Nursing

A registered nurse can get a green card to come to the US more easily than almost any other professional.

You may want to watch the Workforce Webinar on International Recruitment of RNs And Allied Health Workers that I did for the Hospital Association of Southern California on March 9, 2022.

Registered nurses are classified by the US Department of Labor as a Schedule A shortage occupation which makes it easier for RNs (and Physical Therapists) to immigrate to the United States than for persons in other occupations.

Employers can sponsor registered nurses for green cards without having to undergo the lengthy and expensive PERM process.

However, a foreign-born RN must pass the NCLEX examination (and sometimes the CGFNS examination), pass an English examination, obtain a VisaScreen certificate and be sponsored by a US employer in order to immigrate to the United States.

Some RNs are eligible for temporary working visas. RNs who are citizens of either Canada or Mexico can be sponsored for TN visas. RNs whose jobs require a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree may be eligible for H-1B visas. However, most RNs are ineligible for H-1B visas due to USCIS’s restrictive policies.