Working in the U.S. healthcare system is one of the most realistic goals for medical staff trained outside the country. The United States is going through a structural nursing shortage, and that’s exactly why there are legal pathways designed specifically to attract international professionals. This guide explains, step by step and based on official sources, how to get a nursing visa for the United States, what documents you’ll need, and why the EB-3 visa is usually the strongest path to permanent residency.
What do you need to move to the United States as a nurse or healthcare professional?
To practice nursing in the U.S., your degree alone isn’t enough: you need to get your education evaluated, prove your English, pass the licensing exam (NCLEX), obtain a state license, and secure an immigration certification before entering the country. At the same time, you need a legal basis to live and work — which, for nurses, is almost always an employment-based immigrant visa (Green Card).
The engine behind this whole system is demand: an aging population and the retirement of experienced staff have left thousands of unfilled positions in hospitals and care centers across the country. That nursing shortage is the reason specific immigration programs exist, and why so many hospitals are willing to sponsor foreign candidates.
In short, the requirements fall into two groups: the professional ones (degree, English, credentials, NCLEX, license, health certification) and the immigration one (the visa that lets you live and work). Let’s look at them in detail.
Requirements to move to the United States as a healthcare professional
Professional degree and nursing experience
The starting point is a nursing degree or an equivalent university qualification (the well-known BSN or Bachelor of Science in Nursing) that credentials you as a Registered Nurse (RN) in your home country. Shorter programs may work for some profiles, but a university degree is the best fit for the professional immigration categories. Most employers also value clinical hospital experience as well as a résumé in English that clearly lays out your work history.
English proficiency
USCIS requires you to demonstrate spoken and written English competency through recognized standardized exams — IELTS, TOEFL, or PTE Academic. The accepted exams and minimum scores are set by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which keeps an official, up-to-date list. It’s worth checking that list before you sit an exam, because both the valid tests and the required scores are reviewed periodically.
Credentials evaluation (CGFNS / CES Report)
Your foreign degree has to go through a nursing credentials evaluation to confirm that your training is comparable to that of a U.S. nurse. This credentials evaluation is carried out by CGFNS International (the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools) or another approved equivalent organization, and it takes the form of a document known as the CES Report (Credentials Evaluation Service). For this step, you’ll typically need to provide a certified (sworn) translation of your transcripts and course syllabi.
NCLEX-RN exam
The NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination) is the national licensing exam for registered nurses, and it’s mandatory nationwide. Passing it is one of the requirements USCIS expressly recognizes — along with the CGFNS certification and the state license — within the certification process for nurses laid out in Section 212(r) of the INA. Solid NCLEX prep is decisive, since your professional eligibility depends on it.
Nursing license in the United States
Nursing is regulated at the state level: each State Board of Nursing issues its own license and sets its own conditions. You must obtain a valid, unrestricted license in the state where you’ll be working, and that state must recognize foreign licenses as genuine. The process usually includes a background check. If you move to a different state later on, you’ll have to handle the corresponding license there.
VisaScreen certificate
By law, no foreign healthcare worker — except physicians — is admissible to the U.S. without a healthcare worker certification issued by a credentialing organization approved by USCIS. For nurses, that certification is issued by CGFNS (its program is marketed under the name VisaScreen) and bundles the verification of your education, your licenses, and your English level into a single document. It’s an admissibility requirement under 8 CFR 212.15, it’s valid for five years, and you’ll need to present it when you apply for the visa, when you change or extend status, and when you adjust your residency. The requirement goes away once you’re a lawful permanent resident.
EB-3 visa for healthcare professionals
The EB-3 is an employment-based immigrant visa that leads directly to permanent residency (Green Card). Unlike temporary visas, it’s not a short-term permit: it allows the nurse and their family to live and work in the United States on a stable basis. That’s why it’s the best fit for anyone who wants to settle permanently. It’s also the model MCC works with, connecting international workers with U.S. employers willing to offer a position and sponsor the path to permanent residency.
Visa types for nurses, and why the EB-3
There are several pathways for a nurse to work in the United States, but not all of them lead to residency or are open to every profile. It’s worth knowing them to understand why the EB-3 is, in most cases, the most advisable option.
The EB-3 is an immigrant visa that leads directly to the Green Card and is designed for skilled workers and professionals. It’s the usual route for registered nurses seeking stability and permanent residency — not a temporary stay.
Within that process there’s an option that speeds things up: Schedule A, Group 1. It’s not a different visa, but a fast track that the Department of Labor reserves for occupations with a proven shortage, such as nursing and physical therapy. Its advantage is that it streamlines employer sponsorship by skipping the ordinary labor certification process.
Alongside these permanent-residency routes, there are also temporary alternatives. The H-1B visa targets specialty occupations, but it’s not usually the typical path for general nursing, because it requires a position that calls for a specific specialized degree. The TN visa, for its part, is reserved for professionals from Mexico and Canada and lets you start working while residency is being processed — so it only helps candidates from those two countries.
Finally, it’s worth clearing up a common point of confusion with the EB-2 visa. This category requires a graduate degree or, failing that, a bachelor’s degree plus five years of progressive experience. Most registered nurses don’t meet that advanced-degree requirement, so their natural route is the EB-3, not the EB-2.
All in all, for most nurses who want to move to the United States permanently, the EB-3 is the most complete option: it combines the ability to work with obtaining permanent residency for the whole family.
Benefits for your family
One of the biggest advantages of the EB-3 over temporary visas is that your family immigrates with you: your spouse and your unmarried children under 21 can also obtain permanent residency as dependents. That means your partner will be able to apply for a work permit, your children will be able to access public education, and — as residents — the family will have access to services like healthcare and home mortgages, building a shared life project rather than a temporary stay.
How to move to the United States as a nurse, step by step
The process links the professional requirements with the immigration steps. Broadly speaking, these are the stages:
- Initial evaluation and job offer. A U.S. employer assesses your profile and matches you to a position.
- Credentials report (CES Report) with CGFNS. Your degree is evaluated through the credentials evaluation, submitting a sworn translation of your transcripts.
- State Board of Nursing approval. The licensing process begins in the destination state.
- NCLEX-RN exam. You pass the national licensing exam.
- English exam (IELTS / TOEFL / PTE). You demonstrate the required level according to the current official list.
- I-140 petition (employment-based permanent residency). The employer files Form I-140 with USCIS. For nursing, the rules allow using the Schedule A, Group 1 route, which speeds up the process.
- Healthcare worker certification. CGFNS issues the certification needed to be admissible.
- Consular processing / embassy interview. Through the National Visa Center (NVC), the embassy interview is scheduled, where you present your certification to the consular officer. If you’re already in the U.S., the equivalent is adjustment of status with Form I-485.
- Arrival and start of work.
Priority Date and the Visa Bulletin
Here’s where a concept many candidates aren’t aware of comes in — one that sets the timeline: the Priority Date. When the employer files your petition, USCIS assigns you a date that works like your “number in line.” Each month, the Department of State publishes the Visa Bulletin, which indicates which priority dates can already move on to the next step based on your category (EB-3) and your country of origin. If your priority date is earlier than the one shown in the bulletin, your case is “current” and can move forward; if not, you’ll have to wait. Understanding this mechanism is key to having realistic expectations about timelines, since it’s the main factor that can stretch out the wait.
Common mistakes when moving to the United States as healthcare staff
- Choosing the wrong pathway. Trying to come in through the H-1B or assuming you qualify for the EB-2 when your profile fits the EB-3 delays the process. It’s best to pin down the right category from the start.
- Leaving English and the NCLEX for last. These are the steps you can get ahead on the most; having them done shortens the timeline significantly.
- Overlooking the correct state license. The license must match the state where you’ll be working; filing it in the wrong state means starting over.
- Submitting documents without a sworn translation. Transcripts must be translated correctly, or the credentials evaluation stalls.
- Forgetting the five-year validity of the certification. If it expires before admission or adjustment of status, it has to be renewed.
- Ignoring the Visa Bulletin. Not tracking your priority date creates the wrong expectations about when you’ll be able to travel.
Frequently asked questions
What do you need to become a nurse in the United States?
A nursing degree (ideally a BSN) evaluated through a credentials evaluation with CGFNS, proven English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL/PTE), passing the NCLEX-RN, obtaining a license from the State Board of Nursing in the state of employment, and securing the healthcare worker certification — plus an immigration basis (usually the EB-3 Green Card).
What visa do you need to work as a nurse in the United States?
The most common is an employment-based immigrant visa (Green Card), usually the EB-3. There are temporary alternatives like the H-1B or, for Mexicans and Canadians, the TN, but the EB-3 is the one that provides permanent residency.
Who qualifies for the EB-2 visa?
The EB-2 requires a graduate degree or a bachelor’s degree plus five years of progressive experience. Most registered nurses don’t meet that requirement, so the right route is usually the EB-3.
How can a nurse get a Green Card?
Through an employer who files the I-140 petition — usually via the accelerated Schedule A route reserved for shortage occupations like nursing — followed by adjustment of status (I-485) or consular processing with an embassy interview.
