Why More Nurses Are Choosing International Nursing Careers

If you’re thinking about moving to the United States to work as a nurse, international nursing can open the door to career growth and a new life abroad. There’s a lot to consider, from exams and credential reviews to immigration paperwork and relocation. But you don’t have to sort through every step on your own. The right program can help you understand the process, prepare for U.S. practice, and feel supported after you arrive.

And you’re far from alone in considering this path. CGFNS International received 24,733 VisaScreen applications in 2024, nearly three times as many as in 2018. 76% of certificates issued went to people pursuing permanent green cards such as EB-3 visas, showing how many healthcare professionals are looking at the U.S. as a place to build their careers.

For nurses considering this career path, it helps to understand what an international nursing career could offer and what to expect along the way.

Why Consider an International Nursing Career?

Moving to the U.S. is a big decision, so it’s fair to ask what you could gain from it. For many nurses, the benefits include new clinical experience, room to grow, and a clearer path toward a long-term career. The move can also create new possibilities for your family.

Let’s dive deeper into these four reasons many nurses have chosen to pursue an international career.

You Can Work Toward a Long-Term U.S. Career

Professional nurses fall under Schedule A, Group I, a federal designation for occupations where there aren’t enough qualified U.S. workers available. This can give eligible international nurses a more direct path through the employment-based immigration process.

Of course, that classification doesn’t guarantee visa approval or a specific timeline. You’ll still need to meet the requirements for your immigration category and state license, and visa availability can change. Even so, employer sponsorship can give qualified nurses a defined way to pursue a permanent U.S. career.

You Can Build on the Experience You Already Have

You’re not starting over when you move to another country. Your bedside experience, specialty knowledge, and ability to care for different kinds of patients all come with you.

Depending on your background and available openings, you may find opportunities in medical-surgical nursing, intensive care, emergency care, pediatrics, oncology, women’s health, community health, or another specialty. Working in a new healthcare system can also help you learn different technology, documentation methods, and approaches to patient communication.

You Can Keep Growing After You Arrive

A good international nursing program should help you prepare for your first shift and think about what comes next. That may include exam preparation, clinical education, mentorship, and help setting longer-term career goals.

That support can make a real difference. The Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences’ 2024 review of 11 studies found that personalized support and opportunities for career growth can improve job satisfaction for internationally educated nurses. It’s a good reminder to look at the support you’ll have after you arrive, not only the help you’ll receive getting there.

Your Family Can Be Part of the Plan

For many nurses, a move to the U.S. is a family decision too. You may be thinking about housing, schools, transportation, your spouse’s career, or how everyone will adjust to a new community.

That’s why it’s worth looking for a program that sees the full picture. Relocation guidance and family support can make the transition feel more manageable. A community of nurses who’ve already made the move can also give you people to turn to when everyday questions come up.

Why the Right Support Matters

Passing an exam and receiving an offer are major milestones. But they’re only part of the journey. You’ll also be learning how a different healthcare system works while settling into a new country.

A transition-to-practice study from the Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing followed 27 internationally educated nurses at a large U.S. academic hospital and found they were still adapting to parts of clinical practice and the workplace throughout their first six to nine months. Your transition doesn’t end when you land in the U.S., which is why support after arrival matters too.

In the Journal of Transcultural Nursing’s survey of 114 Filipino nurses working in one U.S. health system, nurses described supportive workplace relationships while still navigating challenges with orientation, communication, community integration, and unfamiliar clinical practices. When you’re comparing programs, ask what mentorship and cultural support look like and how long you’ll have to get comfortable in your new environment.

So, when you compare programs, look beyond the job offer. Ask what kind of help you’ll receive before departure, during the move, and after your first shift.

What Does the U.S. Nursing Process Look Like?

Your exact path will depend on your education, home country, employer, immigration category, and the state where you plan to work. Still, most international nurses can expect a few common stages.

1. Eligibility Review

A program or employer will review your nursing qualification, license status, clinical experience, English ability, and career goals. This early check helps you understand whether you’re a likely fit before you spend more time on exams and paperwork.

2. State Licensure Planning

Each state sets its own nursing licensure rules. All U.S. boards of nursing use the NCLEX-RN (the licensing exam for registered nurses), but credential and document requirements can vary by state.

3. NCLEX-RN Preparation

In 2025, only 47.3% of first-time internationally educated candidates passed the NCLEX-RN. Even if you already have years of nursing experience, dedicated preparation for the U.S. exam can help you know what to expect.

4. Credential and Language Verification

U.S. federal rules generally require an approved organization to verify a foreign healthcare worker’s education, training, license, experience, and English ability. For nurses, an employer’s petition must also include CGFNS certification, a full and unrestricted state nursing license, or proof of passing the NCLEX-RN.

5. Immigration, Placement, and Relocation

Your sponsoring employer submits the required petition, and your program partner may help you follow the process for your case. Once the needed approvals are in place, you’ll prepare for your hospital role, move to the U.S., settle into your community, and complete facility orientation.

You should get clear information throughout this process. Be careful with anyone who promises guaranteed visa approval, a guaranteed timeline, or a job before reviewing your qualifications.

How Insight Global Supports International Nurses

Insight Global’s international nursing program connects accredited nurses with opportunities at U.S. hospitals and healthcare networks. Support starts with your application and continues through immigration, relocation, onboarding, and professional development.

Starting With Your Experience and Goals

The process begins with your background and where you’d like your career to go. Candidates generally need an active RN qualification or equivalent in good standing, hospital or acute-care experience, appropriate English skills, and an interest in building a long-term U.S. career.

That first conversation helps determine whether the international nursing program is a good fit before you move further into the process.

Helping With the NCLEX, Licensing, and Immigration

If you need to take the NCLEX-RN, our team can help you prepare. We also offer guidance with licensing, VisaScreen, English exam, credentialing, and onboarding requirements.

Qualified nurses who receive an offer can also get visa sponsorship and immigration guidance through the program. Since these steps are closely connected, having one team coordinate them can make the journey easier to understand.

Matching You With the Right Hospital

Your placement should reflect the skills you’ve worked hard to build. The matching process considers your clinical background and specialty, then connects you with an appropriate hospital opportunity.

That kind of match can help you put your experience to work while continuing to learn in a new setting.

Helping You Settle Into Daily Life

Support doesn’t stop when you receive an offer. It can continue from the airport to your apartment and through your first shift, —with help for relocation, settlement, and onboarding.

If you’re moving with family, the program can include hands-on family support alongside immigration expertise, credentialing guidance, training, competitive pay and benefits, and career progression opportunities. Candidates in the Philippines may also be connected with approved local partners and receive pre-deployment preparation.

Staying Connected After You Start

Starting work doesn’t mean the support has to end. Our international nursing program includes continued professional development, follow-up after you arrive, and a community of nurses who understand what the move is like.

That ongoing connection matters. In the International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances’ 2026 survey of 76 internationally educated nurses, 36% said they hadn’t received any pre-arrival onboarding. Nurses also reported gaps in areas like mentorship and communication training. That’s worth keeping in mind when you compare international nursing programs: ask when support starts and who you’ll be able to turn to before you move.

How GRIT Academy Helps You Prepare

For nurses in the Philippines, Insight Global’s GRIT Academy program offers a four-month International Transition to Practice Program at it’s our Manila training center. The program helps nurses prepare for U.S. hospitals before they relocate.

Practice That Feels Closer to the Real Job

GRIT Academy’s 13,000-square-foot facility includes simulation labs with high-fidelity mannequins, classroom space, and computer labs for self-paced learning. Nurses can practice with equipment and technology selected to reflect what they’ll use in their assigned hospitals.

GRIT Academy’s training gives you time to get comfortable with clinical tools, workflows, and expectations before your first U.S. shift. You can make mistakes, ask questions, and build confidence in a learning environment.

Support for the Move

GRIT Academy’s clinical training is only one part of preparing for life in the U.S. The program may also help with travel plans, housing, community adjustment, and family relocation.

That practical support can take some of the pressure off you during an already busy transition. It also gives you a clearer idea of what to expect before you leave home.

Education That Connects Nurses, Schools, and Hospitals

GRIT Connect is a strategic initiative that establishes partnerships with local and international nursing schools and hospitals. Through those partnerships, GRIT Connect supports simulation-based learning, customized clinical education, skills labs, and faculty development. GRIT Academy is also accredited as a Continuing Education Provider by the Philippines’ professional licensing regulator.

What This Means for Nurses

Through GRIT Academy, nurses get a safer setting to practice clinical judgment, learn technology, and develop hands-on skills. That training can help make an unfamiliar hospital environment feel more familiar when you arrive.

What This Means for Hospitals

GRIT Academy can build training around a hospital’s clinical needs and equipment. That helps nurses prepare for the setting where they’ll actually work rather than receiving the same general training for every placement.

The academy’s education model goes beyond recruiting by helping nurses prepare for a specific healthcare environment.

How to Choose a Program You Can Trust

Before you sign a contract, make sure you understand the pay, benefits, work location, schedule, contract length, and any repayment terms. Ask who’ll pay for exams, credential reviews, travel, and relocation. You’ll also want to know what happens if your visa is delayed or your start date changes.

The International Labour Organization says workers shouldn’t be charged recruitment fees or related costs, directly or indirectly. The WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel also calls for ethical recruitment practices that protect migrant healthcare workers and support sustainable healthcare systems.

A trustworthy program should answer your questions clearly, give you a detailed contract, and allow time for you to review it. You should also know what support you’ll receive before departure, after arrival, and once you begin working.

Ready to Start Building Your U.S. Nursing Career?

An international nursing career can help you bring your experience to a new setting, grow as a clinician, and create more options for your future. The move takes patience and preparation, but you shouldn’t have to manage every step by yourself.

Insight Global brings career matching, clinical education, immigration guidance, relocation help, and continued development into one connected international nursing program. You’ll have support through much more than the hiring process as you prepare for U.S. practice and work toward a career that can grow with you.

If you’re ready to bring your nursing experience to the United States, start your application with Insight Global. Our team will help you understand the process, prepare for the move, and take the next step toward a long-term U.S. nursing career.