Work as a Nurse in the U.S.

Are you a nurse looking to come work in the U.S.? Here are the steps for getting started.

work as a nurse in the United States illustration

Qualifications

You’re eligible to work in the U.S. if you’re a Registered Nurse in your home country. Contact the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) to see if you're qualified.

Contact CGFNS

The NCLEX-RN

When you know where in the U.S. you’d like to work, you can apply to that state’s Board of Nursing and take the NCLEX-RN. This is a standardized test that’ll earn you a Registered Nurse license. It may include an English language proficiency test.

NCLEX-RN

Did you know

The nursing profession is growing twice as fast as the average occupation in the U.S.

Did you know

Employment of registered nurses is projected to grow 6 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Nov. 2023

Did you know

Registered Nurses make up the largest segment of the U.S. health workforce.

Find a job

Once you have your Registered Nurse license, you can look for a job through a nursing recruitment agency or U.S.-based employer. When you have received a job offer, you can apply for a U.S. visa.

Getting hired

Get a visa

The last step is to apply for a non-immigrant visa that will allow you to work in the U.S. Citizens of Canada or Mexico can apply for a Trade National Visa (TN), which is a special arrangement that each of these countries have with the U.S.

Get tips on applying for nursing jobs in the U.S.

Getting hired