This first Department of State Visa Bulletin of fiscal year 2021 is out and the timeline to the US just got potentially quicker for nurses originating from the Philippines, India, and China.

Most notably, for nurses originating from the Philippines, their Final Action Dates are now current. This means that Filipinos with any US EB-3 visa priority date are eligible to move ahead with their immigrant visa appointment with a US embassy and potential Green Card issuance. This is particularly significant for two reasons:1) While Filipinos make up just 1 percent of the US population, they account for over 4 percent of nurses practicing in the US, making them the largest group of internationally educated nurses in the country.

To learn more about the history of Filipino nurses and their rich history in US healthcare, see our article Filipinos, Nursing, and How This Century-Long Relationship Began.

2) The October 2020 visa bulletin represents a several month potential decrease in wait time for Filipino nurses to come to the US.

Seeking to better understand the Visa Bulletin and its intricacies? We recommend reading our Visa Bulletin article.

Managing a Complex Process

US healthcare organizations seeking to adopt or expand their use of global nurses must take care in choosing the right staffing partner.

The ability, or lack thereof, to secure a US embassy appointment in the Philippines may become the limiting factor in how quickly nurses can arrive.

Rapid acceleration in US arrival timelines always brings with it a marked increase in inexperienced companies jumping into international placement for a "quick win." If you've anything to do with nurse staffing don't be surprised to see a sharp rise in emails and calls from companies claiming to represent hundreds of US-ready global nurses. We recommend you read 10 Considerations in Selecting the Right International Nurse Provider in order to protect your organization.

PassportUSA has more than 200 nurses that can begin work nearing the end of the second quarter of 2021.

PassportUSA is among just a handful of companies in the US that makes international nurse recruitment and placement its core and ongoing enterprise. That's why we truly have more than 200 of the very best-trained global nurses ready for interview and selection NOW with expected arrivals in Q2 of 2021. Up to 500 additional global nurses can begin work within your healthcare organization in the next 12-14 months.It's our long-term investment in quality, processes, and ethical recruitment that sets us apart. This has inspired us to seek deep relationships with the DAISY Foundation, AAIHR, and the Alliance for Ethical International. Recruitment Practices.

CAUSE & EFFECT

The inability of the State Department to issue immigrant visa during much of 2020 has led to EB-3 visas becoming current.

The ability to secure a US embassy appointment in the Philippines may become the limiting factor in how quickly nurses can arrive.

It is anticipated that priority dates for Filipino RNs will remain current for the next several months.

Filipino RNs just entering the EB-3 visa process still face a likely year-long process in securing US-readiness despite a lack of visa retrogression.

Summing It All Up

The propensity of global nurses to change jobs less frequently and strong on-the-job performance make them an attractive workforce. Now that shorter arrival times are possible they're even more appealing. Smart US healthcare organizations will be quick to select all the global talent they can, so now is not the time to delay.

Contact your PassportUSA account manager or reach out to our business development team to begin your interviews and selections right away.

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