Updates to List of Tests and Scores for Foreign Health Care Workers
Based on current law (section 343 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA)) and regulatory requirements (8 CFR 212.15(g)), HRSA has updated the list of standardized tests and minimum scores appropriate for foreign health care workers seeking to enter the United States to work in specified health professions to demonstrate English language proficiency. In making the determinations, HRSA relied on information obtained following a request for comments published in the Federal Register (PDF - 279 KB) in May 2019.
Holding a certificate indicating that an individual meets these updated English proficiency standards does not establish an individual’s eligibility to enter the United States for the purpose of performing health care or constitute professional authorization to practice in that health care occupation. This updated list only describes one aspect of the required processes administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), for authorizing entry of foreign health care workers to the United States to perform as health care workers. Please see this updated list.