How to Hire Foreign Nurses in Georgia (2026 Guide)

Healthcare Shortages and Nursing Wages in Georgia

Georgia faces a persistent shortage of registered nurses across hospital systems, long-term care facilities, and outpatient networks. The deficit is particularly acute in major healthcare hubs such as the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metropolitan area, Augusta, Savannah, Macon, and Columbus. Rural health systems across South and Middle Georgia face even sharper staffing pressures, often relying on expensive travel nursing agencies to maintain required nurse-to-patient ratios.

Hiring foreign-trained registered nurses (RNs) is a established pipeline to build long-term retention, but it is not a quick fix for next week's shift schedule. Bringing a foreign nurse to Georgia requires planning for an extended lead time. If your organization needs staff on the floor within three months, international recruitment from outside North America will not solve your immediate shortage. However, as a predictable 12 to 24 month staffing pipeline, it offers substantial cost savings compared to long-term reliance on contract labor.

To hire a foreign nurse, you must pay at least the prevailing wage for your specific metropolitan or non-metropolitan area in Georgia, as determined by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). In Georgia, registered nurse salaries generally range from $75,000 to $98,000 per year ($36 to $47 per hour), depending on location, clinical specialty, and shift differentials. Metro Atlanta and Augusta typically command higher prevailing wage thresholds than facilities in rural Georgia. You must verify exact current rates with the DOL National Prevailing Wage Center before filing paperwork.

The Legal Route and Georgia Board Requirements

Immigration law is federal, but nursing practice is regulated at the state level. To legally employ a foreign nurse in Georgia, you must navigate both federal immigration petitions and state licensing procedures simultaneously.

State Licensing Authority: The state authority governing practice is the Georgia Board of Nursing (operating under the Georgia Secretary of State, Professional Licensing Boards Division). Georgia is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), but foreign-educated nurses must first meet specific state requirements to obtain their initial Georgia RN license:

• Credential Evaluation: Candidates must have their foreign nursing education evaluated by an approved service such as CGFNS International (Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools) to confirm it is equivalent to a U.S. nursing degree.
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates from non-English speaking countries must pass an approved English proficiency exam such as TOEFL or IELTS.
• NCLEX-RN Examination: The candidate must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Many foreign candidates take the NCLEX at international testing centers located in countries like the Philippines, India, or Canada.
• State Licensure Application: Once credentialed and passed, the nurse applies directly to the Georgia Board of Nursing for a license by examination or endorsement.

Federal Visa Categories: Registered nurses occupy a unique position in U.S. immigration law. Employers file under specific visa classifications:

• EB-3 Immigrant Visa (Schedule A): This is the primary permanent route. The U.S. Department of Labor designates Registered Nurses under "Schedule A" as a pre-certified shortage occupation. This means you do not need to conduct a lengthy PERM labor market search to prove a lack of U.S. workers. The employer files Form I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers) directly with USCIS along with an uncertified Form ETA-9089.
• TN Visa (USMCA): Available exclusively to citizens of Canada and Mexico. Canadian and Mexican RNs who hold an active license and a CGFNS VisaScreen certificate can enter the U.S. quickly on a non-immigrant TN visa. This is the fastest foreign recruitment route available to Georgia facilities.
• H-1B Visa: Generally not applicable to staff-level RN positions because the position must require a minimum of a bachelor's degree in a specialized field. Standard RN positions typically require an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN), making them ineligible for H-1B visas unless the role is a specialized advanced practice or nurse manager role.
• H-2A and H-2B Visas: These temporary seasonal visas are never used for registered nurses. H-2A is restricted to seasonal agricultural work, and H-2B covers non-agricultural seasonal labor. Nursing requires year-round coverage and permanent staffing solutions.

Employers must always confirm current immigration regulations and filing strategies with USCIS, the Department of Labor, or a qualified corporate immigration attorney.

Timeline: From Decision to the Worker Starting

The timeline to bring a foreign nurse to a Georgia facility varies significantly based on the candidate's nationality, current licensure status, and visa bulletin availability. Below is a realistic schedule for an EB-3 Schedule A petition for a candidate located overseas:

• Months 1 to 3: Credentialing and Examination: The candidate completes their CGFNS evaluation, English testing, and passes the NCLEX-RN if they have not already done so.
• Months 3 to 6: Prevailing Wage Determination: The employer submits Form ETA-9141 to the U.S. Department of Labor to receive an official prevailing wage determination for the Georgia county where the facility is located.
• Months 6 to 9: USCIS Petition Filing: The employer files Form I-140 with USCIS. If using Premium Processing (Form I-907), USCIS issues an adjudication within 15 calendar days; standard processing takes 6 to 10 months.
• Months 9 to 18+: Visa Processing and Interview: Once the I-140 is approved, the case transfers to the National Visa Center (NVC). The candidate submits civil documents and awaits an interview at the U.S. embassy in their home country. Final approval depends on visa availability under the Department of State's monthly Visa Bulletin.
• Arrival and Georgia Licensure: Upon arriving in the U.S. on an immigrant visa, the nurse receives their Green Card and completes final endorsement details with the Georgia Board of Nursing before beginning work.

If the candidate is a Canadian or Mexican citizen eligible for a TN visa, the timeline drops to roughly 1 to 3 months, as processing happens directly at a port of entry or through a streamlined USCIS petition.

What You Are Obliged to Pay and Provide

When sponsoring a foreign nurse under an EB-3 immigrant visa, the legal financial burden falls on the employer. Federal regulations strictly govern who pays for legal processing and immigration costs.

Under federal regulations, employers must pay all costs associated with obtaining the prevailing wage and legal filings without making deductions from the employee's required wage. Furthermore, Georgia law requires that all employees receive fair compensation aligned with standard state workplace protections.

Employers hiring international nurses typically cover or reimburse initial relocation costs, temporary housing for the first 30 to 60 days, and licensure fees to ensure a smooth transition into the local Georgia healthcare community.

What This Costs You, Roughly

Below is a realistic breakdown of the direct line-item costs an employer can expect when sponsoring a foreign registered nurse on an EB-3 visa:

• Legal and Attorney Fees: $3,500 to $7,000 for handling the Schedule A petition, ETA-9089, and consular processing paperwork.
• USCIS Filing Fees: $715 (Form I-140 base fee) plus an optional $2,805 for Premium Processing service.
• National Visa Center & Embassy Fees: $345 per applicant visa processing fee plus $220 USCIS Immigrant Fee.
• Credentialing and Georgia Licensing Fees: $500 to $1,200 covering CGFNS VisaScreen, NCLEX exam fees, and Georgia Board of Nursing application fees.
• Relocation and Initial Housing: $2,500 to $6,000 for airfare, relocation stipends, and short-term corporate lodging in Georgia.

Total direct costs per nurse usually fall between $10,000 and $18,000, excluding the worker's base salary.

Important Notice Regarding Worker Fees and Recruitment Fraud

A legitimate employer or ethical recruitment network never asks a job seeker or foreign worker to pay for their own job offer, visa sponsorship, or recruitment fees. Federal regulations prohibit employers from passing legal and attorney fees onto foreign workers if doing so brings the worker's net pay below the mandated prevailing wage. Candidates who are asked by unethical agencies or third-party brokers to pay tens of thousands of dollars in "placement fees" or "indemnity bonds" are being defrauded. Engaging with middlemen who charge candidates fees exposes your Georgia health facility to legal liability, reputational damage, and severe federal enforcement action under anti-trafficking statutes.

How to Find Candidates directly on Workmerica

If your health system, clinic, or senior care facility in Georgia wants to cut out costly recruitment agencies that charge high per-hire placement fees, you can source self-directed candidates using Workmerica.

Workmerica operates an open registry where foreign-trained registered nurses publish detailed professional profiles, including their educational history, foreign clinical experience, NCLEX status, CGFNS progress, and target U.S. states. You can filter profiles specifically for nurses who have passed the NCLEX-RN and explicitly selected Georgia as their desired destination.

Our registry is young and still growing. You will not find tens of thousands of profile listings; instead, you will find a focused, expanding pool of international nurses who actively want to relocate to the United States. Employers contact candidates directly, evaluate their qualifications, and handle their own internal hiring and legal sponsorship with no per-hire fees or middleman markups.