TN Visa Loans: The Complete Guide

Updated on April 9, 2024

At a Glance

  • A TN visa is a work visa for Canadian and Mexican professionals under NAFTA.
  • TN visa holders, despite limited credit history, have various loan options, with traditional banks being less flexible.
  • Pre-approval, peer-to-peer lending, and online lenders like Stilt, BadCreditLoans.com, and Avant offer loans with competitive rates and flexible terms for TN visa holders.

For immigrants from Mexico or Canada on a TN visa, obtaining a loan can be a difficult process due to the high qualifications many lenders place on their loan applicants. Even though a getting a loan can be hard, it is not an impossible task, and we’ve created this guide to help you out.

Here are our tips on how to obtain a loan while on a TN visa.

What is a TN Visa?

A TN visa is specifically for Canadian and Mexican NAFTA professional workers. These workers are able to expedite their visa process to begin working in the US in prearranged business activities.

Can I get a TN Visa Loan?

In order to be eligible for the TN visa, you must meet a few requirements:

First, the individual must be a citizen of Canada or Mexico.

Second, since the TN visa was created for NAFTA professionals, the applicant must have a profession that is listed on the NAFTA list and must have proof of holding the qualifications and requirements of that profession.

Lastly, the applicant must work in a full time or part-time job. Therefore, no self-employment is permitted for the TN visa.

4 Ways a TN Visa Holders Can Get a Loan

Many visa holder in the US find difficulties with obtaining a loan due to their lack of credit history and/or credit score in the US. However, there are a few ways a TB visa holder can get a loan. We will discuss each option below.

Banks

Banks are common places where individuals go to for loans, especially when they already hold an account with that bank.

This is the most traditional lender, yet they are also the least willing to overlook a lack of credit history. Therefore, although a bank might have great loan rates and terms, it may not be a good option for many visa holders who don’t have a credit history in the US.

Get Pre-Approved for a Loan

Getting pre-approved for a loan verifies your occupation, income, and other aspects of your financial security in order to make you a more eligible loan candidate. When you seek out loans with pre-approvement, the lender may be more likely to approve you for their loans since your background and financial history has already been verified.

Download the TN Loan Checklist

TN visa holders, get your loan essentials with our comprehensive checklist. Download now for streamlined borrowing!

Get the Checklist

Peer-to-Peer Lending

There are now many online sites that will connect borrowers with a lender who competes to give you a loan for the lowest rate. These lenders may be more willing to take your personal background into consideration when determining your loan terms over just looking at your credit score alone.

Online Lenders

There are dozens of online lenders who offer quick and easy loans with competitive rates and benefits. However, many online lenders often require previous credit history and/or a cosigner, although there are a few lenders that are more willing to work with candidates to give them better loan rates.

Top 3 TN Visa Loan Options

With so many loan options out there, it can be difficult to decipher which loan would work best for you. To help you out, we’ve compiled this list of the top 3 visa loan options for those on a TN visa.

LenderAmountInterest RatesLoan TermInstant Loan
Stilt$1,000-$25,0007.99%-15.99%Up to 2 yearsYes
BadCreditLoans.com$500-$5,0005.99%-35.99%3-60 MonthsYes
Avant$2000-$350009.95% to 35.99%24 to 60 monthsYes

Stilt

Stilt is an online lender that dedicates themselves to serving immigrants and visa holders. They offer competitive loans without the need of a cosigner or credit score due to their holistic approach to approving applicants.

Instead of looking at an individual’s credit score to determine their interest rate, they look at their education, income, and other aspects of their background to determine their financial security and responsibility. This allows applicants to receive better loan terms compared to other lenders.

BadCreditLoans.com

BadCreditLoans.com is another online lender that has a simple application and easy approval. It’s especially great for those with bad credit, because the lender strives to help those facing emergencies and financial hardships, but can’t get a loan from a traditional lender. They value their fast, convenient loan request system that makes it simple to request a loan and easy to get approved. Most applicants can even get their loan amount deposited in their checking account the next business day.

Avant

Avant provides personal loans with no prepayment fees and easy online applications. They’ve provided loans to over 400,000 individuals with a 95% satisfaction rate. Avant has their own mobile app and great customer support which makes paying back the loan a smooth process for their borrowers.

Conclusion

Taking out a loan is a big financial decision, and it can bring on a lot of stress and hardship in one’s already busy life. However, by checking out any of the lenders we’ve mentioned above, you can still find great loan rates and terms despite having a bad credit score or no credit history in the US.

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Frank Gogol

I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.

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