Retention contingent labor cannot match
A three-year contracted commitment from a clinician relocating their family to your community — not a thirteen-week traveler deciding in week nine whether to extend.
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Change the supply, not just this quarter's coverage
For chronic shortages domestic recruitment cannot close, an international pipeline puts permanent, three-year-committed clinicians into your units — with retention rates contingent labor cannot approach, because these nurses are building a life in your community. Blue Water runs the EB-3 and TN pathways end to end.
3 yrsContracted commitment
WrittenMilestone plan to arrival
$0Cost to the clinician, ever
Yr 3Retention support included
When this is the right investment
International solves a shortage, not a shift
This does not cover next Tuesday, and any vendor who says otherwise is selling. It changes what your supply looks like two years out — which is why it has to be planned against your vacancy forecast rather than bought in a panic.
Cohort planning against your forecast
Intake sized and timed to your projected vacancies, not to our sales quarter. We will tell you if the cohort you are asking for arrives after the gap closes on its own.
Transition-to-practice built with your educators
Cultural onboarding and preceptorship designed alongside your clinical education team, so arrival day is not the first time anyone has thought about ramp-up.
Replacement protection in the agreement
If a placed clinician leaves inside the commitment period for reasons within our control, the replacement obligation is written into the contract — not negotiated afterwards.
Bridged while the cohort processes
Travel and PRN cover the gap during the pipeline, on the same contract and the same invoice — so you are not short while you wait.
Monthly written progress
Visa bulletin movement, credentialing status, and projected arrival dates reported monthly in writing — including when the news is bad and the date has moved.
The pathway
Every stage, and who pays for it
Select a stage to see what happens, what we handle, and what it costs you. The answer to the last one is always the same.
Visa routes
Which pathway applies to you
Your route depends on your citizenship, where you were educated, and how quickly visa numbers are moving for your country of chargeability.
| Pathway | Who it is for | Status on arrival | What sets the timeline | Family included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EB-3 immigrant visa | Internationally educated RNs and select allied professionals worldwide | Lawful permanent resident (green card) | Visa bulletin for your country | Spouse + children under 21 |
| TN status | Canadian and Mexican citizens with qualifying credentials | Temporary work status, renewable | Credentials and licensure; no visa bulletin wait | Dependents on TD status |
| EB-3 (Schedule A) | Registered nurses and physical therapists — pre-certified shortage occupations | Lawful permanent resident | Visa bulletin for your country | Spouse + children under 21 |
| Allied EB-3 | Medical technologists, physical and occupational therapists, imaging professionals | Lawful permanent resident | Visa bulletin, plus credential evaluation | Spouse + children under 21 |
Timelines depend on visa bulletin movement for your country of chargeability and are outside any employer's control. We report movement to you monthly, in writing, including when it is bad news. Blue Water is not a law firm; immigration advice is provided by licensed counsel retained and paid for by the sponsoring employer.
Ethical recruitment
The commitments we will put in writing
International nurse recruitment has a well-documented history of exploitation — placement fees charged to candidates, punitive breach clauses, wage discounts, and passport retention. We reject all of it, Ask any agency you are evaluating to state their position in writing — it is your reputational exposure as much as ours.
Our compliance standards- No fees charged to clinicians — not for recruitment, processing, exams, travel, or "administration." Ever.
- No passport or document retention. Originals stay with the clinician at all times.
- Wage parity. Sponsored clinicians are paid on the same scale as a domestically hired clinician in the same role and market.
- Proportionate contract terms. Breach provisions are capped at documented, actual costs — not punitive multiples.
- Independent legal review. Candidates may have the contract reviewed by their own attorney before signing, and we wait.
- Source-country responsibility. We follow WHO global code principles and do not run mass campaigns in countries facing critical health workforce shortages.
International FAQ
What sponsors ask first
Cost structure, timelines, ethics, and what happens after arrival.
Are you an internationally educated clinician? See the candidate pathway.
Start with your vacancy forecast, not a contract
Send us the roles you have failed to fill domestically for two years running. We will tell you whether a cohort is the right answer, how many, and when they would realistically land.