CGFNS International released a report last month concluding that nurse migration to the US remains high as healthcare systems continue to look to foreign-educated nurses to address persistent staffing shortages. In 2024, CGFNS received 24,733 VisaScreen applications, down 4.6% from 2023, but still nearly 200% above pre-pandemic fiscal year 2018. Allocation by country and visa type Candidates with credentials from the Philippines accounted for more than 51% of issued VisaScreen certificates in 2024, followed by Canada with 8%, and Kenya with 6.5%. 76% of visa screen certificates issued by CGFNS ..read more

The Department of State has just issued the April 2025 Visa Bulletin. This blog post analyzes this month's Visa Bulletin. Visa Bulletin Table A: Final Action Dates -- Applications with these priority dates or earlier may be approved for their Green Card (Permanent Residency card) or Immigrant Visa appointment ..read more

The fiscal year 2026 (March 2025) H-1B cap registration period will open this week, at noon eastern on March 7, 2025 and run through noon eastern on March 24, 2025. H-1B CAP registrations are submitted electronically via USCIS’s website. H-1B CAP lottery winners are then eligible to submit an H-1B petition between April 1, 2025 – June 30, 2025. The H-1B CAP lottery is open to employees filling positions requiring Bachelor’s degrees, which may include healthcare occupations such as Medical Technologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, and even Registered Nurses. This year, USCIS ..read more

The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) announced it will change its name to TruMerit™. Immigration regulations require that when filing an immigration petition for certain healthcare occupations, including Registered Nurses, the Petitioner must include a healthcare worker’s certificate (sometimes called a Visa Screen) from an authorized credentialing organization, such as CGFNS. CGFNS indicated the name change will be the centerpiece of a comprehensive rebranding of the organization, which will also involve changes to its website, customer portals, credentials and certi ..read more

The Department of State has just issued the March 2025 Visa Bulletin. This blog post analyzes this month's Visa Bulletin. Visa Bulletin Table A: Final Action Dates -- Applications with these priority dates or earlier may be approved for their Green Card (Permanent Residency card) or Immigrant Visa appointment: Table B: Dates for Filing In keeping with February 2025, USCIS will continue to use the Table A Final Action Dates chart for I-485 employment-based filings in March 2025. See: USCIS Visa Bulletin Dates MU Law Analysis EB-2 All Other, China, India, Mexico, and Philippines: EB-2 categori ..read more

The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) announced that it will reset its standard passing English exam score to 50, after raising the standard to 63 in the Fall of 2024. Immigration regulations require that when filing an immigration petition for certain healthcare occupations, including Registered Nurses, the Petitioner must include a healthcare worker’s certificate (sometimes called a Visa Screen) from an authorized credentialing organization. A passing English exam score is required for Visa Screen issuance. One such English exam, the PTE, will now have a standardized ..read more

MU Law will be hosting a FREE webinar for our clients and friends on Tuesday, February 11, 2025 at 2PM Eastern (1PM Central). Join us for this FREE webinar to learn more about: H-1B Cap Basics, Registration Process, and 2025 Changes What is a Specialty Occupation? Special Issues for Staffing Companies, Third Party Placements Cap-gap for F-1s as well as CPT/OPT maintenance Q&A PLEASE JOIN US ..read more

The Department of State has just issued the February 2025 Visa Bulletin. This blog post analyzes this month's Visa Bulletin. Visa Bulletin Table A: Final Action Dates -- Applications with these priority dates or earlier may be approved for their Green Card (Permanent Residency card) or Immigrant Visa appointment: Table B: Dates for Filing In a change from the past several months, the USCIS will use the Table A Final Action Dates chart for I-485 employment-based filings in February 2025. As the Final Action Dates chart generally moves slower than the Dates for Filing chart, this means a longer ..read more

In its recent update to H-1B program requirements, DHS revised its regulation on H-1B CAP-exemptions for beneficiaries who are staffed at universities and certain nonprofits. H-1B CAP exemption allows an employer to file an H-1B CAP case on behalf of an employee at any time in the fiscal year, outside of the usual annual limits on H-1Bs imposed by the H-1B CAP. H-1B CAP exemption is particularly useful for employers seeking to employ beneficiaries in the healthcare industry, where staffing needs are particularly urgent. DHS is revising its CAP-exempt regulation to note that beneficiaries quali ..read more

The Department of State has just issued the January 2025 Visa Bulletin. This blog post analyzes this month's Visa Bulletin. Visa Bulletin Table A: Final Action Dates -- Applications with these priority dates or earlier may be approved for their Green Card (Permanent Residency card) or Immigrant Visa appointment: Table B: Dates for Filing The USCIS will use the Table B Dates for Filing chart for I-485 employment-based filings in January 2025. See: USCIS Visa Bulletin Dates MU Law Analysis EB-2, EB-3 China and India: EB-2 and EB-3 categories for China and India made the following progress fo ..read more