February 16, 2026

EB-3 Visa for Healthcare Workers: An Overview

The United States has a long-standing need for healthcare workers, and the EB-3 employment-based green card is one of the most common pathways for foreign-trained healthcare professionals and caregivers to build a permanent life in the U.S. But “healthcare” covers a wide range of roles, and they do not all fit into EB-3 the same way.

This post gives an overview of how healthcare roles map onto the EB-3 category — from registered nurses and physical therapists to caregivers and aides — and flags the special rules and credentialing steps that apply to certain positions. It is meant to help you have a more informed conversation with a licensed immigration attorney.

Which Healthcare Roles Fit EB-3?

Recall that EB-3 has three subcategories, each defined by the job’s requirements:

Skilled Workers — at least two years of training or experience
Professionals — a U.S. bachelor’s degree or foreign equivalent
Other Workers (Unskilled) — less than two years of training or experience

Healthcare roles spread across all three:

Registered nurses and physical therapists are typically treated as professionals and, importantly, benefit from a special pre-certification pathway (Schedule A, below).
Medical technologists, technicians, and other trained allied-health staff may fit the Skilled Worker or Professional subcategory depending on the degree or experience their job requires.
Caregivers, home health aides, and nurse aides are typically sponsored as Other Workers, because these positions usually require less than two years of experience.

As always, the subcategory follows the certified job’s actual requirements, not the job title alone.

Schedule A: A Faster Lane for Nurses and Physical Therapists

Most EB-3 cases require the employer to complete PERM labor certification — a process of testing the U.S. labor market before filing. But the Department of Labor maintains Schedule A (found at 20 CFR 656.5), a list of occupations it has already determined face a shortage of U.S. workers. For Schedule A occupations, the standard PERM recruitment is not required — the employer can file Form I-140 with an uncertified labor certification application directly to USCIS.

Schedule A Group I includes professional nurses and physical therapists. This is a meaningful advantage, because it can remove one of the longer steps in the process.

An important caveat: Schedule A is under active review by the Department of Labor (through a Request for Information), and the list could change. Because of that, always verify the current Schedule A rules at the official sources before assuming your occupation qualifies.

How a Professional Nurse Qualifies for Schedule A Group I

Under 20 CFR 656.5, a professional nurse generally qualifies for Schedule A Group I if the nurse:

holds a CGFNS Certificate, or
holds a full and unrestricted (permanent) state RN license, or
has passed the NCLEX-RN examination.

Credentialing: Health Care Worker Certification

Many foreign healthcare workers must also obtain a federal Health Care Worker Certification before immigrating, under INA 212(a)(5)(C) and 8 CFR 212.15. The most common way to satisfy this is the VisaScreen certification from CGFNS International.

VisaScreen verifies several things, including:

Education equivalent to a comparable U.S. professional,
Valid and unrestricted professional licenses,
English-language competency (through approved exams, with score minimums that vary by profession and certain exemptions), and
for registered nurses, passage of the NCLEX-RN.

Not every healthcare role is on the list of professions covered by Health Care Worker Certification. Some caregiver and aide positions fall outside the CGFNS-certified professions — so it is important to confirm your specific occupation against 8 CFR 212.15 with your attorney.

State Licensure Is a Separate Step

A crucial point for licensed roles: passing NCLEX-RN or completing VisaScreen does not automatically grant you a state license. Licensure is issued by each individual state board, and requirements vary from state to state. You will need to meet the specific licensing rules of the state where you intend to work, in addition to the immigration steps.

The Caregiver-to-Nurse Question

Many caregivers hope to eventually become registered nurses in the U.S. It is possible to pursue that path, but it must be described factually and without promises. Becoming a U.S. RN generally requires completing a board-approved or comparable nursing education program, passing the NCLEX-RN, and obtaining a state license. Importantly, caregiving experience does not substitute for nursing education or licensure. Anyone considering this route should treat it as a separate, multi-step educational journey — not an automatic or guaranteed progression.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do nurses and physical therapists still need PERM? Often not. Professional nurses and physical therapists are listed under Schedule A Group I, which allows the employer to skip standard PERM recruitment and file Form I-140 directly. Note that Schedule A is under active review, so verify the current rules.

What is VisaScreen and do I need it? VisaScreen is a CGFNS credential assessment that satisfies the federal Health Care Worker Certification required of many foreign healthcare workers under 8 CFR 212.15. Whether your specific role requires it depends on your occupation — confirm with your attorney.

Can caregivers use EB-3? Yes. Caregivers, home health aides, and nurse aides are typically sponsored as EB-3 “Other Workers” through the standard PERM process, because these roles usually require less than two years of experience.

Does passing NCLEX-RN give me a license to work anywhere in the U.S.? No. NCLEX-RN passage is one requirement, but a nursing license is granted by an individual state board, and requirements vary by state. You must be licensed in the state where you will practice.

A Few Important Reminders

Immigration outcomes are never guaranteed. No employer, agency, or attorney can promise you a job, an approved petition, a green card, a professional license, or a specific timeline — these depend on your individual facts, credentialing bodies, state boards, government processing, and visa availability.

Government rules, the Schedule A list, credentialing requirements, and fees change. Any detail referenced here is as of July 2026 — verify the current information at the official sources below before relying on it.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. For guidance about your specific situation, please consult a licensed U.S. immigration attorney and rely on the official sources below.

Sources

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services — Employment-Based Immigration: Third Preference EB-3: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/permanent-workers/employment-based-immigration-third-preference-eb-3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services — Policy Manual, Volume 6 (Schedule A and Health Care Worker Certification): https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual
CGFNS International — VisaScreen: Visa Credentials Assessment: https://www.cgfns.org/services/certification/visascreen-visa-credentials-assessment/
U.S. Department of Labor — Schedule A / Foreign Labor Certification: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/foreign-labor/programs/permanent
U.S. Department of State — Employment-Based Immigrant Visas: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/employment-based-immigrant-visas.html