All you need to know about US visa

[dhilipkumar]

All you need to know about US visa

New US visa norms to benefit over 12,000 Indian nurses

AHMEDABAD: Nurses in India are eagerly waiting for the new government to form in the US. A special visa-EB 3 Schedule A-which is yet to get Senate nod, is expected to ease the entry of qualified nurses to that country. According to the Overseas Healthcare Staffing Association of India (OHSAI), the US would need nearly 1 million nurses and over 24,000 doctors by 2020.

Currently, there are over 12,000 Indian nurses waiting for the visa norms to relax so as to migrate to the US. The number is far less than the current demand in the US for nurses. Indian nurses are the second largest in number after those from the Philippines.OHSAI founder member Mayur Kamdar told ET, "At present, there is situation of retrogression, as the US government has not increased the number (quota) under EB3 Schedule A. Visa applications are piling up with most aspirants are from Kerala and Punjab."

This year, a case for increasing the quota under EB3 Schedule A has been made twice in the US Senate by different lobbies. The American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) and American Hospital Association (AHA) have backed the legislation. However, the bill faced strong opposition from the Mexican American Legislative Caucus (MALC). MALC, composed of Hispanic members of the Texas House of Representatives, opposed the immigration reforms suggested by the Bush administration in the Senate and Congress as it sought to check immigration and provide employment to American nurses.

Under the EB3 Schedule A, the US government had created a quota of 50,000 visas for overseas nurses. The EB3 is a category created for nurses and physiotherapists and requires labour certification clearance. Schedule A is much faster than non-schedule A EB3. The special visa category was passed in the US Senate in 2004, but within a yearand-a-half the entire quota (numbers) of 50,000 visas was exhausted. "Maximum advantage of this quota was taken by Chinese and Philippines nurses while Indian nurses were last to take the benefit under this special visa category," Kamdar added. Nearly 50% visas under this special category went to Philippino nurses and only 9,000 visa were consumed by Indian nurses.

"By 2020, the US will need 1 million registered nurses and over 24,000 doctors, as the ageing population is increasing," Mr Kamdar added. The older population-persons 65 years or older-numbered 37.3 million in 2006. They represented 12.4% of the US population, about one in every eight American. By 2030, these numbers will increase to about 71.5 million older persons , more than twice their number in 2000. The 65-plus represented 12.4% of the population in the year 2000, but are expected to grow to 20% by 2030.

There are 15,000 to 20,000 Indian nurses in the US. Salaries range from $50,000 to $90,000 per annum. In India, nurses earn average $3,600-4,800 per year.