Use the institution’s actual credential status and the profession’s particular requirements.
Distinguish celebration from qualification
A ceremony may occur before or after formal conferral. Do not infer that the degree was awarded solely from attendance, and do not assume that a delayed ceremony means a duly awarded credential is absent.
Start with the registrar, not the ceremony programme. Obtain a transcript or institutional letter stating whether the credential was formally conferred, the award date and the field of study, then compare those facts with the precise qualification rule for the proposed profession. TN classification requires Canadian or Mexican citizenship, a prearranged US position in a listed USMCA profession and that profession's specified credentials. Canadian permanent residence is not citizenship. The applicant must also avoid US self-employment and disclose meaningful ownership. A Canadian may generally apply at a port of entry, while a US employer may instead file Form I-129. Treating completed coursework as an awarded degree is the common failure.
Hypothetical example: A Bégin forester has attended graduation and receives an offer for professional forestry duties from a US timber company. Her transcript still says the award is pending. She should ask when the university will record conferral, obtain the employer's detailed support letter and verify that her degree satisfies the forester category before choosing the port-of-entry or petition route. Photographs from the ceremony would not cure a missing qualification.