To work in the U.S., all citizens of foreign countries must obtain a visa issued by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). While this can be a lengthy and complex process, Rehability Care works hard to make it as simple as possible for you. We will guide you through every stage of the process.

All Therapist who come to America to work for Rehability Care enter the U.S. with what is commonly called the "Green Card." Also known as an Immigrant Visa, EB-3 or Third Preference, this allows you to work in the U.S. for as long as you like as a permanent resident of the United States.

Because of the large number of people who apply for a "Green Card," the entire process takes about eight months to one year to complete.

The "Green Card" is especially valuable for married applicants. Rehability Care sponsors the Therapists for a "Green Card," but the therapists' spouse and any unmarried children under the age of 21 will also be automatically be entitled to apply for a "Green Card." All "Green Card" holders are legally entitled to work in the USA.

INS must approve an immigrant visa petition (Form I-140, Petition for Alien Worker) for the person wishing to immigrate to the United States. Rehability Care acts as the sponsor (or petitioner) for the nurse (or beneficiary) who wants to live and work on a permanent basis in the United States.

Note: U.S. immigration law now requires that healthcare professionals, other than physicians, complete a screening program in order to qualify for certain occupational visas. VisaScreen,™ a program offered by the International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP, in association with CGFNS), enables healthcare professionals to meet this requirement by verifying and evaluating their credentials. This assures compliance with the government's minimum eligibility standards.

The time period to receive the VisaScreen™ certificate varies. Rehability Care recommends that you complete an application as soon as your I-140, Petition for Alien Worker, has been filed with INS. You'll need to present the certificate when you go for the final visa interview at the consulate, so having it in plenty of time before your interview will help relieve some of the stress you'll naturally be feeling at that point!

Once the I-140 has been submitted to INS, approval can take three to six months or longer. Rehability Care will notify you when we receive both the receipt and notices from the INS.

Several weeks after the I-140 has been approved, you'll receive forms and instructions from the National Visa Center in New Hampshire. It is important that you respond immediately to this mailing. Rehability Care will assist you with the completion of these final forms. Once the forms have been submitted to the consulate, you'll receive instructions for obtaining the medical exams and fingerprinting that are required for working in the U.S.

Please keep in mind that the waiting periods for all these steps can vary greatly from consulate to consulate.

Now you are waiting for the notice of your interview date!

The fourth and final step is the interview at the consulate. The American consulate in your country will contact you and ask you to come in for the interview. We will give you information on how this interview is usually conducted and will tell you what questions you can expect as well as what documents to take with you.

When you receive your visa, you are ready to come to the United States to begin you new assignment with Rehability Care.