If you’re planning on moving to the United States, it’s important to understand retrogression and its potential impact on obtaining a Green Card for international nurses and medical technologists. Read on to learn more about its effect on U.S. immigration timelines, and why it’s important to start your immigration journey as soon as possible during times of retrogression.
As an expert in nurse recruiting and hiring medical technologists from around the world, Conexus MedStaff has experienced numerous periods of retrogression. We can help you navigate through retrogression, to secure your Green Card and start working in the United States.
Conexus applies for EB-3 visas for international nurses and medical technologists. EB-3 visas grant permanent residency. They are also known as Green Cards for nurses and medical technologists.
Retrogression: what it is, and how it impacts Green Cards for nurses and medical technologists
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) assigns a set number of visas for each category to certain nationalities for the year. When the number of applications exceeds the number of available visas, then retrogression occurs.
For example:
Scenario 1: USCIS assigns 40,000 visas for Philippines nationals in the EB-3 category for fiscal year 2023-2024. There are 39,000 applications from Philippines nationals for EB-3 visas. The status of EB-3 visas for Philippines nationals will remain current – this means that visas are readily available, and there is no wait time.
Scenario 2: USCIS assigns 40,000 visas for Philippines nationals in the EB-3 category for fiscal year 2023-2024. There are 41,000 applications from Philippines nationals for EB-3 visas. There are more applications then there are visas available, therefore the status of EB-3 visas for Philippines nationals becomes retrogressed. This means that visas will only be issued when a Priority Date reaches the front of the queue, and a Green Card is available.
In the July 2024 Visa Bulletin, USCIS announced that EB-3 visas would be retrogressed by 11 months for Philippines nationals and Other Nationalities, to December 1, 2022. This means that anyone with a Priority Date of December 1, 2022 or before will be eligible to be issued a Green Card. Read more about Priority Dates.
The United States immigration landscape is constantly shifting. We recommend reading our monthly analysis of the Visa Bulletin to understand what changes have been implemented and how that may impact your U.S. immigration journey.
Why it’s important to capture your Priority Date now
Your Priority Date is essentially your place in the queue to be issued a Green Card – therefore it makes sense to secure yours as soon as possible. While it’s easy to be put off by retrogression, in reality if you wait until the EB-3 visa becomes current to apply, your Priority Date will be later if your category becomes retrogressed again in the future.
The retrogression opportunity
While retrogression is generally perceived as negative, there are some advantages to the lengthened immigration timelines that it creates. It presents an opportunity for U.S. Green Card hopefuls to become better prepared for their future move. This could be in the form of increasing savings, completing further training that will enable you to integrate faster into work in the United States, and so on.
USA jobs for nurses and medical technologists
Conexus has helped international nurses and medical technologists from around the world to start living their version of the American dream. We work with healthcare facilities across the United States, and take pride in finding the ideal placements for talented healthcare professionals based on their personal and professional ambitions.
Our teams of experts help nurses and medical technologists through every stage of their U.S. journey with us. We provide a Green Card and full immigration support, personalized education programs and continuing education units through our award-winning Conexus Academy, and much more – all with the goal of helping you to thrive in your new life in America.
Apply now to find out how we can help you realize your USA dreams.