A record number of occupational visa certificates were issued this year to nurses and other healthcare workers by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools.
The nonprofit, which helps foreign-educated nurses work in other countries by verifying their credentials for federal and state agencies, said it issued almost 27,000 visa certificates this year—85% of which were for registered nurses—twice as many as in 2022. The number of certificates has quadrupled since 2017.
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The commission's report also found that 78% of those who applied for a visa certificate intended to apply for a permanent green card, an increase from 64% in 2022.
However, limitations imposed by the U.S. government in May are returning visa availability to pre-pandemic status. As a result, the commission said the number of nurses immigrating into the U.S. has likely peaked.