Nurses who pass both portions of the exam and receive CGFNS certificates are eligible to apply for a non-immigrant occupation preference visa (called a H-1) from the U.S. Embassy in Dublin. To practice in the United States, however, certified foreign nurse graduates must be licensed in the state where they wish to practice. To do this, they must pass the Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).
If you enter the country on a visitor's visa you will not be allowed to work. If you work on a visitors visa, it is illegal and you run the risk of deportation for this offence.
The H-1C program is designed to permit nurses to come to the U.S. as non-immigrant or temporary workers. The H-1C program, as it exists today, provides only very minor relief from the current nursing shortage in the U.S. Instead, employers generally rely on filing green card applications for nurses or, in limited circumstances, H-1B visas. Both have significant drawbacks. Green card applications can take one to two years to procure. H-1B visas are only available to highly specialized nurses or those in high level supervisory or administrative roles.
Generally, the H-1B visas are temporary employment visas, entitling the visa holder to work in the U.S. for a particular employer, in a particular job, for a specified period of up to a total of six years. H-1B visas are available for temporary specialty occupations or professional positions.
The H-1C visa was established to provide registered nurses with an opportunity to work in health shortage areas for a period of 3 years. This is a non-immigrant visa that is currently limited to 500 nurses annually.
The RN sends the signed and completed forms to the U.S. consulate where the nurse will have her interview for permanent residence.
At this interview, the nurse must present various documents including the following:
- a. Application for Immigrant Visa
- b. Police Clearance
- c. Birth Certificate
- d. Marriage Certificate, if any
- e. Divorce or Death Certificate of Spouse, if any
- f. Valid Passport
- g. Medical Examination
- h. USCIS Photographs
- i. Recent job offer letter (or employment contract)
- j. Financial information regarding employer
- k. Government filing fee
- l. VisaScreen Certificate
For further information on gaining an Employment Visa and other useful immigration info check
the US State Department website travel.state.gov/, Also check National Immigration Services @ http://www.myvisa.com/
For more information about Immigration and Visas, check out www.cgfns.org.