Green Card for Nurses

Overview

Schedule A has been created to authorize the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) to approve labor certifications filed for occupations where there are no sufficient United States workers who are able, willing, qualified and available to perform the job.

These occupations are divided into two (2) groups:

Schedule A Group 1 includes:

* physical therapists who are qualified to take the physical licensing examination in the State where they propose to practice
* professional nurses who have passed the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) Examination and who hold a full and unrestricted license to practice

Schedule A Group 2 includes:

* aliens of exceptional ability in the sciences and arts (except performing arts)

Eligibility Requirements

* There must be a permanent offer of employment from a U.S. employer or hospital
* The position to be filled in must be one of the occupations in any of the two (2) groups identified by the Department of Labor
* The applicant must be qualified to work

Visa Ineligibility/Waiver

The immigration laws of the United States, in order to protect the health, welfare, and security of the U.S., prohibit the issuance of a visa to certain applicants. Examples of applicants who must be refused visas are those who: have a communicable disease, or have a dangerous physical or mental disorder; have committed serious criminal acts; are terrorists, subversives, members of a totalitarian party, or former Nazi war criminals; have used illegal means to enter the U.S.; or are ineligible for citizenship. Some former exchange visitors must live abroad for two years. Physicians who intend to practice medicine must pass a qualifying exam before receiving immigrant visas. If found to be ineligible, the consular officer will advise the applicant of any waivers.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Medical Examinations

Before the issuance of an immigrant visa, every applicant, regardless of age, must undergo a medical examination. The examination will be conducted by a doctor designated by the consular officer. Examination costs must be borne by the applicant, in addition to the visa fees.

Numerical Limitations

Whenever there are more qualified applicants for a category than there are available numbers, the category will be considered oversubscribed, and immigrant visas will be issued in the chronological order in which the petitions were filed until the numerical limit for the category is reached. The filing date of a petition becomes the applicant's priority date. Immigrant visas cannot be issued until an applicant's priority date is reached. In certain heavily oversubscribed categories, there may be a waiting period of several years before a priority date is reached. Check the Visa Bulletin for the latest priority dates.