saziye

Hi,

I'm a Canadian academic (assistant professor) on an H1B visa. I just
got the visa this year, during my first year on the tenure-track.
However, I have changed institutions to be closer to my wife, but this
new position is a visiting assistant professorship (which will likely
be upgraded to tenure-track, but it is too early to say when this will
happen; in other words, it is a temporary position at first).

For you experienced Canucks living in the US: will I be better of
switching to a TN visa (and is this easy?) or should my institution go
for the H1B? Is switching institutions ever problematic? Can I be
rejected?

I'm thinking TN is better because it is infinitely renewable, and there
would seem to be more problems associated with the H1B (like being
forced to leave after six years if I cannot get a green card, and if I
remain non t-t indefinitely, then I probably would not be able to get a
green card, am I right?

If I stay on a H1B and my green card application is rejected, can I
switch to a TN visa? To complicate things, my spouse will be working in
the same city on a H1B.

help!

saziye

Let me rephrase these as questions I really would like answered:

1) For my circumstance is TN or H1B better?

2) Should I simply transfer my current H1B to my new institution (if my
new institution will sponsor me as an H1B)? And should I do this
immediately (I begin in the Fall) and is there any chance my request
would be denied?

3) If I am denied for H1B can I go for the TN, or would the rejection
of one lead to the rejection of the other?