorists or terrorist organizations?required
Are you a member or representative of a terrorist organization?required
Are you the spouse, son, or daughter of an individual who has engaged in terrorist activity, including providing financial assistance or other support to terrorists or terrorist organizations, in the last five years?required
Have you ever ordered, incited, committed, assisted, or otherwise participated in genocide?required
Have you ever committed, ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in torture?required
Have you committed, ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in extrajudicial killings, political killings, or other acts of violence?required
Have you ever engaged in the recruitment or the use of child soldiers?required
Have you, while serving as a government official, been responsible for or directly carried out, at any time, particularly severe violations of religious freedom?required
Have you ever been directly involved in the establishment or enforcement of population controls forcing a woman to undergo an abortion against her free choice or a man or a woman to undergo sterilization against his or her free will?required
Have you ever been directly involved in the coercive transplantation of human organs or bodily tissue?required
§17

Security Background - Part 4

5 responses
Have you ever been the subject of a removal or deportation hearing?required
Have you ever sought to obtain or assist others to obtain a visa, entry into the United States, or any other United States immigration benefit by fraud or willful misrepresentation or other unlawful means?required
Have you failed to attend a hearing on removability or inadmissibility within the last five years?required
Have you ever been unlawfully present, overstayed the amount of time granted by an immigration official or otherwise violated the terms of a U.S. visa?required
Have you ever been removed or deported from any country?required
§18

Security Background - Part 5

5 responses
Have you ever withheld custody of a U.S. citizen child outside the United States from a person granted legal custody by a U.S. court?required
Have you voted in the United States in violation of any law or regulation?required
Have you ever renounced United States citizenship for the purposes of avoiding taxation?required
Are you a former exchange visitor (J) who has not yet fulfilled the two-year foreign residence requirement?required
Have you attended a public elementary school on student (F) status or a public secondary school after November 30, 1996 without reimbursing the school?required
§19

Temporary Visa Information

8 responses
Where Do You Intend to Work?
§20

Preparer of Application

11 responses

Preparer of Application

If someone other than you completed this application, provide their details here. You must still electronically sign the application yourself.

Did anyone assist you in filling out this application?
Preparer Details
NA Does Not Apply
NA Does Not Apply
NA Does Not Apply
NA Does Not Apply
NA Does Not Apply

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