Nursing Healthcare Worker Certificate USA
April 10, 2026
Requirements, Processing Time, and 1996 Law Explained (2026 Guide)
Nurses who want to work in the United States must complete a critical step in the immigration process: obtaining a healthcare worker certificate.
This requirement is essential for many immigration pathways and helps confirm that foreign nationals meet U.S. professional standards before entering the workforce.
Why the Healthcare Worker Certificate Exists
The healthcare worker certificate requirement comes from the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA), specifically Section 343.
Under this law, certain foreign healthcare professionals, including nurses, must verify their qualifications before they can complete parts of the U.S. immigration process tied to working in a healthcare occupation.
For nursing professionals, this process is designed to confirm:
- Education equivalency
- Valid licensure
- English language proficiency
- Clinical and professional readiness
Without a healthcare worker certificate, many internationally educated nurses cannot move forward with certain immigration steps required to work in the United States.
Who Needs a Nursing Healthcare Worker Certificate?
You will likely need a healthcare worker certificate if you are a:
- Registered Nurse (RN)
- Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
- Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN)
This requirement commonly applies in cases involving:
- Employment-based immigration, including many EB-3 nursing cases
- Adjustment of status applications
- Certain temporary or nonimmigrant work visa situations involving covered healthcare occupations
For many applicants, this is a key part of the foreign nurse immigration process.
Nursing Healthcare Worker Certificate Requirements
To obtain a healthcare worker certificate, applicants generally must complete several core steps.
1. Education Review
A credential evaluation is used to confirm that your nursing education is comparable to the required U.S. standard.
2. License Verification
You must provide proof of a valid and active nursing license in your home country or country of practice, depending on the issuing organization’s requirements.
3. Examination Review
Depending on the case and the certification pathway, the issuing organization may review required nursing exams, licensure exams, or other qualifying professional benchmarks.
4. English Language Proficiency
Applicants may need to demonstrate English language proficiency unless an exemption applies under the relevant rules.
Processing Time for Nursing Healthcare Worker Certification
The total processing time depends on several factors, including:
- How quickly the applicant submits complete documents
- How long schools, licensing bodies, and other institutions take to respond
- Whether any required exams or English testing have already been completed
- Whether additional verification is needed
In practice, timelines can range from several weeks to a few months depending on the provider and the complexity of the case.
Cost of a Nursing Healthcare Worker Certificate
The total cost can vary by provider and by case. Fees may include:
- Application processing
- Credential evaluation
- License verification
- English proficiency review
- Any additional verification services
Applicants should always review the current fee structure of the organization they choose before starting the process.
Who Can Issue These Certificates?
Only organizations approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are authorized to issue valid healthcare worker certificates for nurses for immigration purposes.
As of 2026, the approved organizations include:
- CGFNS International, Inc. (now TruMerit), issuer of the VisaScreen certificate
- The Evaluation Company (TEC)
- International Education Evaluations (IEE)
- Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.
The Evaluation Company is one of the USCIS-approved organizations authorized to issue healthcare worker certificates for nurses, giving applicants another approved option when choosing a provider.
Certificates issued by organizations that are not approved by USCIS will not be accepted for the relevant immigration process.
Credential Evaluation vs. Healthcare Worker Certificate
These two services are often confused, but they are not the same.
Credential Evaluation
A credential evaluation is typically used for:
- University admissions
- State licensure
- Academic equivalency review
Its main purpose is to evaluate the academic level and content of foreign education.
Healthcare Worker Certificate
A healthcare worker certificate is required for certain immigration-related purposes and goes beyond a standard academic evaluation.
It may include review of:
- Education
- Licensure
- English language proficiency
- Other professional qualification requirements under the applicable rules
Why This Matters for Foreign National Nurses
The United States continues to rely on foreign nationals to help meet workforce demand. At the same time, immigration rules remain strict because nurses must meet professional and public safety standards before working in a U.S. healthcare setting.
The healthcare worker certificate plays an important role in that process by helping verify that the applicant’s qualifications meet the standard required for immigration purposes.
Final Takeaway
- The healthcare worker certificate requirement comes from the 1996 immigration law, IIRIRA, under Section 343.
- It applies to many nurses pursuing U.S. immigration pathways tied to healthcare work.
- It is used to verify education, licensure, English proficiency, and other required qualifications.
- Only USCIS-approved organizations can issue valid certificates for this purpose.
- The Evaluation Company is now one of the approved organizations authorized to issue these certificates for nurses.
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