Affiliated Catholic Hospitals can bring in Nuns from other places. So what is the basis of this R-1 non-immigrant Nurse Visa? The USCIS release a letter regarding the qualifications of Nuns to work in the US. Barbara Velarde, Chief, Office of Service Center Operations, states that since Nursing is not a Religious Occupation, a nun who is a nurse may qualify under the definition of a “religious vocation.”
A religious vocation is defined as a formal lifetime commitment, through vows, investitures, ceremonies, or similar indicia, to a religious way of life. [8 C.F.R. 214.2(r)(3)]. Therefore, Velarde said “in general” a Catholic religious order could file an R-1 for a nun who meets the definition of a religious vocation.
All the requirements for R-1 must be met including, the nurse being a member of the same religious denomination of the employer/sponsor for at least 2 years immediately preceding the filing of an R-1 petition, the nurse having a formal lifetime commitment to a “religious vocation”, and the employer/sponsor qualifying as an organization/religious denomination that is tax-exempt under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Also, the nurse has to meet all the requirements to practice nursing under both the state law and the Immigration and Nationality Act. Thus, the nurse would need a state license and a healthcare certificate from ICHP, a division of CGFNS.
