Green Card Registered Nurse Operating Room Jobs
Registered Nurse Operating Room roles qualify for EB-3 green card sponsorship through the PERM labor certification process, and some candidates with advanced credentials may qualify at the EB-2 level. Hospitals and surgical centers file on behalf of foreign RNs, leading to permanent residency rather than a temporary visa status.
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Operating Room
Full Time
AM/PM Shift
0630-1900
Sign-On Bonus: 10,000.00
Lexington Health is a comprehensive network of care that includes six community medical and urgent care centers, nearly 80 physician practices, more than 9,000 health care professionals and Lexington Medical Center, a 607-bed teaching hospital in West Columbia, South Carolina. It was selected by Modern Healthcare as one of the Best Places to Work in Healthcare and was first in the state to achieve Magnet with Distinction status for excellence in nursing care. Consistently ranked as best in the Columbia Metro area by U.S. News & World Report, Lexington Health delivers more than 4,000 babies each year, performs more than 34,000 surgeries annually and is the region's third largest employer.
Lexington Health also includes an accredited Cancer Center of Excellence, the state’s first HeartCARE Center, the largest skilled nursing facility in the Carolinas, and an Alzheimer’s care center. Its postgraduate medical education programs include family medicine and transitional year residencies, as well as an informatics fellowship.
Job Summary
Utilizes the nursing process to promote and restore patient’s health status; collaborates with physicians and multidisciplinary team members; provides physical and psychological support to patients, family members and significant others; and supervises assigned team members. Uses a systematic critical-thinking approach to guide data gathering, assessment, nursing judgement, intervention and evaluation of human responses to actual and potential health problems through activities such as health teaching and the provision of care, supportive and restorative care and/or support of a peaceful death. All responsibilities are carried out in accordance with the mission, vision, strategic imperatives and standards of the Lexington County Health District, American Nurses Association Standards and in accordance with the provisions/statues set forth by the South Carolina Nurse Practice Act.
Minimum Qualifications
Minimum Education: ADN, Diploma or Bachelors of Science in Nursing
- New graduate RN’s who acquire their generic RN education through an on-line program will not meet LMC minimum qualifications
Minimum Years of Experience: None
- Critical Care, Medical/Surgical, Intermediate, and Emergency Department units will not consider newly graduated Nurses without post-graduation experience, except for those that have successfully completed LMC's Nurse Residency Program.
Substitutable Education & Experience: None
Required Certifications/Licensure: Current RN license to practice in the State of South Carolina.
Refer to Mandatory Certification Requirements P& P for required education/certification for various nursing specialties.
Required Training: None
Essential Functions
PATIENT CARE AND SUPPORT
- Establishes positive rapport with patient and family.
- Establishes a compassionate environment by providing emotional, psychological, and spiritual support to patients, friends, and families.
- Promotes patient's independence by establishing patient care goals; provides education to patient, and family in a manner they can understand their condition, medications, and self-care skills, etc. and provides them ample opportunity to ask questions.
- Serves as patient/family advocate.
- Maintains continuity among nursing teams by documenting and communicating actions, irregularities, and continuing needs.
- Uses a systematic critical-thinking approach to guide data gathering, assessment, nursing judgement, intervention and evaluation of human responses to actual and potential health problems.
- Identifies, synthesizes and interprets sources of data using reasonable clinical judgement to respond to dynamic situations in a timely and effective manner.
- Maintains patient confidence and protects operations by keeping information confidential.
- Uses ethical decision making processes and advocates for acceptable patient outcomes.
L&D Only: RN’s with 2 years or more of L&D experience who have completed training and competency verification may perform qualified medical screening examinations under EMTALA.
CLINICAL WORK QUALITY
- Assures quality of care by adhering to therapeutic standards; measuring health outcomes against patient care goals and standards; making or recommending necessary adjustments; following hospital and nursing division's philosophies and standards of care set by state board of nursing, state nurse practice act, and other governing agency regulations.
- Resolves patient problems and needs by utilizing multidisciplinary team strategies.
- Participates in process/performance improvement activities and initiatives utilizing evidence based practice to maintain and/or improve quality of care and safe patient care systems and processes.
- Maintains safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations; calling for assistance from health care support personnel.
- Protects patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols, medication administration and storage procedures, and controlled substance regulations.
- Documents all patient care activities accurately and timely.
- Provides safe, appropriate, quality of care and support to patients and family members.
- Protects patients and employees by adhering to infection-control policies and protocols medication administration and storage procedures, and controlled substance regulations.
Duties & Responsibilities
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
- Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; following manufacturer's instructions; troubleshooting malfunctions; calling for repairs; maintaining equipment inventories; evaluating new equipment and techniques.
- Appropriately utilizes all nursing supplies and equipment.
- Demonstrates effective teamwork skills and maintains a cooperative relationship among health care teams by communicating information; responding to requests; building rapport; participating in team problem-solving methods.
- Promptly responds to all communication devices in order to meet patient needs.
- Assists in performing and documenting environmental checks as required by LMC policy and regulatory agencies.
PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops; reviewing professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies.
- Meets or exceeds all LMC requirements for attendance and service expectations.
- Maintains required certifications.
- Completes yearly safety training and other mandatory classes.
- Complies with all annual employee health requirements.
- Ensure Hazardous Waste or Hazardous Waste Pharmaceuticals are discarded, stored, and managed with other compatible waste streams in containers that are properly labeled and closed prior to being shipped offsite for proper disposal. Initial RCRA training is received within 6 months of the hire date and continuing with annual RCRA training.
- Earns a minimum of 15 hours of continuing education annually within specialty.
We are committed to offering quality, cost-effective benefits choices for our employees and their families:
- Day ONE medical, dental and life insurance benefits
- Health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSAs)
- Employees are eligible for enrollment into the 403(b) match plan day one. LHI matches dollar for dollar up to 6%.
- Employer paid life insurance – equal to 1x salary
- Employee may elect supplemental life insurance with low cost premiums up to 3x salary
- Adoption assistance
- LHI provides its full-time employees employer paid short-term disability and long-term disability coverage after 90 days of eligible employment
- Tuition reimbursement
- Student loan forgiveness
Equal Opportunity Employer
It is the policy of Lexington Health to provide equal opportunity of employment for all individuals, and to remain compliant with applicable state and federal laws and regulations. Lexington Health strives to provide a discrimination-free environment, and to recruit, select, on-board, and employ all employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, including but not limited to, lactation. Lexington Health endeavors to upgrade and promote employees from within the hospital where possible and consistent with the employee’s desires and abilities and the hospital’s needs.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Green Card Sponsorship in Registered Nurse Operating Room
Verify your CGFNS credentials before applying
Most hospitals won't start PERM for a foreign-trained RN until you've cleared CGFNS credential evaluation and passed NCLEX. Get both done before you target employers so sponsorship conversations don't stall at document review.
Target hospitals with active PERM filing history
Use Migrate Mate to filter for surgical centers and health systems that have filed PERM for RN Operating Room roles before. Prior filings signal an established HR process, reducing the risk of delays from inexperienced sponsorship teams.
Distinguish EB-3 sponsorship from H-1B when negotiating
EB-3 green card sponsorship has no annual lottery and leads to permanent residency. When discussing sponsorship with hiring managers, clarify that PERM-based sponsorship is employer-led and structurally different from H-1B visa petitions your employer may already be familiar with.
Check prevailing wage before accepting an offer
DOL requires your offered wage to meet or exceed the prevailing wage for your geographic area and role level. Run your job title and location through the OFLC Wage Search before signing an offer letter to confirm your salary clears the DOL threshold.
Understand the PERM recruitment documentation burden
Your employer must run DOL-mandated recruitment steps and document that no qualified U.S. workers applied before filing PERM. Ask HR which steps they've completed and request a projected PERM filing date so you can track progress against your current visa expiry.
Use O*NET to align your resume to the PERM job description
PERM job descriptions must reflect actual duties, and USCIS cross-checks your petition against the O*NET profile for your SOC code. Review the O*NET profile for Registered Nurses and ensure your resume and offer letter language matches the documented specialty occupation requirements.
Green Card Registered Nurse Operating Room: Frequently Asked Questions
Do Registered Nurse Operating Room roles qualify for EB-3 green card sponsorship?
Yes. OR nursing roles qualify under EB-3 as skilled worker positions requiring at least a two-year degree or training program. Most employers sponsor through PERM labor certification followed by an I-140 immigrant visa petition. Candidates with a master's degree or Board Certification in Perioperative Nursing may also qualify under EB-2, which requires demonstrating advanced-degree professional credentials.
How does PERM green card sponsorship differ from H-1B for OR nurses?
H-1B is a temporary work visa with an annual lottery cap and a maximum initial stay, while PERM-based EB-3 sponsorship is a permanent residency pathway with no lottery and no annual cap at the petition level. The PERM process takes longer upfront, often 18 to 36 months from filing to green card approval, but results in lawful permanent residency rather than a visa that must be renewed or is subject to lottery uncertainty.
What credentials does a foreign-trained OR nurse need before an employer can start PERM?
Most U.S. hospitals require a CGFNS credential evaluation confirming your nursing degree is equivalent to a U.S. RN program, an active state nursing license, and a passing NCLEX score before they'll initiate PERM. Some facilities also require CNOR certification for operating room-specific roles. Getting these credentials in place before applying shortens the timeline between offer and PERM filing.
How can I find employers that sponsor green cards for OR nurse positions?
Search Migrate Mate to identify hospitals and surgical facilities that have filed PERM or I-140 petitions for Registered Nurse Operating Room roles. Employers with documented sponsorship history are far more likely to have HR teams familiar with the PERM process, which reduces delays and the risk of an employer withdrawing sponsorship mid-process.
Can my employer withdraw green card sponsorship after PERM is filed?
Yes. PERM and I-140 sponsorship is employer-dependent until you've held an approved I-140 and reached a certain point in the adjustment of status process. If your employer withdraws before your I-485 has been pending for 180 days and your priority date is current, you may lose your place in the queue. Targeting employers with stable sponsorship histories and asking about their retention and sponsorship commitment policies during the offer process reduces this risk.