Immigration Process

 

These timelines are during normal immigration times. Due to retrogression these are not normal times. There are bills in Congress to address the national nursing shortages in the United States.  We hope these bills will be given the attention they deserve.

 

The healthcare facility sponsors the nurse under the I-140 EB3 (Employment Based Petition) as an immigrant or permanent resident. The permanent residency can be for life but the nurse will want to become a U.S. citizen when they qualify.

 

TIMELINE FOR REGISTERED NURSES

The time to process will start when our attorney has all the necessary documents from the nurse and the healthcare facility.

 

Documents

  • Employment contracts signed by the nurse and healthcare facility.
  • Nurse CGFNS certification or RN license from the state of intended employment.
  • Healthcare facility financial declaration. (Immigration requirement)
  • Healthcare facility signatory’s title, federal ID number, address, phone, fax numbers and year the facility was established.
  • Nurse’s high school and college transcripts in English.
  • Nurse and immediate family birth certificates.

 

    1. The petition will be filed with the appropriate immigration center and in most cases within (3-8 months) notice of approval will be received. (This timeline varies because each immigration center is different.)
    2. The petition is sent to the National Visa Center (NVC) for further processing (2-3 months) and then back to the nurse for signature. The petition is sent back to the NVC for final processing and assignment of a visa number and then mailed to the U.S. embassy in manila. (1-2 months)
    3. The U.S. embassy notifies the applicant to take their medical exam and schedules a final interview. (1-2 months)
    4. After all embassy requirements are fulfilled the U.S trip is scheduled. (2-4 weeks)

  • During the immigration process the nurse will need a visa-screen certificate before they are allowed to leave the country. The visa-screen certificate is comprised of the test of written and spoken English plus their CGFNS certification or RN license from the state of intended employment.

 

Note: These timelines can vary from one immigration center to the next, depending on the center’s work-load. There are four immigration centers, Vermont, Texas, Nebraska, and California. Each state is assigned a center.

 

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