The Soaring Demand For Foreign Nurses

There is a recognized and acknowledged shortage of nurses in the United States. Therefore, companies have no choice, but to look outside the country in order to recruit nursing professionals.

In the past decade, nurses have been brought in from countries such as India, Philippines, and also Canada. There is a huge demand for foreign nurses even with increasing medical innovations, care techniques, etc. They are needed to administer and dispense medicine, train new nurses, monitor patients and also run clinical trials.

Are There Any Benefits?

This development has also many more benefits of immigration and naturalization for foreign nurses but different benefits for the institutions that employ them. Understanding the immigration procedure and market is essential to identify suitable visa choices for individual situations.

Foreign nursing students in particular have more choices and negotiating powers than what their employers might be aware of.

The Concerns

Hiring of foreign nurses however, has been a source of concern for nursing professionals in the United States who are worried about their past as well as job conditions. Foreign nurses however, who are aware of the shortage in the country are joining the American nurses in their demand for better hours and salaries.

Of course, for this to be successfully implemented, foreign nurses first need to get over their fear of the US Immigration services. The fear of this service often stops non-us nationals from pushing for better job conditions and wage rate, however this is more than likely a totally unfounded fear.

Hospitals and nursing homes in the meanwhile, continue to look for foreign nursing professionals. The demand often far exceeds the supply in this field as more and more people live longer and require care and hospital treatement well into their old age.

The best option is to educate nurses and nursing students of foreign origin about their rights so that they may join unions and advocate better working conditions, which is more than what is deserved by them.

Certification Requirments

Some of the certifications and key processes which a medical staffing agency requires in order to recruit foreign nurses are:

* H-1B visa: This allows a foreign nurse to be employed by a US employer. The time duration allowed by this visa is 6 years.

* A job offer must already be in place.

* Labor condition attestation has to be filed with the United States Department of Labor.

* Local employment agencies need to conduct surveys on wages.

* INS I29H petition: Coming to the US on a green card instead of a visa might make the nursing professional eligible for permanent stay.

* EB-3: This allows US employers to recruit foreign nurses to work in the US with a permanent resident status. This process however, takes upto 8-12 months.

* TN status: This enables Canadian and Mexican nurses to work under NAFTA in the US.

If you are an employer, do remember to ensure that foreign nurses you recruit have proofs of having each of them having acquired a diploma as well as a license from the country of origin.

These foreign nurses should have passed the test conducted by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS), for a license to practice in the intended state of employment.

Though the entire process may seem complicated and daunting for new medical staffing agencies, the end result is favorable. With enough nurses, whether of domestic or foreign origin, the US has more help and assistance to look forward to and receive as and when required.

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