Package the various materials neatly, securing them at the top with a binder clip and using tabs and a table of contents, if possible. Dependents, defined as the spouse and children of the principal TN, are given TD status. If the principal applicant chooses to file a change to TN status with the INS or extend through the Lincoln Service Center, the dependents must file a complementary application. Officially, the INS accepts extension requests for TN workers at its Service Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. These requests are filed on a petition submitted by the employer with a fee.
Dependents apply simultaneously, on a separate form and with an additional fee.
Many Canadian TN workers find the formality of the official extension process at odds with the ease of the initial entry, and elect to venture back up to the border to make a new entry rather than extend through Lincoln. The success of such a plan is very much at the discretion of the INS inspector, who may or may not be willing to cooperate. Technically speaking, an extension is supposed to be filed with Lincoln, and inspectors who want to play it by the book will insist upon that procedure. If an employee's job changes significantly, an amendment can be filed with the INS to approve the new responsibilities. Moving to a faculty position would warrant an amendment, but TN is not an ideal classification for tenure-bound faculty.