Geriatric Acute Care TN Visa Jobs

Why US hospitals are hiring Canadian Geriatric RN talent

The retirement boom is flooding acute care step-down units, and hospitals are recruiting internationally to keep pace with a patient population that is older and medically more complex than ever.

This is distinct from long-term care work: it's hospital-based acute or step-down care for patients who need more intensive management than a typical Med-Surg floor provides.

What the role looks like

• Managing multiple chronic conditions in a single patient at once
• Fall-risk prevention and mobility support
• Medication reconciliation across complex regimens
• Coordinating discharge to step-down or long-term care settings

Licensing requirements in the US

Beyond TN status itself, a Geriatric RN needs an active Registered Nurse license in the US state where you'll work. Canadian licensure doesn't transfer automatically. Most Canadian-trained RNs go through licensure by endorsement, which typically requires a credential evaluation (often through the same CGFNS process as VisaScreen), verification of your Canadian license and education, and a background check. Some states also require the NCLEX-RN exam if your original licensing exam isn't recognized as equivalent.

Gerontological nursing experience is valued; no certification is mandatory. Facilities look for comfort managing multi-morbid patients under time pressure.

State licensing timelines vary widely, from a few weeks in faster states to several months in others, so we recommend applying to your target state's board of nursing as soon as you have a specific US location in mind, ideally in parallel with your VisaScreen application rather than after it.

Who's eligible

• Canadian citizenship (TN status under USMCA is only available to Canadian and Mexican citizens)
• A valid, unrestricted Registered Nurse license in your Canadian province
• At least 1 year of recent geriatric or step-down acute care experience
• A prearranged, genuine job offer from a US employer for a qualifying RN role
• A completed or in-progress CGFNS or Josef Silny VisaScreen certificate

Realistic timeline

Every candidate's timeline looks a little different, but here's the general shape of it when VisaScreen and state licensing are started early and run in parallel with matching:

1. Month 0-1: Matching

   We learn your background and start matching you with US hospitals hiring for Geriatric RN roles.

2. Month 1-6: VisaScreen & state licensing (parallel)

   VisaScreen typically takes 3-6 months; state RN licensure by endorsement runs on its own timeline, often 6-12 weeks once submitted, so starting both early matters.

3. Once matched: Job offer

   A formal offer triggers the ability to finalize TN sponsorship paperwork.

4. At the border: TN application & entry

   With your job offer letter, VisaScreen certificate, and state license in hand, TN status is generally granted the same day at a US port of entry.

Most candidates who start VisaScreen and licensing early are border-ready in roughly 4-8 months. Waiting until after a job offer to start those two steps is the single most common cause of a longer timeline.

Get your free Geriatric RN readiness checklist

A one-page, printable checklist covering everything above: eligibility, VisaScreen timing, state licensing, and what to bring to the border. Enter your details and we'll unlock the download.

Who's a good fit

You're patient with complex, multi-morbid cases, methodical about medication reconciliation, and comfortable coordinating a discharge plan across several specialists at once.

Average salary expectations, by state

Real, region-level pay data across all 50 states plus DC, for Geriatric Acute Care. Choose an arrangement and pay unit below, then jump straight to your target state. Each view shows Entry, Mid, and High experience bands separately.

Questions specific to this specialty

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