OPT Nursing Jobs
Nursing is one of the most in-demand fields in the U.S., but F-1 OPT students face a specific challenge: most clinical roles require licensure, and licensing timelines don't always align with OPT start dates. Your 12-month OPT window, or 36 months on STEM OPT, works best when you plan licensure, employer sponsorship, and visa transition together from the start.
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Get Access To All JobsJob Summary and Responsibilities
As a Nursing Supervisor, you'll oversee a department of frontline nurses caring for patients. Your previous experience in acute care, LTC, or nursing homes adds tremendous value to our nursing team.
Every day you will advocate for your fellow nurses as you support them in reaching their full potential, which aligns with your department's operational goals and objectives.
To thrive in this role, you need to be accountable and confident. You're an excellent communicator in 1:1 interactions and in front of groups. It's also important for you to be comfortable holding tough conversations, as you are responsible for the performance of your people and your unit.
- Has the authority to interview, hire, orient, terminate, promote, train and conduct performance evaluations.
- Assigns day-to-day work activities; directs the functional and technical job performance of team members.
- Allocates and directs staffing needs to meet patient, unit, and department needs, and collaborate with others to ensure overall staffing needs are met.
- Manages performance including: Setting goals, clarifying job expectations, monitoring performance progress, providing feedback and recognition, developing skills and addressing performance issues related to our work and our Commitments using corrective action.
- Oversees quality of patient care to assure delivery of individualized nursing care. Reviews and follows up on incident reports. Makes timely recommendations for improvements and revisions. Provides education to staff as needed.
- Oversees patient care delivery to maximize patient/family satisfaction and minimize risk of injury or negative outcomes to patients or employees. Directs staff during emergency situations. Acts as an advocate for patients and family members. Acts as a resource for staff.
Job Requirements
- Required Bachelors Other and minimum of 1 year experience in the discipline, upon hire or
- 3 years’ experience in the discipline or
- Masters Other and no experience, upon hire
- Registered Nurse: NE, upon hire and
- Basic Life Support - CPR, upon hire
Where You'll Work
CHI Health St. Mary’s has served Nebraska City and the surrounding areas since 1927. In the fall of 2014, St. Mary’s opened the doors of a brand-new, fully modernized facility. The new 110,000-square-foot campus is better equipped to meet the changing needs of our community with, among other benefits, an increased capacity for specialty clinics and an integrated primary care clinic. St. Mary’s encourages collaboration and care coordination among primary care physicians and medical specialists. This contributes to the high quality of care our patients have come to expect.
Pay Range
$38.78 - $56.24 /hour
Job Summary and Responsibilities
As a Nursing Supervisor, you'll oversee a department of frontline nurses caring for patients. Your previous experience in acute care, LTC, or nursing homes adds tremendous value to our nursing team.
Every day you will advocate for your fellow nurses as you support them in reaching their full potential, which aligns with your department's operational goals and objectives.
To thrive in this role, you need to be accountable and confident. You're an excellent communicator in 1:1 interactions and in front of groups. It's also important for you to be comfortable holding tough conversations, as you are responsible for the performance of your people and your unit.
- Has the authority to interview, hire, orient, terminate, promote, train and conduct performance evaluations.
- Assigns day-to-day work activities; directs the functional and technical job performance of team members.
- Allocates and directs staffing needs to meet patient, unit, and department needs, and collaborate with others to ensure overall staffing needs are met.
- Manages performance including: Setting goals, clarifying job expectations, monitoring performance progress, providing feedback and recognition, developing skills and addressing performance issues related to our work and our Commitments using corrective action.
- Oversees quality of patient care to assure delivery of individualized nursing care. Reviews and follows up on incident reports. Makes timely recommendations for improvements and revisions. Provides education to staff as needed.
- Oversees patient care delivery to maximize patient/family satisfaction and minimize risk of injury or negative outcomes to patients or employees. Directs staff during emergency situations. Acts as an advocate for patients and family members. Acts as a resource for staff.
Job Requirements
- Required Bachelors Other and minimum of 1 year experience in the discipline, upon hire or
- 3 years’ experience in the discipline or
- Masters Other and no experience, upon hire
- Registered Nurse: NE, upon hire and
- Basic Life Support - CPR, upon hire
Where You'll Work
CHI Health St. Mary’s has served Nebraska City and the surrounding areas since 1927. In the fall of 2014, St. Mary’s opened the doors of a brand-new, fully modernized facility. The new 110,000-square-foot campus is better equipped to meet the changing needs of our community with, among other benefits, an increased capacity for specialty clinics and an integrated primary care clinic. St. Mary’s encourages collaboration and care coordination among primary care physicians and medical specialists. This contributes to the high quality of care our patients have come to expect.
Pay Range
$38.78 - $56.24 /hour
See all 47,828+ OPT Nursing Jobs
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Nursing
Prioritize licensure before your OPT start date
Your NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN must be passed before most employers will place you in a clinical role. Apply for your state nursing license as early as possible so licensure delays don't eat into your authorized work period.
Target employers with established H-1B sponsorship history
Large hospital systems and academic medical centers, not small private practices, are most likely to sponsor H-1B visas. Look for employers who have filed H-1B petitions before, as first-time sponsors often underestimate the process and timeline involved.
Ask about sponsorship in the second interview, not the first
Raising visa sponsorship too early can end a conversation before it starts. Establish your clinical value and fit first, then discuss your authorization timeline once the employer has a clear reason to invest in you.
Understand which nursing roles qualify as specialty occupations
Not all nursing titles qualify for H-1B status. Advanced practice roles like nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist, which require a master's degree, have stronger H-1B eligibility than standard RN positions, which USCIS has scrutinized historically.
Track your OPT end date and H-1B lottery deadlines together
H-1B registration opens in March for an October start. If your OPT expires before October and you miss the lottery, you may face a gap. Cap-exempt employers like nonprofits affiliated with universities offer an alternative path worth exploring early.
Use your clinical rotations to build employer relationships
Many nurses receive their first full-time offer from a facility where they completed a clinical placement. If your program allows, prioritize rotations at hospital systems known for sponsoring international staff, and make your interest in staying known proactively.
Nursing OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can F-1 OPT students work as registered nurses in the United States?
Yes, but you must hold a valid state nursing license before working in a clinical RN role. OPT authorizes you to work in your field of study, so your degree must align with nursing or a health science. Apply for state licensure through your state's Board of Nursing as early as possible, since processing can take several weeks and delays directly reduce your usable OPT window.
Does nursing qualify for STEM OPT extension?
Standard nursing programs, like BSN degrees, are not classified under STEM-designated CIP codes, so most RN graduates are not eligible for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. However, some specialized nursing informatics, public health, or healthcare technology programs may qualify. Check with your designated school official to confirm whether your specific degree program carries a STEM-eligible CIP code before assuming you qualify.
What visa options are available after OPT for nurses?
The H-1B visa is the most common path, but only advanced practice nursing roles, such as nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist positions requiring a master's degree, have historically met USCIS specialty occupation standards. Standard RN roles have faced H-1B denials. EB-3 immigrant visa sponsorship is a more common long-term route for bedside nurses, but it requires employer commitment and can take several years to complete.
How do I find hospitals and health systems that sponsor OPT students for nursing roles?
Large academic medical centers and nonprofit hospital systems affiliated with universities are the most likely to have experience sponsoring international nursing staff. You can browse nursing roles from OPT-friendly employers directly on Migrate Mate, which filters for positions relevant to F-1 students. Targeting employers with prior H-1B or EB-3 filing history gives you the strongest chance of finding a sponsor willing to support your transition beyond OPT.
Can I work in travel nursing or per diem roles on OPT?
OPT requires that your work be directly related to your degree field, which travel and per diem nursing satisfies. However, self-employment is not permitted on OPT, so you must be employed by a staffing agency or hospital, not operating as an independent contractor. Additionally, some agencies are unfamiliar with OPT authorization requirements, so confirm upfront that the employer will properly verify your Employment Authorization Document and comply with I-9 requirements.