The start of the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA (NAFF-tuh), on January first, nineteen-ninety-four, brought several privileges to Mexican citizens, including the reduction of tariffs, the removal of trade barriers, and new non-immigrant categories. In section 16-0-3 of NAFTA, two new visa categories that benefit Mexican businesspeople were created. The first change concerns merchants and investors and allows for the temporary entry into the United States of individuals interested in the transfer of goods and services between Mexico and the United States. This new visa category, the E classification, also includes individuals who are accepting positions as executives or specialized supervisors so that they can establish offices, develop business ventures, administrate, or provide consultation concerning technical services necessary to make an investment in the United States. The other new visa category of NAFTA lists 63 professions that qualify for special visas. Applicants for these visas must have a university degree or must have attended a university for at least two years and have three years of work experience. Only 55 hundred professional TN (T-N) visas of this type will be issued per year. In the same subsection of NAFTA, there's another type of visa for businessmen who want to enter the United States on a temporary basis. These visas are for individuals who want to conduct business inquiries, accept purchase orders, deliver products, comply with a service warranty, or conduct professional-level activities. Finally, section 'C' of NAFTA offers transfer visas to Mexican citizens who are executives or general managers and are being transferred by their Mexican company to an affiliated company in the United States. For additional information, consult an attorney knowledgeable in this area.
