Can we go straight to EB-3 visas?

[CW Malcolm 2]

Hello, my wife and I are both Canadian citizens and would like to move (likely permanently) to the U.S. She is a registered nurse with about 5 years work experience and a specialty, but unfortunately for the last five years I've been a contractor and my other work experience is in sales and computer programming (I have no degree). We understand that if she gets a TN, I can "tag along" under TD but I will be unable to work. This is a problem because we'd also like to start a family fairly soon and we obviously need at least one income. We also know that TN Visas are supposed to be temporary and it seems like she will need an EB-3 Visa eventually (right?), so we're trying to figure out if we can have her apply for a EB-3 Visa right off the hop, without any previous work or other experience in the United States. We know it will take longer for us to get authorized to move there compared with a TN Visa, but if it allows me to work immediately and avoids the hassle of trying to get a green card while in TN status, we are okay with the wait. In addition, we would also like to approach the process in a way most conducive to buying a home as quickly as possible, hopefully within a year of moving (we can do 40% down and have extensive and excellent credit in Canada, for whatever help that will be). Is it possible to apply for and get an EB-3 Visa without any prior work/ties/experience to the United States, and based on the above are there any other options we aren't aware of that we should consider?

[Boiler 45,486]

Certainly possible for her Employer to do that.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

There are agencies that specialize in matching nurses to employers prepared to sponsor them for green card. I knew someone who did this, as far as I recall process took around a year & she had to write US exams. This may be best route for you. 

[CEE53147 559]

There are more than enough nurses in the US.  For a green card, there must be a need and no willing USCs and LPRs desiring the position. Years ago this was not the case but Obamacare changes the game significantly.  And, no one is going to hire someone who is not eligible to work in the US for an H-1B visa.

[Boiler 45,486]

i see Nurses moving to the US on EB3. I know someone who came on a H1b but that is not common.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

1 hour ago, CEE53147 said:

There are more than enough nurses in the US.  For a green card, there must be a need and no willing USCs and LPRs desiring the position. Years ago this was not the case but Obamacare changes the game significantly.  And, no one is going to hire someone who is not eligible to work in the US for an H-1B visa.

There is still plenty of demand for nurses (and other medical professionals). This person I know did this about a year ago, the agency she used had by her reports quite a lot of people coming in. I’m not going to advertise anyone but if OP does a decent google search he should find a few options for such agencies. They arrange for the people to do the exams, and match them up with employers willing to sponsor them. (Tbh I thought it was a scam when I first heard about it but it’s a legit entry method.)  And as boiler said, they come in on EB3 visas - green cards straight away, no messing around with H1B.

[CEE53147 559]

Some medical specialties yes. In my area, there is an oversupply of nurses and several programs turning our more every year - mostly BSNs.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

Well it’s not my area but I checked with the person I know, standard nursing qualification (not specialized in anything), moved to Orlando so not like it was some rural area desperate for nurses. Had to sign a 3-year contract with the employer as quid pro quo for being sponsored EB3. It was just over a year ago they moved. As far as she knows the agency she used is still pulling people in. I’d suggest OP contact a few agencies and ask them, no downside to doing so. Will be useful perhaps to others if he does so, if he returns to this thread to report on current situation. 

[CW Malcolm 2]

Thanks for the responses, I will provide updates as we move forward. Just to see what would happen, my wife applied to a job at the largest employer in the state we want to move to (Arizona), indicating in the application that she isn't legally able to work in the U.S. They contacted her within 24 hours for a telephone interview anyway. Once the recruiter confirmed her experience and legal status, she was essentially told that she would be offered a job for sure if she had her certification (NCLEX - nursing exam) and the legal right to work. The recruiter was unsure if the hospital would sponsor her if she obtained her NCLEX, but my wife followed up with HR who confirmed aren't sponsoring nurses at this time, despite the demand being high enough that the position my wife applied for had a significant signing bonus.

 

We also contacted a staffing agency as Susie suggested and it appears that's the route we will be taking. They basically prequalify you (to make sure you can pass the NCLEX) and then match you with an employer who will sponsor you once you obtain certification. Then they provide assistance with other steps of the process, such as NCLEX prep, the immigration process (EB3), and finding an apartment. The "catch" is that you make a bit less (seems like about $5/hr less) and are on a two year contract (so $5x4000hrs=$20000), which is why we tried to go direct with a hospital chain. In any case, this is definitely a viable route for RNs to take.

 

So my wife has passed the prequalification for the staffing agency and has a Skype interview with a potential employer on Tuesday. I'll update in this thread when I have any more info that may be relevant to other nurses.

[C.C. 2]

On 5/9/2018 at 7:20 PM, CW Malcolm said:

Thanks for the responses, I will provide updates as we move forward. Just to see what would happen, my wife applied to a job at the largest employer in the state we want to move to (Arizona), indicating in the application that she isn't legally able to work in the U.S. They contacted her within 24 hours for a telephone interview anyway. Once the recruiter confirmed her experience and legal status, she was essentially told that she would be offered a job for sure if she had her certification (NCLEX - nursing exam) and the legal right to work. The recruiter was unsure if the hospital would sponsor her if she obtained her NCLEX, but my wife followed up with HR who confirmed aren't sponsoring nurses at this time, despite the demand being high enough that the position my wife applied for had a significant signing bonus.

 

We also contacted a staffing agency as Susie suggested and it appears that's the route we will be taking. They basically prequalify you (to make sure you can pass the NCLEX) and then match you with an employer who will sponsor you once you obtain certification. Then they provide assistance with other steps of the process, such as NCLEX prep, the immigration process (EB3), and finding an apartment. The "catch" is that you make a bit less (seems like about $5/hr less) and are on a two year contract (so $5x4000hrs=$20000), which is why we tried to go direct with a hospital chain. In any case, this is definitely a viable route for RNs to take.

 

So my wife has passed the prequalification for the staffing agency and has a Skype interview with a potential employer on Tuesday. I'll update in this thread when I have any more info that may be relevant to other nurses.

Hi. Any updates? 

I'm hospital direct hire RN under TN status and doing my research at this point.