For nurses
Green cards and visas for nurses
Most foreign-trained registered nurses come through an employer-sponsored green card. Here is how Schedule A works, when other routes can fit, and what you need first.
Last checked October 2026 · Sources
- Most common route
- EB-3, Schedule A
- Job-market test
- Skipped for nurses
- Who files
- Your US employer
- EB-3 legal fee from
- $7,995
Quick answer
Which green card or visa fits a nurse?
Most foreign nurses use an employer-sponsored EB-3 green card. Professional nurses are on Schedule A, Group I, so the employer skips the usual recruitment test (20 CFR 656.5(a)). You need a CGFNS certificate, a full state nursing license, or a passed NCLEX-RN. Some advanced practice nurses may fit EB-2 or H-1B.
- Your employer files. Nurses cannot self-petition through Schedule A.
- The Schedule A labor certification is filed with USCIS, together with Form I-140.
- A USCIS memo says most registered nurse jobs do not qualify for H-1B.
- Canadian and Mexican registered nurses can use TN with a license or Licenciatura degree.
Compare routes
Nurse routes at a glance
The fit column is practical guidance. A partner-firm attorney confirms what fits your case.
| Route | What you get | Fit for nurses | Key hurdle | Our legal fee from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-3 with Schedule A | Green card | Registered nurses with a US job offer | CGFNS certificate, full state license or NCLEX-RN pass. You may wait for a visa number. | $7,995 |
| EB-2 with Schedule A | Green card | Advanced practice nurses whose job requires an advanced degree | The job itself must require an advanced degree or exceptional ability | $7,995 |
| H-1B | Work visa | Some advanced practice and specialized nursing jobs | The job must normally require a bachelor’s degree in a specific specialty. Most RN jobs do not. | Quoted on request |
| TN | Work visa | Canadian and Mexican citizens | A state or provincial license, or a Licenciatura degree, plus a prearranged job | Quoted on request |
EB-2 can use a Schedule A application when the job requires an advanced degree (8 CFR 204.5(k)(4)(i)). EB-3 professionals need at least a US bachelor’s degree or foreign equivalent. Skilled workers need a job requiring at least two years of training or experience (8 CFR 204.5(l)(2)). Legal fees are the partner firm’s flat fees. Government fees are separate. See pricing.
Schedule A
What Schedule A means for nurses
Schedule A is a Department of Labor list of jobs with a shortage of US workers. It changes how the labor certification works.
| Step | Normal PERM | Schedule A nurse |
|---|---|---|
| Recruitment test | Employer advertises and tests the job market | Skipped |
| Where the form goes | Department of Labor first | USCIS, with the Form I-140 (20 CFR 656.15(a)) |
| Prevailing wage | Required | Still required |
| Notice of filing | Required | Still required |
| Nurse proof | Not applicable | CGFNS certificate, a permanent full and unrestricted license in the state of work, or a passed NCLEX-RN (20 CFR 656.15(c)) |
Under the Department of Labor rules, a professional nurse applies “the art and science of nursing” (20 CFR 656.5(a)). Your place in line, the priority date, is the date your complete I-140 is properly filed with USCIS (8 CFR 204.5(d)). Check your wait in the visa bulletin.
H-1B and TN
What USCIS says about H-1B and TN for nurses
-
Most RN jobs are not H-1B jobs
A 2015 USCIS memo says most registered nurse positions “do not qualify as a specialty occupation.” They do not normally require a US bachelor’s degree in nursing. USCIS still lists this memo among its policy memoranda (PM-602-0104).
-
Some advanced practice roles may qualify
The same memo lists certified nurse-midwife, certified clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse practitioner and certified registered nurse anesthetist as roles that may be specialty occupations. The employer still has to prove it for the job.
-
TN for Canadians and Mexicans
Registered Nurse is on the USMCA list. The minimum is a state or provincial license, or a Licenciatura degree (8 CFR 214.6(c)). TN is temporary and does not lead to a green card on its own.
Get started
How the nurse green card usually goes
-
Get your nursing credential
A CGFNS certificate, a full state license, or a passed NCLEX-RN. One is required for Schedule A.
-
Find a US employer
The employer offers a permanent, full-time nursing job and agrees to sponsor you.
-
Employer gets a prevailing wage and posts notice
15 business days with premiumThen it files the Schedule A form with Form I-140 at USCIS.
-
Wait for a visa number, then apply
When your date is current, you file Form I-485 in the US or go through consular processing abroad.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Professional nurses are on Schedule A, so the recruitment test is skipped. The employer still gets a prevailing wage, posts a notice and files the labor certification form with USCIS.
You need one of three: a CGFNS certificate, a full and unrestricted state license where you will work, or a passed NCLEX-RN.
Usually not. A 2015 USCIS memo says most RN jobs do not normally require a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Some advanced practice and specialized roles may qualify.
Possibly, if the job itself requires an advanced degree. The employer can then file EB-2 with a Schedule A application. A partner-firm attorney checks the job requirements.
Not through Schedule A. A nurse with a strong record of research or leadership could look at EB-1A or the EB-2 NIW, but nursing alone does not qualify.
It depends on your country and the visa bulletin. Premium processing makes USCIS act on the I-140 within 15 business days for EB-3, but the visa number wait can be longer.
Talk through your nursing route
A partner-firm attorney can check your credentials, your job offer and your country’s wait before your employer files. No promises, just a clear plan.
Sources · checked October 2026
- 20 CFR 656.5, Schedule A (Cornell LII)
- 20 CFR 656.15, Schedule A applications (Cornell LII)
- 8 CFR 204.5(k)(4) and (l), EB-2 and EB-3 initial evidence (Cornell LII)
- USCIS Policy Memorandum PM-602-0104, Adjudication of H-1B Petitions for Nursing Occupations (Feb. 18, 2015)
- USCIS, Policy Memoranda list (memo still listed; checked Oct. 7, 2026)
- 8 CFR 214.6(c), USMCA professions list (Cornell LII)
- USCIS, How Do I Request Premium Processing? (updated 03/23/2026)
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; a partner-firm attorney confirms what applies to you before anything is filed.
