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Deadline extended for foreign RNs to obtain special visa certification

Nurse Leader Weekly, July 30, 2004

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) extended the deadline one year-to July 26, 2005-for Canadian and Mexican healthcare workers to obtain a special visa certification, allowing them to continue delivering patient care in the United States.

The new visa regulation, announced on July 19, applies to seven types of healthcare occupations, including registered nurses.

The extension will apply only to Mexican and Canadian citizens who were licensed and employed before September 23, 2003, in the U.S. and who previously were exempt under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Prior to the extension, healthcare workers with "Trade NAFTA" (TN) status would have been required for the first time to obtain the special visa certification if they had tried to enter the U.S. after July 26, 2004.

The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools, which suggested the extension in a letter to Secretary Tom Ridge last February, was pleased with the decision.

"Although the government has provided enough time for the TN workers to meet the July 2004 deadline, this delay offers responsible and targeted relief for many communities and will provide more time for hospitals and other facilities in affected areas to facilitate the screening process," said Barbara L. Nichols, the commission's CEO.

The regulation could have exacerbated nursing shortages for hospitals in U.S. border states, which rely on Canadian and Mexican nurses. The American Hospital Association estimates 13,000 to 15,000 healthcare workers are affected by the regulation.
 
A copy of the interim rule was published in the July 22 Federal Register.

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