The Smarter, More Sustainable Way to Hire MLS Talent in 2026

The Smarter, More Sustainable Way to Hire MLS Talent in 2026

If your lab is relying on traveler contracts to fill Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) and Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) roles, you’re not alone. Temporary staffing has become the default solution for facilities struggling with vacancy rates and coverage gaps.

But here’s the reality: short-term solutions come with long-term costs like high turnover, repeated onboarding, premium hourly rates with next to no ROI and an admin burden that falls on already stretched lab directors and HR teams.

There’s a better way to build your lab workforce, one that delivers predictable costs, three-year commitments and fully supported professionals who integrate into your core team.

The Hidden Cost of “Just Getting Coverage”

Traveler contracts solve the immediate problem in that you get bodies in the lab. But they create downstream consequences that many facilities don’t account for.

What traveler staffing actually costs:

• Premium hourly rates that exceed permanent staff salaries by 30% to 50%
• Constant turnover as contracts expire and new travelers rotate in
• Repeated credentialing and onboarding every 13 weeks
• Training time is lost each cycle as new staff learn your workflows and equipment
• Operational disruption when coverage gaps emerge between contracts

For a single MLS traveler position, hospitals can easily spend $150,000+ annually when factoring in agency fees, overtime premiums and admin overheads. Multiply that across multiple vacancies, and the financial strain becomes unsustainable.

A Different Model: Long-Term Professionals, Predictable Economics

Conexus MedStaff offers internationally educated MLS and MLT professionals who are licensed, immigration ready and committed to multi-year assignments. This model differs from traditional staffing approaches. It’s a strategic workforce solution designed for hospitals that want to rebuild their lab teams, not rent them.

Here’s how it works:

• Our candidates arrive fully credentialed and compliant with CLIA, CAP and ASCP standards
• They commit to three-year assignments and integrate into your facility as long-term team members
• Conexus manages credentialing, immigration, benefits administration and ongoing professional development support

What reduces your costs:

• Lower turnover and backfill expenses: 96% assignment completion rate means you’re not constantly recruiting and credentialing replacements
• Reduced benefits administration overhead: Conexus handles benefits, PTO and retirement contributions as the employer of record
• No retention bonus cycles: Long-term commitments eliminate the need for costly retention incentives
• No H-1B visa petition fees: We have a large volume of EB-3 MLS that are current and ready to deploy – avoiding the recently imposed $100,000 fee for H-1B which many organizations use to bring in MLSi

What you gain:

• Predictable all-in rate under $59 per hour
• 85% permanent conversion rate
• 96% assignment completion rate
• Three-year commitments that provide workforce stability
• Professionals who integrate as core team members

What you still provide:

• Unit specific orientation and training (as with any new hire)
• Standard onboarding to your lab’s protocols and systems
• Supervision and quality oversight

This model reduces turnover risk and improves long-range labor cost predictability.

Why the H-1B Fee Changes Matter

In September 2025, a presidential proclamation introduced a $100,000 fee on H-1B visa petitions. For facilities that previously relied on H-1B programs to recruit international MLS professionals, this fee makes that pathway prohibitively expensive.

Conexus’s model uses EB-3 visa pathways which are not impacted by the H-1B fee structure. Our candidates follow compliant immigration processes without the six-figure cost burden.

In short, you can still access top global MLS talent. You just don’t need to pay $100,000 in fees to do it.

The Metrics That Matter

Our MLS professionals deliver: When a candidate accepts an offer, in almost every single case, they’ll complete the immigration process and arrive on-site, which is substantially higher than traditional international recruitment.

96% assignment completion rate: Once placed, our MLS professionals complete their full three-year commitments at a 96% rate. Fewer mid-contract departures mean less turnover disruption and greater workforce continuity.

Full compliance: Every candidate arrives credentialed and ready to work within CLIA, CAP and ASCP frameworks with no gaps, surprises or compliance risk.

These aren’t marketing claims; they’re operational realities that lab directors can build staffing strategies around.

What This Looks Like in Practice

Scenario A: Traveler Dependent Lab

A 150-bed hospital relies on two traveler MLS positions at $85/hour. Annual cost: approximately $300,000 plus administrative time for repeated credentialing and onboarding. Turnover disrupts workflows while the lab director spends 20% of their time managing contractor logistics.

Scenario B: Conexus Supported Lab

The same hospital places two internationally trained MLS professionals at $59/hour. Annual cost: approximately $245,000, a $55,000 saving. Both candidates commit to three years with significantly reduced turnover and backfill costs. The lab director reclaims time for quality improvement initiatives and the CFO reallocates savings to equipment upgrades.

Same coverage with better outcomes at a lower cost.

Why Now: Limited 2026 Availability

Demand for internationally trained MLS professionals has been strong throughout Q1 2026. Our Q3 deployment pipeline is nearing capacity, and facilities that want to secure placements need to plan.

Why timing matters:

• Visa processing requires 4 to 6 months of planning
• Pipeline capacity is finite based on rigorous vetting and credentialing
• Budget planning requires lead time for the CFO’s evaluation

The facilities that benefit most are those that think strategically about workforce planning, not reactively about next week’s coverage gap.

Next Steps: Securing Your 2026 Pipeline

If this aligns with your facility’s goals, here’s how to move forward:

Step 1: Review your current lab staffing costs, in particular focusing on what you’re spending on traveler contracts, overtime and turnover.

Step 2: Schedule a consultation with our Partnerships Team to discuss your geography, specialties and timeline.

Step 3: Compare the economics between your current model and the Conexus placement.

Step 4: Secure your placements and begin the immigration and credentialing process.

The 2026 pipeline is filling quickly. Facilities that act now will have their teams in place by mid-year.

The MLS shortage isn’t going away, traveler contracts aren’t getting cheaper and the administrative burden isn’t decreasing.

But you don’t have to accept those constraints as permanent. Conexus MedStaff provides internationally trained MLS professionals who are licensed, committed and fully supported. They integrate into your team, stay for three years and cost less than the temporary solution you’re using now.

If your lab is ready to stop renting and start rebuilding, let’s talk.

Connect with our Partnerships Team to explore how your lab could benefit from international MLS placements in 2026.