A sector that needs support in the United States is the health sector, and to achieve an increase in the number of professionals, the government has decided for a while facilitating the possibilities of temporary work visas or permanent residence (Green Card) professionals in the sector.
It is known that the immigration law of the United States gives preference to certain types of immigrants, it all depends on your work experience, trajectory and recognitions.
What happens in the case of nurses?
Any healthcare, or nurse from another country who wants to work in the US temporarily, can access to an “H-1B”.
The H1B visa is temporary and has become much sought after among foreigners who have a job offer in North America and is designed for immigrants with a specialty occupation.
How can you get this visa? Steps to follow?
For the H1B visa it is necessary that the person who hired immigrants presents a petition to the USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration Service of the United States). The USCIS is who decides whether to approve the visa petition made by the prospective employer or boss.
For its part, the health professional must prove that their occupation is specialized, and this raises USCIS four elements:
The minimum requirement is to achieve a bachelor’s degree or higher (or equivalent)
The degree requirement to work should be common to the industry and it is important to show that the work to which it applies is difficult and can only be performed by a person.
The nature of the specific duties is so specialized and complex that knowledge required to perform the functions usually associated with obtaining a degree or higher.
The USCIS focuses on the first element and sees if a university degree is required for nursing work. This can make getting an H-1B visa as a nurse very difficult, because many states do not require a degree for a typical nurse position.
In contrast, most states require a shorter process for this position certification. It is very important that the applicant consults its future boss about the requirements for the position of registered nurse in the state in which it will work.
Almost all states require at least a bachelor’s degree for these positions. Therefore, you will have a better chance of getting an H-1B visa if your job is as a clinical or a practitioner, unlike trying for a position as a registered nurse.
The rating you own is not as important as the necessary qualification for the job, in the context of whether or not the work is a specialty occupation.
Can I get a Green Card?
Definitely. The US employer can sponsor you a Green Card. To qualify for this it is important that the employer provides a permanent nurse full-time position.
In addition, the employer must complete a process known as “labor certification” (“PERM”)
Certifications
All nurses, whether coming to US with an H-1B visa or a green card, must demonstrate to the USCIS that they are “certified” to work in the field of medicine in the United States.
Importantly, doctors and other medical personnel must meet different requirements.
The foreign nurse must be certified by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) and must send all their skills and educational credentials, then review the documentation, issue a certificate confirming that the nurse or nurse is valid and unrestricted license in the state where he works, in addition also make the NCLEX licensing exam for nurses in the United States. Likewise, the applicant must graduate from a nursing program in English