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Visa Processing



 

If you wish to work in the United States of America you are required to have a work visa. CCM will assist you in obtaining a work visa. CCM will assess your application and guide you through the application step by step.

 

What is Immigration Law?

Immigration is exclusively governed by federal law.  The federal Immigration and Nationality Act regulates who can enter the United States on a temporary or permanent basis. It also governs whom the government can remove (or "deport") from the United States.

 

What is an Immigrant? 

A person coming to the US to remain permanently or for an indefinite period of time and to

make the United States the primary place of residence. A permanent resident of the US is an

immigrant. A person who plans to become a permanent resident is an intending immigrant.

 

What is a Visa? 

An authorization issued by a US consul permitting a person to come to a US port or inspection point to apply to be admitted to the US for the purpose of the particular visa. A visa does not give the bearer the right to enter the US but only the right to apply to be admitted at an inspection point.

 

What is an Immigrant Visa? 

An Immigrant visa is the visa given to a person by a US consul after qualifying for permanent residence. After arriving in the US, the person will receive a green card. Immigrant visas are issued to those who qualify for residence in the United States. There are various applications for residence some are listed below:

  • Employment Based Visas and Special Ability Visas
  • Family Relations Visas 
  • Lottery Diversity Visa 
  • Religious Worker Visa 
  • Investors/Entrepreneur Visas 
  • Refugee/Asylum/Protected Status

What is a Green Card?

A Permanent Resident Card, which is commonly known as a Green Card, is evidence of your status as a lawful permanent resident with a right to live and to work permanently in the United States, to travel in and out of the counrty without a visa, to work at any job, and to accumulate time toward U.S. citizenship. It also is evidence of your registration in accordance with the United States immigration laws. The Permanent Resident Card is also called Form I-551.

 

What type of visas do foreign health professionals usually apply for?

  1. A Permanent (immigrant) visa, also known as a "green card" (Alien Registration Receipt Card).
  2. A Temporary (non-immigrant) visa: H-1B, H-1C and TN (Trade NAFTA). 

What kind of visa will you process and do you also process the visa for my family at the same time.

We will process a Green Card Visa (employment based Immigrant Visa) for you and dependents visas for your family and children below the age of 21.We can apply all the visas at the same time but we pay only for the Nurse. If you wish to bring your family you will have to pay INS visa filling fees of USD335/- per person.

 

What is the first step to obtaining a green card?

 

I-140 application

Current regulations have put Registered Nurses (RNs) on Schedule A, Group I, as pre-certified by the Department of Labour as a shortage occupation. RNs are exempt from the individual labor certification process.

 

The immigration process begins when an employer submits an immigrant visa petition (Form I-140) to the office of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) having jurisdiction over the nurse's place of intended employment. The petition must be accompanied by Labor Department forms ETA-750A and B and proof of the employer's ability to pay the prevailing wage offered to the employee.

 

 

  1. A diploma from a nursing school in his/her country;
  2. An RN license in his/her country; and
  3. A full and unrestricted license to practice professional nursing in the State of intended employment or a certification that she has passed the examination given by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) which includes a credential review, a nursing examination, and the TOEFL.

The regulations governing this process state that the nurse must have the CGFNS certificate or be fully licensed in the state of intended employment in order to file an immigrant petition. The INS, however, has indicated that it will accept the NCLEX in place of the CGFNS certificate. It is most common for nurses to obtain the CGFNS certificate prior to taking the NCLEX for several reasons. The first and foremost reason is that many states require that foreign nurses pass the CGFNS examination before taking the state RN licensing (NCLEX) examination. The following states impose this requirement: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming. (Please refer to the section on licensing for further details.)

 

What is the final step in obtaining a green card?

 

Consular Processing (For Nurses located outside of the United States)

The INS first sends the approved visa petition to the National Visa Center (NVC) in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. If there is no backlog for immigrant visas from the RN's native country (her "priority date" is "current"), the NVC forwards a packet to the nurse or his/her attorney containing biographical information forms to be completed by his/her and his/her family members, and a list of documents which must be presented at his/her interview for permanent residence. Generally, the forms are submitted directly to the U.S. consulate. For individuals from certain countries, forms are submitted to the National Visa Center for preliminary processing. Upon completion of preliminary processing, the NVC will forward the case to the appropriate U.S. Consulate for final processing.

 

The U.S. consulate where the nurse will have his/her interview for permanent residence will review specific forms and documentation. At this interview, the nurse must present various documents including the following:

  1. Application for Immigrant Visa
  2. Police Clearance
  3. Birth Certificate
  4. Marriage Certificate, if any
  5. Divorce or Death Certificate of Spouse, if any
  6. Valid Passport
  7. Medical Examination
  8. Photographs. Recent job offer letter (or employment contract)
  9. Financial information regarding employer
  10. Government filing fee
  11. Visa Screen Certificate

Who is ICHP?

The International Commission on Healthcare Professions is a division of CGFNS. ICHP was launched in 1996 to administer its Visa Screen program, which is federally approved screening program for foreign healthcare workers seeking an occupational visa in the United States.

 

What is a Visa Screen and why do I need it?

US Immigration law now requires that healthcare professionals, other than physicians, to complete a screening program in order to qualify for certain occupational visas.  VisaScreen, a program offered by The International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP), a division of CGFNS, enables healthcare professionals to meet this requirements by verifying and evaluating their credentials to ensure that they meet the government’s minimum eligibility standards. predictive examination for nurses. Applicants who successfully complete VisaScreen will receive a VisaScreen Certificate, which can be presented to a consular office or, in the case of adjustment of status, the Attorney General as part of a visa application.

 

What does VisaScreen look at?

VisaScreen does an educational review, licensure review, English language skills assessment and predictive examination for nurses.  Applicants who successfully complete VisaScreen will receive a VisaScreen Certificate, which can be presented to a consular office or, in the case of adjustment of status, the Attorney General as part of a visa application.

 

Do I need to complete the CGFNS Qualifying Exam and the NCLEX-RN examination in order to complete my Visa Screen application?

No.  You only need to successfully complete either one of the exams.

 

What are the VisaScreen requirements?

  • Complete the VisaScreen application.
  • Complete the enclosed forms to send to your nursing school(s).  Academic transcripts must come directly from the nursing school(s).
  • Complete the enclosed forms to send to your licensing authority(ies). Validation of all licenses, past and present must come directly from the licensing authorities.
  • You must successfully complete an English language proficiency test and have the scores directly forwarded to ICHP from the testing agency.
  • You must successfully pass either the CGFNS qualifying exam or the NCLEX-RN exam.
  • Enclose a copy of your high school diploma or equivalent.
  • Enclose the application fee.

Who is exempt from fulfilling the English language proficiency requirements?

Applicants may be exempt from the English language proficiency requirement if they meet all of the following criteria:

  • Country of professional education was Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, or the United States
  • Language of instruction was English.
  • Language of textbooks was English.

Once a VisaScreen Certificate is issued, who receives the original document?

The VisaScreen Certificate is issued directly to the applicant who successfully completed all of the requirements of the program. The applicant then presents it to a consular officer attorney general (when applicable) as part of a visa application.

 

I am a nurse who holds a CGFNS Certificate.  Do I still need to apply for the VisaScreen Certificate?

Yes. The VisaScreen Certificate is required for all nurses who are seeking an immigrant visa or a change in status to permanent residency.  One of the requirements of the VisaScreen program is that nurses must have passed either the CGFNS Qualifying Exam or the NCLEX-RN examination.  Since you already have the CGFNS Certificate, you will not have to take another nursing exam to obtain your visa, and your transcripts on file may be used for the educational evaluation element of the VisaScreen program.

 

How can I obtain a VisaScreen application?

You may obtain a VisaScreen application by contacting ICHP by mail: International Commission on Healthcare Professions, 3600 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19104-2665 USA; by phone:  (215) 349-8767; by fax: 9215) 349-0026; by email: support@ichp.org: or download an application of the CGFNS web site at www.cgfns.org.

 

I am a nurse that is applying for an I-140 visa and I want to be able to bring my spouse and children with me to the United States. How should I proceed?

If the I-140 applicant is outside the U.S., their dependents (spouse and children under 21) will be eligible to enter the United States as permanent residents once the I-140 is approved and the family undergoes consular processing. As a result, the spouse and children under 21 would also receive green cards, and would be entitled to work. If in the United States, and eligible to apply for an adjustment of status (I-485) then the dependents are eligible to file I-485 concurrently with the principle's application.

 

I am a nurse that will be entering the United States under either a H-2B, H-1B, or an H-1C Visa. Will I be able to bring my spouse and children with me to the United States?

The children and spouse may enter as H-4 derivatives, but will not be authorized to work until they convert to permanent resident status.

 

Am I allowed to withdraw my agreement after signing the contract as I applied through another agency.

We are sorry, you are not allowed to withdraw your application once you have submitted the same, the reason being the minute you send us the completed forms, we start processing the same and we have to meet certain expenses. However after we have incurred these expenses if you still wish to withdraw then you will have to reimburse the expenses to us.

 

After signing my contract with your company, am I allowed to try to look for a job with other agencies in India to go to the US?

Please only sign up with us if you are 100% sure, you must understand that we are a company of International repute and there are several expenses that we undertake after you have signed a contract with us.

 

As an international nurse located outside the United States, do I need to obtain VisaScreen Certification?

The INS interim VisaScreen regulations (8 C.F.R. §212.15) provide that all foreign-born nurses

applying for permanent residence based on employment as a nurse, even if educated, licensed and trained in the U.S., must obtain a VisaScreen Certificate or a Certified Statement. (Obtaining the Certified Statement from the ICHP is a somewhat streamlined process available only to nurses who completed nursing education in English in certain designated countries. The nurse must also be licensed in the state of intended employment and have passed the NCLEX to qualify for the Certified Statement.) Visa Screen Certification is required for those nurses that do not qualify for the Certified Statement.

 

In addition, unless the nurse was educated in an English-speaking country (U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, United Kingdom or Canada - all provinces except Quebec), she must achieve a certain score on tests in written and spoken English administered by TOEFL (Test Of English As A Foreign Language) in order to qualify for a VisaScreen Certificate.

 

Medical Requirements

In order to obtain a work visa for the United States you are required to undergo a standard medical examination. "Before the issuance of an immigrant visa, every applicant, regardless of age, must undergo a medical examination. The examination will be conducted by a doctor designated by the consular officer." CCM will guide you through the process.

 

In connection with your immigrant visa application, you, and all members of your family immigrating with you must receive medical examinations.

 

A valid passport must be presented as a means of identification for each person taking a medical examination.  The medical examination fees, including x-ray and blood test fees, must be paid directly to the examining physician.  The full fee is less (€190) for children who have not reached their 15th birthday and are exempt for the x-ray and blood test requirements.

 

You should contact your family physician or health board to get a copy of your immunization records to bring to your appointment with the panel physician.  Each person presenting themselves for medical examinations must have two photographs as described on the attached specification.

 

NOTE:  A blood test for antibody to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is required as part of your examination.  Infection with HIV can inhibit a person's natural immunity against disease and can result in illness described as acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).  The result of your test will be provided to the Embassy.  Also, the doctor may be required to report the results to the health authorities of this country.

 

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO K, V AND IMMIGRANT VISA APPLICANTS CONCERNING VACCINATIONS REQUIREMENTS

 

Panel physicians who conduct medical examinations on behalf of K, V and immigrant visa applications are now required to verify that applicants have met the new vaccination requirements, or that it is medically inappropriate for the visa applicant to receive one or more of the listed vaccinations:

 

*Mumps, Measles, Rubella, Polio, Tetanus and Diphtheria Toxoids, Pertussis, Influenzae type B (HIB), Hepatitis B, Varicella, Pnuemococcal, and Influenza.

 

In order to assist the panel physician, and to avoid delays in visa processing, all K, V and immigrant visa applicants should have their vaccination records available or the panel physician's review at the time of the medical examination.  Visa applicants should consult with their regular health care provider to obtain a copy of their immunization record, if one is available.  If you do not have a vaccination record, the panel physician will work with you to determine which vaccinations you may need to meet the requirement.  Certain waivers of the vaccination requirements are available upon the recommendation of the panel physician.

 

Only a physician can determine which of the listed vaccinations are medically approriate for you, given your age, medical history and current medical condition.

 
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