[vlovich123]

TN (which is a status technically and not a visa) doesn’t have a path towards citizenship / permanent residency and if a customs agent decides that’s what’s happening you can get deported. A Canadian citizen has a 6 month limit to generally visit the US but you cannot work there. I had to switch to an h1-b after my TN first before I started a process towards permanent residency. Additionally, h1-b lotteries and green cards, if I recall correctly, go by country of birth, not citizenship, so having a Canadian citizenship isn’t an aide there either.

Has something changed recently or did I misinterpret what you meant?

[alephnerd]

I think you misinterpreted some stuff. Generally, for ex-Indian and ex-PRC nationals, coming to the US on a TN and working on a TN indefinitely is preferable to having to return to India or China, because worst case you made bank and are a national of a first world country with a standard of living comparable to the US

Also, at least circa 2012-15, Microsoft's immigration lawyers would recommend going via the CBP border post in the San Juan Islands or Port Angeles (take the ferry from Victoria to Seattle) because they'd just wave you thru with little to no hassle. The CBP post at Surrey/Blaine would tend to grouse you more.