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Visa pathways · nurses
In plain language, for first-time applicants
EB-3 · TN · H-1B

Three pathways,
one goal.

Most nurses move to the United States through EB-3, H-1B cap-exempt, or TN. Each fits a different situation and a different set of constraints, but the goal is the same: a direct-hire role on a real unit, with your name on the payroll.
Start here
True on all three routes

What every pathway has in common.

Whichever visa route applies to you, three things are true no matter what. The pathway changes how you get to the United States and what it leads to afterwards, not whether these steps apply.
01

Pass the NCLEX

The US licensing exam for registered nurses. Every pathway expects it, so it is the first milestone we plan around.
02

Pass the required English exam

The English proficiency test your destination state and visa route require. We tell you which one applies before you sit it.
03

Hold an active state license

A nursing license in the specific US state where you will work. TN and H-1B need it in hand before filing; EB-3 prefers it but does not always require it at the I-140 stage.
The three routes
Reviewed individually, always

What each one means for you.

EB-3 · Green card

EB-3

Slow and steady. Open to every hospital and every qualified nurse.

You arrive as a permanent resident. The wait is the longest of the three, and it depends on your country of birth, but it ends somewhere permanent: the right to live and work in the United States indefinitely, not tied to one employer or one contract.

Variable currently 2 to 3 years · Permanent residency

H-1B · Cap-exempt

H-1B

Fast for the right hospital. Smaller talent pool.

A temporary work visa, renewable, for BSN-holding nurses going to a nonprofit hospital with an academic affiliation. It moves faster than EB-3, but a green card is a separate process afterwards.

Currently paused. H-1B is on hold pending policy changes. We will revisit this pathway as soon as it reopens.

6 to 12 months filing to arrival · 3 years, up to 6 total

TN · USMCA

TN

Fast. Open to every hospital.

If you are a Canadian or Mexican citizen, this is usually the quickest way in. It is temporary and renewable indefinitely, but it does not lead to a green card on its own.

6 to 12 months filing to arrival · 3 years, renewable

Other pathways such as F-1, H-1B1, E-3 and OPT exist for specific situations and are not covered here. If one of them fits your case, we will say so.
The default route for most nurses
Employment-based · Tier 3

Designed to lead somewhere permanent.

01

An employer sponsors you directly

The hospital you are placed with files paperwork with the U.S. government saying they want to hire you permanently, that they have verified your qualifications, and that they are committing to your employment. You are not a contractor. You are not on a staffing agency's books. You are their employee, with a real salary, benefits, and a role that belongs to you.
02

The green card follows

Once you are in the country and working, the process continues in the background toward a green card: permanent residency, the legal right to live and work in the United States indefinitely, not tied to one employer or one contract. It is the step before citizenship.
03

The timeline is long, we say so

EB-3 is the green card path and the default for international nurse hiring. It is open to every hospital and every qualified nurse, regardless of country of origin. Filing to arrival is variable, currently benchmarked at 2 to 3 years. Once a nurse arrives they have permanent residency, with no renewal cycles to manage. If you were born in India or China, retrogression makes the wait longer still; if you were born in the Philippines or Latin America, it does not. We will tell you honestly which applies to you rather than promising something faster that we cannot guarantee.
Side by side
As of May 2026

How the three pathways compare.

ParameterEB-3H-1B (paused)TN
What it isPermanent residency via employer sponsorship.Temporary work visa for BSN-required roles at nonprofit teaching hospitals.Temporary work visa under the US-Mexico-Canada trade agreement.
Hospital eligibilityAny US healthcare employer, public, private or nonprofit.Nonprofit hospital affiliated with an academic institution.Any US employer hiring Canadian or Mexican citizens.
Eligible nursesAny qualified RN, any country of origin.BSN-holding RNs, any country.Canadian and Mexican RNs only.
Visa durationPermanent. No renewal required.3 years, renewable up to 6 years total.3 years, renewable indefinitely.
Processing timeVariable. Benchmarking 2 to 3 years; depends on visa bulletin movement.3 months with premium processing. Total to arrival: 6 to 12 months.Immediate to 2 months processing. Total to arrival: 6 to 12 months.
License before filingPreferred. Not always required at the I-140 stage.Required. State license must be in hand.Required. State license must be in hand.
Visa capYes. Annual quotas and country limits apply.None when cap-exempt criteria are met.None.
Best used forHiring from the Philippines, LATAM, or most other source countries.Filling BSN-required roles fast at the right type of hospital.Filling vacancies fast with Canadian and Mexican RNs.
StrengthsOpen to every hospital and any qualified nurse, regardless of country. Permanent residency once arrived.Speed with premium processing. Flexible for the right facility.Among the fastest pathways. Open to every hospital. Low paperwork complexity.
ConstraintsLong timeline. India and China face heavy retrogression delays; the Philippines and LATAM do not.Limited to nonprofit and academic affiliation. Higher denial risk for non-specialty roles. Currently paused.Two countries only. License and credentialing must be in place before filing. Narrower candidate pool than EB-3.
Get a read in minutes, eligibility checker →
Visa policy and processing times change. Verify specific cases with immigration counsel before filing. Timelines reflect current USCIS conditions and visa bulletin movement as of May 2026.

One application. Honest guidance.

Apply, and we'll tell you upfront which pathway fits your situation, no recruitment fee, no obligation.

Apply now