International Travel Nursing in the U.S.A

Travel nursing is a great opportunity for nurses to live and work in the U.S.A and to expand their professional experience.

If you are a nurse who was trained and educated outside of the U.S.A or Canada and are interested in international travel nursing in the U.S. you must obtain a work visa in order to work legally in the U.S.

There are two types of american visa, temporary and permanent (green card). Presently, with the exception of Canadian citizens, temporary visas are not available to most foreign trained nurses.

You can register with one of the U.S.A international travel nursing agencies. They can sponsor you, and assist you with the green card procedure. However, obtaining a green card is a long process and can take anywhere from ten months to two years. Other than that many nursing agencies will require from you an employment commitment of minimum 18 months in return for their sponsorship.

Moreover as you probably know there is a global nursing shortage, which also includes the U.S.A market, and international nurses are in a great demand. This puts the healthcare companies with staffing challenges.

Therefore don't rush to sign with the first company. Take your time, investigate, compare, and choose an international nursing agency that has the best solutions for you.

• Check what does the benefit package of the company contain – Does it include health, life and dental insurance coverage, professional nursing liability insurance, retirement plan participation, free continuing education, referral bonuses, private housing, assistance with the relocating overseas expenses, etc'.
• With a green card you are allowed to bring your spouse and children under the age of 21 to live and work in the U.S.A. Will the international travel nursing company assist you to bring your family to the U.S.A?
• Can you choose where to work and live in the U.S.A? Will the International travel nursing agency help to match your skills and expertise with the job that fits your needs?
• For how long will you have to sign an employment commitment?
• Will the travel nursing agency assist you with preparing for the NCLEX-RN (National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse) exams?
• Will the company assist you to find a new job after your contract is ended?

1. Must have a current registered nursing license in your home country.
2. Must have at least 2 years of work experience as a nurse
3. Good references.
4. Obtain a green card
5. Have a visa screen certificate – This is evidence that you have completed a required screening program for healthcare professionals in order to qualify for a permanent residency visa for nursing employment in U.S.A.
6. Pass the NCLEX-RN examination - National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurse. The exam covers five areas of nursing and is designed to test your knowledge and ability to provide high-quality patient care. Only if you pass the exams you will be eligible to work as a nurse in the U.S.A. There are also test centers outside of the United States.

   You can find below NCLEX-RN study guides and flash cards that can help you prepare for the exams

   NCLEX Secrets Study Guide

   NCLEX Flashcard Study System

7. You will most probably need to be CGFNS (Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools) certified – This is required by more than 85% of U.S. State Boards of Nursing. However licensure requirements differ from state to state and do change over time. Therefore, we suggest that you contact the Board of Nursing in the state where you wish to practice to verify its licensure requirements.
9. English proficiency exams - The American Immigration process requires you to take either the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) or the TOEFL/TSE (Test of English as a Foreign Language/Test of Spoken English) tests.

   You can find below TOEFL study guides and flash cards that can help you prepare for the exams

   TOEFL Secrets Study Guide

   TOEFL Flashcard Study System