Nurse Immigration Visa, H1-C

USCIS immigration application procedures:

The Nursing Relief for Disadvantaged Areas Act of1999 allows qualifying hospitals to employ temporary Foreign workers as Registered Nurses for up to three years under H-1C visas. Only 500 H-1C visas can be issued each year during the four year period of the H-1C program (2000-2004) and H-1C nurses may be admitted for a period of three years.

The sponsoring employer must meet strict criteria to employ foreign RNs under the H-1C program: be a "subpart D" hospital under the Social Security Act; be located in a Health Professional Shortage Area, have at least 190 care beds and have a Medicare population of 35% and have a Medicaid population of 28%.

The qualifying RN must, on the other end, have obtained a full and unrestricted license to practice in the country where the nursing education was obtained, or have received a nursing education in the U.S, have passed the examination given by the Commission on Graduates for Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) or have a full and unrestricted license to practice as an RN in the state where the RN will work and be fully qualified and eligible under the laws governing the place where the RN will work to practice as an RN immediately upon admission to the U.S and be authorized under such laws to be employed by the hospital.

To file an attestation for a H-1C visa, the sponsoring hospital must complete a Form ETA 9081 with the DOL Employment and Training Administration containing the required attestation elements. The sponsoring employer must pay a filing fee of $250 for each application filed with the DOL.