Payment of a moving allowance is not US admission or work authorization.
Coordinate the move with actual permission
Keep the employer’s payment date separate from the immigration decision and lawful start of work. A paid benefit cannot guarantee admission or make an otherwise premature work start permissible.
Sequence the move around immigration permission and the genuine employment start, not around reimbursement deadlines. First finalize a qualifying offer and supporting credentials; TN still requires Canadian or Mexican citizenship, prearranged duties in a listed USMCA profession, and compliance with that profession’s qualification standard. Check for US self-employment concerns before committing to housing. A Canadian citizen may generally seek TN admission at a port of entry, or the employer may file Form I-129 where suitable, but neither path is completed merely because funds arrived. Plan cancellable travel, shipping, school arrangements, and notice to a current employer against the chosen procedure and risk tolerance. The recurring mistake is performing orientation or productive remote work in the United States before lawful authorization because payroll calls it a relocation phase.
Hypothetical example: A geologist in the Ferland-et-Boilleau area receives an allowance six weeks before a proposed assignment. He completes the support letter and degree evidence first, delays nonrefundable shipping, and agrees that field analysis will start only after the relevant TN admission or approval rather than on the employer’s payment date.