Registered Nurse

InterFysio will license you, sponsor you, and employ you. Our team of lawyers, credentialing/licensing specialists, and staffing professionals will help obtain the required licenses and authorization for employment with us as a Registered Nurse in the United States. We will provide guidance on all necessary steps including your visa screen and your license application. We will handle your immigration application and will sponsor you for a work visa or for permanent residence in the United States.

Please note that Australian citizens benefit from a special, expedited work visa.

You will be responsible for certain credentialing fees.

Processing times vary depending on your credentialing and licensure status when you apply with us.  If you have not yet begun the credentialing process, it may take approximately one year to obtain the necessary credentialing and licensure approvals for your visa. InterFysio will do its best to ensure timely completion of the process but offers no guarantee on the ultimate timing.

InterFysio will sponsor you for an H-1B visa or legal permanent residency (Green Card). Note that Australian and Canadian citizens are eligible for other visa categories.

Yes, your spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21 will also receive green cards permitting them to live and work in the US. If you enter on an H-1B visa, your spouse and children will receive H-4 visas allowing them to live but not work in the US, with some exceptions.

The H-1B visa provides temporary, three year, permission to reside and work in the United States and is renewable for an additional three year period. There is a tight quota on the number of H-1B visas available each fiscal year, which begins on October 1st of each year. The earliest an employer can file for an H-1B petition is six months prior to October 1st (i.e. April 1st). In practical terms, we would file for your H-1B visa six months before you can enter and work in the United States on that visa. Furthermore, because of the strict quota, many employers rush to file the H-1B visa petitions on April 1. As a result, the H-1B visa quota is often quickly and almost immediately exhausted in the start of April. All H-1B visa applications can only be submitted if selected during the H-1B pre-registration period each March.

U.S. immigration law requires that certain foreign healthcare workers, including registered nurses, obtain a foreign healthcare certificate. There are currently two accredited agencies authorized to issue these certificates for registered nurses: CGFNS (www.cgfns.org) and FCCPT (www.fccpt.org). The certificate issued by CGFNS is commonly referred to as a “visa screen” certificate, whereas the FCCPT certificate is called a “Type I” certificate. The purpose of the immigration law requirement is to verify that foreign health care workers possess the requisite education, (i.e. a 4-year degree, English proficiency and a foreign physical therapy license.)

Yes. U.S. immigration law and work place realities require proficiency in English. The required scores are:

• Computer-Based TOEFL: 220
• Test of Written English (TWE): 4.5
• Test of Spoken English (TSE): 50

or the new Combined Exam:

• TOEFL iBT: Total 89 (Speaking, 26)

This is required for all applicants who are not graduates of university healthcare programs from Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand and the U.K. Please note that CGFNS must receive your score directly from ETS.

We do not directly provide you with study materials, but we will provide you with the appropriate recommendations for NCLEX preparation books and corresponding educational websites.

The NCLEX is only administered in the United States and its territories. You do not need to pass the NCLEX prior to arrival in the U.S. on a green card or work visa. However, you must obtain an eligibility letter from the State licensing authorities confirming that you are eligible to sit for the NCLEX. For more information on the NCLEX, including locations and schedules, please visit the NCSBN website.

If you fail the NCLEX exam, you will need to reapply for an authorization to test and register to take the test again after waiting the mandatory 45 day period.  If you do not pass the NCLEX exam, please inform InterFysio’s offices immediately for next steps.

Our contracts are the standard industry length of 42 months. The 42 month period begins on the first day of work as a licensed Registered Nurse in the United States, not on the day you sign your contract.

InterFysio understands that our employees will from time to time need time off to get back home to take care of personal family matters. For that reason, we are generous with unpaid leave on these occasions.

interFysio values the loyalty and hard work of its employees. If you have performed well, we will offer you a contract extension at a higher pay rate with more benefits.

InterFysio bases its hourly rate on the United States Department of Labor’s fair wage determination when filing for their employees’ visas.  Special consideration may be given to the level of education and experience. We will also offer extra hours, in the evenings and on weekends, to anyone interested. At the end of each year of your employment, we will review performance and increase your salary if performance merits it.

As a resident of New York, you will be taxed by the United States Federal Government and New York State and New York City (if you choose to live in the City). Your tax rate will depend on your marital status and dependents, but you can expect to pay roughly 25 to 35% of your annual income in taxes. You can learn more about tax rates at www.irs.gov

We include workman’s compensation, disability insurance, unemployment insurance, and professional liability as part of our standard package. We will also pay a portion of your healthcare insurance premium.  Additionally, we cover required occupational health screenings. We also offer a matching contribution in our retirement plan.

Yes, you will be able to afford a reasonable lifestyle in New York. While everyone’s tastes and preferences are different, it is safe to say that New York has something for everyone at every income level. Our therapists live well paying anywhere from $500 to $1500 in rent and another $200 to $400 in food to provide just two examples of the largest items in any budget.

We will provide you with a list of real estate agents and websites which will aid you in your search for a house or apartment. We can also put you in touch with our employees that have recently found housing themselves. We also assist you with references as necessary.

InterFysio’s clients include an entire range of treatment facilities. While it is impossible to say with certainty what assignment you will get – since you won’t arrive in the United States before 12 to 24 months from the time you sign your contract – most of our assignments are with outpatient clinics, schools, after-school peds centers, nursing homes, adult daycare centers, and home healthcare. You will either be assigned to a single facility or split your time between two facilities. Furthermore, you will not necessarily be assigned to the same facility for your entire employment period with InterFysio. Many of our therapists like the opportunity of switching between work environments in order to enhance their experience base. If you, however, prefer to work at a single facility for the entire employment period, we will do our best to ensure it happens.

InterFysio will always attempt to match your skills and preferences with a suitable client. If necessary, we will accommodate your request for a new placement.

Requests for employment in states other than New York are handled by us on a case-by-case basis.

You will receive a reasonable amount of vacation time plus several public holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, President’s Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

Yes, this is generally mandatory for all professionally-licensed healthcare workers. We encourage you to continue your education and career development. While we do not finance your studies, we will attempt to provide flexibility in your work schedule to accommodate your studies.

The first step is for us to evaluate your educational and professional background through a review of your CV and a telephonic or in-person interview. If we accept you, we make an offer of employment and present you with a contract.