Immigration for Foreign-Born Registered Nurses Wishing to Enter the United States

For Registered Nurses wishing to enter the United States , obtaining a green card through employment is the most common route. There are several things that must be done before you can enter the U.S. to work as a Registered Nurse. You must have a U.S. employer willing to sponsor you, a diploma from a nursing school in your home country, a nursing license in your home country, and at least one of the following:

• A full and unrestricted license to practice professional nursing in the state of intended employment, or
  
• A certification issued by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS), or
  
• Evidence that you have passed the NCLEX-RN licensing examination

Most states require you to pass the CGFNS exam before you can take the NCLEX-RN, so if you are not already licensed in a state, you should take the CGFNS exam. The following states require foreign nurses to pass the CGFNS examination before taking the NCLEX-RN:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.

You also need to begin the Visa Screen process as soon as possible (this is in addition to the CGFNS exam). The process is lengthy and you must obtain your certificate from the International Commission on Healthcare Professionals before your Visa Interview.

Here is a list of the documents we will need from the Registered Nurse to process the case:

1. Copies of academic degrees and transcripts
2. Copy of nursing license from home country
3. CGFNS Certificate
4. Resume of Nursing Candidate

We will also need the following from the employer:

• Information on the health care facility
• Information about the job being offered
• A job posting notice to be placed at the employer's premises
• Paperwork to be signed by a company official
• Copies of federal tax returns (or a statement from the company's financial officer for larger employers)

By the time of your Visa Interview, you will also need to have the following:

1. Visa Screen Certificate
2. Police Certificates from your Home Country
3. Police Certificates from every other country where you have lived for a period of 6 months or longer after the age of 16
4. Birth Certificate
5. Marriage Certificate
6. Letter of employment
7. Medical Clearance
8. Pictures

The process begins when the U.S. employer files the I-140 petition with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Once this petition is approved (approximately 90-120 days after filing), the approved visa petition is then forwarded to the National Visa Center (NVC) in Portsmouth , New Hampshire .

The NVC forwards a packet to the nurse containing forms to be completed by the applicant and family members and a list of documents, which must be presented at the Visa Interview. The applicant should gather the Visa Screen Certificate, Police Clearances, Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificates, and any other items requested in the packet and send them to U.S. Consulate or NVC, as instructed.

The applicant attends the scheduled interview with all of the requested documents. If the application is approved, the Consulate issues an Immigrant visa stamp that is valid for 6 months, and gives the applicant a sealed envelope. You must enter the U.S before the Immigrant visa expires in order to complete the final processing.

When you arrive at the U.S. port of entry, you will be referred to secondary inspection. You will present the sealed envelope to the immigration officer and be fingerprinted. You will then be issued an I-551 form and obtain a visa stamp that is valid for one year. At that point, you are a Lawful Permanent Resident; the visa stamp is a temporary green card that can be used for work or travel. You can then obtain a social security number and apply for the state licensing examination. Within 4 to 6 months after entry into the U.S. , you will receive your actual green card.