2026 guide
Working as a caregiver in the United States: what actually works in 2026
From outside the U.S., the main route for a caregiver without a degree is the EB-3 Other Workers immigrant visa, which needs a U.S. employer to sponsor you and today means years of waiting. Registered nurses have the EB-3 Schedule A route. If you already live in the U.S. with work authorization, you can certify as a CNA or get paid as a family caregiver.
- Official sources
- Last verified Oct 22, 2026
- Independent site, not a government agency
Written by Luis Fernando Garcia
Reviewed against official sources Last verified 6 official sources cited
By Luis Fernando Garcia. Official sources verified Oct 22, 2026.
Guides
- EB-3 visa for caregivers
- Caregiver recruitment fraud: how to spot it
- CNA certification requirements and hours
- Nurses: EB-3 Schedule A, NCLEX and CGFNS
- Visas that do not work for caregivers
- Caring for the elderly in the U.S. from Brazil
If you already live in the U.S.
Many states pay relatives to care for a loved one through Medicaid or the VA. See paid family caregiver programs, how much they pay by state and the caregiver pay calculator.
What does not work
The H-2B visa is for temporary or seasonal work, not ongoing home care (USCIS). TN status under USMCA does not list caregivers (USCIS). Au pair (J-1) is a cultural exchange for child care, not elder care, and is time limited (Department of State). Details in visas that do not work.
Paid caregiver programs by state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources
- Visa Bulletin: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin.htmlOfficial
- USCIS, EB-3: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/permanent-workers/employment-based-immigration-third-preference-eb-3Official
- DOL, Foreign Labor Certification: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/foreign-laborOfficial
- USCIS, H-2B: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/h-2b-temporary-non-agricultural-workersOfficial
- USCIS, TN USMCA professionals: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/tn-usmca-professionalsOfficial
- Department of State, Au Pair program: https://j1visa.state.gov/programs/au-pair/Official
Last verified