How to Hire Foreign Nurses in Nebraska (2026)

The Nursing Shortage in Nebraska and What It Costs Healthcare Employers

Healthcare facilities across Nebraska are operating under chronic staffing pressure. The shortage affects large health systems in metro centers like Omaha and Lincoln as well as regional hubs like Grand Island, Kearney, Hastings, and Scottsbluff. In rural areas, Critical Access Hospitals face acute difficulty keeping emergency rooms and inpatient beds open without relying heavily on contract staff.

Relying on travel nursing agencies in Nebraska often costs between $100 and $150 per hour per nurse. While temporary travel staff can fill short-term schedule gaps, using them as a permanent operational strategy erodes operating margins and creates instability in patient care teams. Hiring foreign-trained Registered Nurses (RNs) directly offers a permanent staffing solution, but it requires an investment of time and money upfront.

Foreign recruitment is not a quick fix for an immediate vacancy next month. For most international candidates, the immigration and licensing process takes between one and two years. However, for Nebraska employers willing to build a pipeline 12 to 24 months in advance, direct international hiring delivers full-time staff who generally commit to three or more years of service at standard facility wage rates.

Legal Visa Routes for Foreign Nurses: Schedule A EB-3 and TN Visas

Immigration law is federal, meaning the visa rules in Nebraska are identical to those in every other state. However, registered nursing holds a unique status under federal labor law that simplifies the process compared to other occupations.

• Schedule A Designation (EB-3 Green Card): The US Department of Labor (USDOL) designates Registered Nurses as a Schedule A shortage occupation. This designation waives the lengthiest step of permanent labor certification (PERM). Employers do not have to conduct a recruitment test of the local Nebraska job market to prove a domestic shortage exists. Instead, the employer files a Form I-140 Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers directly with US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). This process yields a permanent resident visa (green card) for the nurse upon arrival.
• TN Visa (USMCA): Citizens of Canada and Mexico can enter the United States on a TN non-immigrant visa under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Canadian and Mexican RNs do not require an EB-3 green card to start working, provided they hold a valid state nursing license or temporary permit and pass the required credential checks. TN status can be granted rapidly, but candidates must still meet all state licensing standards.
• H-1B Visas: General staff RN positions rarely qualify for H-1B visas because USCIS typically requires a specific bachelor degree as an absolute entry requirement for the role. Standard staff RN jobs that accept an associate degree in nursing do not qualify, making Schedule A EB-3 the standard permanent path.

Employers should consult an experienced immigration attorney, USDOL guidance, or USCIS regulations to confirm current filing procedures and fee structures prior to starting petitions.

Nebraska Licensing Requirements: DHHS, CGFNS, and the NCLEX

While visa laws are federal, professional licensure is strictly governed by state law. In Nebraska, all nursing practice is regulated by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Licensure Unit in coordination with the Nebraska Board of Nursing. Nebraska is a member of the Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC), meaning a nurse holding an active multi-state license from another compact state can practice in Nebraska immediately, but foreign nurses entering directly from abroad must complete primary licensure steps in Nebraska.

To qualify for a Nebraska RN license, a foreign-educated nurse must complete specific evaluation and testing steps before an immigrant visa can be issued:

• Educational Evaluation: The nurse must have their academic credentials evaluated by the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) or another DHHS-approved credentialing organization to confirm that their foreign nursing education is equivalent to a US nursing program.
• English Proficiency: Candidates from non-English speaking jurisdictions must pass an approved English language proficiency exam, such as the IELTS Academic or TOEFL iBT, unless exempt by degree language criteria.
• NCLEX-RN Exam: The nurse must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). International candidates can take the NCLEX at international testing centers located in various countries.
• VisaScreen Certificate: Federal immigration law requires healthcare workers to obtain a VisaScreen Certificate (issued by CGFNS) before a permanent resident visa or TN visa can be issued. The VisaScreen verifies education, licensure, English skills, and NCLEX passage.
• Nebraska DHHS Application: Once the NCLEX and VisaScreen requirements are satisfied, the candidate submits an application for licensure by examination or endorsement to the Nebraska DHHS Licensure Unit, including fingerprint-based state and federal background checks.

Timeline from Decision to Start Date

Employers evaluating international nursing recruitment must plan around realistic federal processing timelines. Expect the following timeframes from the date you extend an offer to the date the nurse begins orientation in Nebraska:

• TN Visa (Canadian or Mexican Citizens): 2 to 4 months. If the nurse already holds a passed NCLEX score and completed CGFNS evaluation, obtaining a state license and TN visa approval can move quickly.
• Schedule A EB-3 (Rest of the World): 14 to 24 months. The exact timeline depends on USCIS petition processing times, premium processing choices, and the US Department of State Visa Bulletin priority date cutoffs (visa backlogs for specific countries of chargeability).

A typical Schedule A timeline breaks down as follows: 2 to 4 months for credential evaluation and NCLEX testing; 1 to 6 months for USCIS Form I-140 approval (15 calendar days if using optional USCIS premium processing); 6 to 12 months for National Visa Center (NVC) processing and consular interview scheduling abroad; and 1 to 2 months for travel arrangements and Nebraska DHHS final license issuance.

Wages, Mandatory Costs, and Legal Obligations

Under federal regulations, an employer petitioning for an EB-3 immigrant visa must pay the worker at least the prevailing wage rate determined by the USDOL Foreign Labor Certification Data Center (OFLC) for the specific geographic area in Nebraska. Employers must offer the prevailing wage rate or the actual wage rate paid to similarly employed US workers at the facility, whichever is higher.

In Nebraska, prevailing wages for Registered Nurses generally fall within these ranges depending on experience level and location:

• Omaha-Council Bluffs Metro: $34.00 to $45.00 per hour
• Lincoln Metro: $33.00 to $43.00 per hour
• Non-Metropolitan Nebraska (Central and Western regions): $31.00 to $41.00 per hour

What This Costs You, Roughly

Budgeting for direct international hiring requires accounting for several clear expense categories. Below are typical cost ranges per candidate:

• USCIS Mandatory Fees: $1,000 to $3,800 (includes Form I-140 filing fee, Asylum Program fee, and optional $2,805 Premium Processing fee).
• Legal and Attorney Fees: $4,000 to $8,000 for handling the Schedule A petition and consular processing.
• Credentialing and Licensing: $1,000 to $2,000 (covering CGFNS evaluation, VisaScreen, NCLEX exam fees, and Nebraska DHHS license application).
• Relocation and Initial Settlement: $2,000 to $5,000 (airfare, initial temporary housing in Nebraska for 30 to 60 days, and local transit support).

Under US federal immigration law and Department of Labor rules, legitimate employers must absorb all employer-related filing and legal costs. A legitimate employer never asks a job applicant to pay for their own visa petition, attorney fees, or recruitment charges as a condition of employment. Charging candidates for recruitment or legal costs is a violation of federal rules and exposes the employer to significant legal liability, regulatory fines, and reputational damage. Candidates who are asked to pay money to secure a job offer or visa sponsorship are being defrauded.

How to Search the Workmerica Registry for Nurses Seeking Nebraska Roles

Workmerica is an open online registry where foreign workers create profiles detailing their qualifications, current licensure phase, and geographic preferences in the United States. Employers use the registry to find candidates and reach out to them directly.

Workmerica is not a recruitment agency. We do not charge per-hire fees, we do not take a percentage of the nurse's salary, and we do not participate in the contract negotiations or visa filings. Healthcare employers in Nebraska pay a straightforward subscription fee to access candidate profile contact details and manage their own hiring process in-house or through their preferred immigration attorney.

To locate nursing candidates interested in Nebraska:

• Filter by Specialty and Education: Search for Registered Nurses holding Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees or equivalent diplomas.
• Filter by Credential Status: Narrow your search to candidates who have already passed the NCLEX-RN or completed their CGFNS evaluations to shorten your hiring timeline.
• Filter by Destination Preference: Search for profiles where candidates have specifically selected Nebraska or the Midwest as their preferred location to work.

The Workmerica registry is young and still growing. You will not find tens of thousands of instant matches, but you will find direct, searchable profiles of real nurses abroad who want to move to the United States. By connecting directly with candidates, Nebraska healthcare providers can build an independent pipeline of nursing talent without paying expensive agency headhunter fees.