To work as a registered nurse in the
United States, you must obtain a work visa issued by the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS).
Here is an overview of the most common work visas
for international nurses:
H-1B
Visas
H-1B
visas are available for professional workers with at least a bachelor's
degree
who seek entry into the United States to work in a “specialty
occupation.”
As a nurse, you may obtain an H-1B visa if you will work in a supervisory
or highly
specialized position and if the facility can demonstrate that
it requires all the nurses
it employs in that position to possess a
bachelor’s degree.
H-1B
visas can be issued in 2-4 weeks using the premium processing service.
They are valid for an initial period of three years and may be renewed
for another
three years.
H-1B Visas are not appropriate for most nursing positions
in the U.S.
Employment
Based Third Preference Immigrant Visas (Green Cards)
In
order to qualify for a Green Card, you must be in possession of:
- A diploma from a nursing school in your home country
- A current nursing license from your home country
- A full and unrestricted license to practice professional nursing
in
your state of intended employment or certification that you
have passed the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing
Schools (CGFNS) or NCLEX-RN examination
The
“Green Card” application normally involves the following steps:
- Labor Certification by Employer
- Visa Petition by Employer
- Visa Application by Nurse
The Department of Labor has determined that the profession of nursing
is experiencing
a chronic shortage of workers. Therefore, nurses who have
passed the Commission on
Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS)
Examination or who possess an
unrestricted license to practice nursing
in the state in which they intend to work are
eligible to seek Schedule
A Labor Certification.
The
effect of Schedule A classification is that the position is “pre-certified” and
no
application needs to be filed with the Department of Labor. If
you are in the U.S. on
proper legal status, the visa petition and
visa application can be filed directly with the
U.S. Citizenship
and Immigration Services (CIS). If you are abroad, you can apply
for
the Green Card once the visa petition has been approved by CIS.
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