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If you work for an healthcare provider in the United
States and you are interested to recruit international
nurses you might find the following article of interest:
http://www.nursetogether.com/tabid/108/itemid/2179/The-Current-State-of-International-Nurse-Recruitme.aspx
H-1B
Work Visas
The H-1B visa program is designed for
U.S. employers who wish to employ foreign workers in
specialty occupations - including nursing - that require
a bachelor’s degree.
In a hospital environment this means that international
candidates have to be hired into a position which
requires a BSN degree.
International nurses without a
Bachelor’s degree could still qualify for an H-1B visa
if they have a high level of work experience in nursing
in addition to their foreign nursing degree.
US hospitals interested to recruit
international nurses on an H-1B work visa into a certain
hospital department have to be able to show that the
nurses currently employed in this department meet the
same standards of either having a BSN degree or a high
level of work experience.
According to USCIS, international
nurses on H-1B visas can be recruited into the following
specialty areas: Peri-operative, school health,
occupational health, rehabilitation nursing, emergency
room nursing, critical care including ICU/NICU,
operating room, oncology and pediatrics.
The law firm we work with has successfully processed
many H-1B visas for nurses and is very familiar with the
requirements hospitals have to follow and fulfill. If
you work for a
US
health care provider interested to learn more about H-1B
visas for international nurses please give us a call at
(877)
927-1044.
E-3
Visas for Australian Nurses
Nurses
from Australia who Australian citizens and have obtained
a Bachelor's degree in Nursing can work in the United
States with an E-3 visa. The E-3 visa is very
similar to the H-1B visa. One main difference
between the E-3 and the H-1B visa is that the spouses of
nurses on an E-3 visa can obtain a work authorization in
the United States based on the E-3 status of the nurse.
TN-1 and TN-2 Visas (NAFTA Professional Visa) for
Canadian and Mexican Nurses
These visas were created as part of the
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to enable
professionals in various professions (including nurses
who qualify as Registered Nurses in the United States)
from either Canada or Mexico to work in the United
States.
TN visas are issued for a period of three years and can be
renewed indefinitely as long as the applicant is
employed in an approved profession.
Immigrant Visas
As of July 2010, employment based immigrant visas in the
employment category applicable to international nurses
with Bachelor's Degrees (EB-3) are available but there
are substantial wait times of
several years for all countries.
As of July 2010, employment based immigrant visas for international nurses
with a Master's or Doctorate degrees (EB-2) are current for
all countries expect China and India which means these
visas will be processed without delay.
However, even in this case it
would be faster to apply initially for a H-1B work visa
initially - for example if the nurse intends to work as
a nursing instructor in the United States - and to apply
for an immigrant visa once the nurse has arrived in the
United States.
Most recent updates
Following is a link to the latest visa bulletin from the
US Department of State for August 2011:
http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/bulletin/bulletin_5518.html
Bringing Spouses and Children
International nurses
may bring their spouses and unmarried children under the
age of 21 to the US with them.
If the international nurse is employed in the United
States under an H-1B work visa the spouse and unmarried
children are allowed to stay in the United States on an
H-4 dependent visa but are not allowed to work in the United States.
If the nurse is subsequently sponsored for an immigrant
visa the spouse and unmarried children under 21 can
apply for an immigrant visa as well. This is known as
derivative status. No additional petitions need to be
filed, the family members just need to be mentioned on
the I-140 petition being filed on behalf of the
qualifying international nurse. European Medical Staffing may also be
able to help qualified spouses of international nurses to find
employment in the US.
Since immigration procedures will change over
time, the information on this website is only intended
as a guide to the overall procedures. The actual
process of obtaining the immigrant visa should be
handled and supervised by an attorney who specializes in
immigration law.
Legal disclaimer: None of
the information provided by European Medical Staffing is
intended to be or used as legal advice.
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