The Need For Foreign Nurses Amidst Pandemic: Latest News!

Nurses have a very important role to play in today’s world. They have been the backbone of the healthcare system ever since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Nurses are always very caring and compassionate when it comes to taking care of patients.

The Need For Foreign Nurses Amidst Pandemic: Latest News!

They are most known for their hard-working personality and commitment to their work. Nurses have a very helping nature which is the most essential thing needed for a patient to recover.

Ever since the pandemic, there has been a great demand for nurse employees in the healthcare industry. The U.S has been urging foreign nurses to immigrate to America as the need for nurses has been on the rise. However, it is not easy for nurses to settle and work in the U.S.

The immigration law in the U.S says that they will provide temporary visas and a green card ( permanent residence ) to certain types of immigrants. Foreign nurses are given preference as they are now a priority. The U.S government has established some rules and procedures regarding getting visas that the nurses have to follow to work and live in the country.

If a foreign nurse wants to work in the U.S temporarily, they have to apply for a visa called the H – 1B visa, a temporary visa given to foreigners who want to work in the U.S in a specialty profession. To obtain this visa, a nurse must have at least a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Getting a green card is also possible if the employer is willing to sponsor it as long as the nurse is a permanent full-time employee as a nurse.

The U.S government recognizes a nurse position as “Schedule A” for nurses to work. For this, the employer has to complete Labor Certification or PERM. The employer must also post a notice regarding the labor certification filing to employees.

Hospitals in the U.S are in urgent need of nurses. They have employed nurses from several countries like Kenya, Nigeria, the Philippines, Thailand, etc. The shortage of working nurses has made it very difficult to settle the pandemic in America. 

According to the American Association of International Healthcare Recruitment, more than 5000 foreign nurses are waiting for the clearance of their visa approvals. Recruiting companies would not have more than 800 nurses as a request from hospitals, but that is not the case now. They now have more than 4000 requests for nurses, says a nurse recruitment company in the U.S.

Enrollment in nursing schools has been on the rise ever since the plea of foreign nurses from the U.S government as the hospitals are struggling with the shortage of nursing staff because of the pandemic. Hospitals in America are trying to hire traveling nurses temporarily to fulfill the requirement, but this can be very expensive. The Biden administration has taken measures to undo the Trump era policies regarding immigration.

The U.S government is taking all the necessary steps to help foreign healthcare workers in the immigration process. They are prioritizing the permits for workers in the pandemic response department to have a stable job and do not face any problems regarding it. This has become an excellent opportunity for foreign healthcare workers who seek jobs and plan to settle in the U.S as long as it is safe for them to be working in America amidst all the issues regarding immigration. The government has to condemn the needs of hospitals during this situation and prioritize the issue of visas to foreign healthcare workers.