From: fmgcoon@tigger.jvnc.net (Michael W. Coon) Subject: Re: Visa for Nurses Message-ID: Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1993 11:07:53 GMT Lines: 35 In Article , rpatil@crl.nmsu.edu (Raj Patil) wrote: > >I saw a specia category in H-3 for Nurses. Has any one gone through, or seen >any Nurse form other country go through the process to come to US. > >Any help appreciated. > > >Raj The employment based visa category for Registered Nurses is known as H-1A. I have employed more than 150 foreign-trained RN's under this category. Similar to H-1B certification process, proof of employer-sponsorship must first be demonstrated. Three related issues that impact the hiring of H-1A nurses are: 1) The employer/sponsor must first file an "Attestation" document and obtain approval through the U.S. Department of Labor. This "attests" to the fact, among various other points, that the facility has at least a 7% vacancy rate in their RN positions. 2) In nearly all states, the RN must have passed the CGFNS nursing and English proficiency exam prior to licensure. INS also looks for a copy of CGFNS certification. That exam is conducted two to three times each year in more than thirty countries. Only 20% of takers pass the CGFNS. 3) Each nurse, after commencing employment, will be required to sit for and pass the next available state licensing exam for RN's. Passing this exam is a condition of one's maintaining the H-1A working visa. I am not myself an attorney and highly recommend that anyone with detailed questions on this process seek the assistance of qualified legal counsel. MWC@fmgcoon.com