Nurses seeking an immigrant visa must possess:

1. Valid nursing license in the country of nationality,

2. BSN or equivalent diploma from a nursing school,

3. Evidence of passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) OR Certificate by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS Certificate), and

4. Visa Screen Certificate issued by the International Commission for Healthcare Professionals (ICHP).


GREEN CARD APPLICATION PROCESS

The immigration process begins when an employer (IMR) submits an immigrant visa petition (Form I-140, and a lot of other documents) to the service center of the Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) having jurisdiction over the nurse's place of intended employment. Our documents are sent to the Vermont Center.

The USCIS sends the approved visa petition to the National Visa Center (NVC) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. If there is no backlog for immigrant visas from the RN's native country (her "priority date" is "current"), the NVC forwards a packet to the nurse or to the sponsor IMR, containing biographical information forms to be completed by her and a list of documents which must be presented at her interview for permanent residence.

The applicant and IMR will then send the signed and completed forms to the U.S. consulate where the nurse will have her interview for permanent residence. At this interview, the nurse must present various documents including the following:

a. Application for Immigrant Visa
b. Police Clearance
c. Birth Certificate
d. Marriage Certificate, if any
e. Divorce or Death Certificate of Spouse, if any
f. Valid Passport
g. Medical Examination
h. Photographs
i. Recent job offer letter (or employment contract)
j. Financial information regarding employer
k. Government filing fee
l. VisaScreen Certificate

All of these requirements may seem quite complicated to the uninitiated. However, our attorneys in New Jersey handle all aspects of immigration. If applicants have specific questions on their particular situation and seek consultations on immigration related issues, they may schedule in-person consultations with us in our offices in India and the Philippines. These consultations are available free of charge to those who have been accepted in to our programs.