The streamlined immigration process for Filipino nurses and physical therapists, among other healthcare professionals, is back. These workers belong to the Schedule A list of occupations, one where the Department of Labor has determined there are no sufficient U.S. workers who are able, willing, available, and qualified to do the job.
As the U.S. braces for a wave of aging patients, and an exodus of retiring nurses, foreign nurses are expected to be needed as much as ever. The American Nurses Association estimates nursing shortage to be over onemillion, including the nearly 700,000 000 nurses are projected to leave the labor force through 2024.
These nurses and physical therapists, when qualified, can obtain a U.S. green card (permanent resident status) under the employment-based third preference category (EB-3) faster than other professionals or skilled workers as they skip the labor certification process altogether.
Under the recent visa bulletin issued by the Department of State (June 2018), for example, the priority date for EB-3 coming from the Philippines as the country of chargeability is January 1, 2017. This translates to visa applications being processed in just approximately 15 months from petition filing date, unlike in prior years where visa numbers were retrogressed for approximately 7 years.
Filipino nurses and physical therapists, among other medical professionals, are known world-wide as high-skilled, efficient, and compassionate workers. They communicate well in English, are hardworking people, and can easily adapt to American culture.
For Filipino registered nurses, physical therapists, or hospitals or medical facilities willing to explore the option of sponsoring a registered nurse from the Philippines, now may be the best time to do so. While the current priory date is encouraging, there is no guarantee that it will remain this close indefinitely.