Remote Work while living abroad

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Hi everyone, 

So I'm thinking about moving to Canada, specifically Quebec, and would like to know if anyone knows of a US company that'll allow remote work while living abroad? I want to keep my US nursing license active but I'm just not sure if I can use this license while living in another country? I know a lot of NPs do it though. 

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

In what state would you be licensed, and how would you prove you are a resident of that state if you are living in Quebec?

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klone said:

In what state would you be licensed, and how would you prove you are a resident of that state if you are living in Quebec?

I'd have a compact license and that's the thing. I would tell them I live in Canada. 

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

You will need to maintain residency in the US state that issued your compact license, otherwise it gets converted to a single state license.

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Here is the weblink for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing's (NCSBN) information on state licensure compacts: https://www.NCSBN.org/compacts.page

For a compact license, you must have a state of residency (ie where you maintain an address and live). You cannot have a compact license originating from a state where you are not a resident. 

 

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Mustang0909 said:

Here is the weblink for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing's (NCSBN) information on state licensure compacts: https://www.NCSBN.org/compacts.page

For a compact license, you must have a state of residency (ie where you maintain an address and live). You cannot have a compact license originating from a state where you are not a resident. 

 

But don't travelers (travel nurses) who don't reside In the compact states obtain the license? 

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.
Jouba said:

But don't travelers (travel nurses) who don't reside In the compact states obtain the license? 

From the above NCSBN link:

Primary State of Residence (PSOR)
 

Quote

 

PSOR is the state where you can prove you legally reside. PSOR follows these guidelines:

It is the state from which you have your driver's license, voter registration card and state declared on your federal tax filing.

It does not pertain to home or property ownership.

There can only be one PSOR.

 

When hired in a remote state for a temporary position or commuting to a remote state from the primary state of residence (usually an adjacent state), employers should not require you to apply for licensure in the remote state when you have lawfully declared another state as your primary state of residence (PSOR). PSOR is based on where you pay federal income tax, vote and/or hold a driver's license.

So Nurse A takes a 13 week assignment in Texas with a compact license from Florida. They maintain a FL drivers license and file federal taxes with a Florida address --Florida remains their primary state of residence.

Nurse B takes multiple 13 week travel assignments in Texas, Virginia and Colorado,  staying in their Florida home for just 1 week.  They maintain a FL drivers license and file federal taxes with a Florida address --Florida remains their primary state of residence.

Nurse C takes a 13 week assignment in Kansas, extends 2 times using her Florida nursing license, changes her driver license to Kansas as required since living at a Kansas address more than 90 days.  They need to apply for a Kansas single state or compact license -if they intend to have Kansas as primary state of residence.

 

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

In order to have a compact license, you must have a permanent residence in one of those compact states. If you do not, then you would just get a single-state license in the state you would be working, even if they're part of the compact.

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klone said:

In order to have a compact license, you must have a permanent residence in one of those compact states. If you do not, then you would just get a single-state license in the state you would be working, even if they're part of the compact.

Thank you! I understand now. 

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Hello,

I would contact your BON.  All BONs require that you file a change of address within a certain time after your move.  There are a lot of nurses working in other countries outside the USA while keeping their US license active (eg. RNs working in Saudi Arabia).  Although you may live outside the United States, you would have to maintain residency status in a particular state.  The reason for this is that you will still be working in the USA although physically outside the USA and would still be required to pay taxes and file returns yearly.  And you would want to do this, especially for social security disbursements at retirement and should you return stateside, for Medicare as well.  You are still a US citizen although you live abroad and am entitled to receive social security at retirement which can be collected even if you live abroad. 

As I said previously, contact you BON.  I don't see it being a problem other than your license being converted to single state and you having to keep up with the required CEUs for license renewal.

Please come back and let us know in case someone should have this question at a later date.

Good luck!

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jadiva28_RN said:

Hello,

I would contact your BON.  All BONs require that you file a change of address within a certain time after your move.  There are a lot of nurses working in other countries outside the USA while keeping their US license active (eg. RNs working in Saudi Arabia).  Although you may live outside the United States, you would have to maintain residency status in a particular state.  The reason for this is that you will still be working in the USA although physically outside the USA and would still be required to pay taxes and file returns yearly.  And you would want to do this, especially for social security disbursements at retirement and should you return stateside, for Medicare as well.  You are still a US citizen although you live abroad and am entitled to receive social security at retirement which can be collected even if you live abroad. 

As I said previously, contact you BON.  I don't see it being a problem other than your license being converted to single state and you having to keep up with the required CEUs for license renewal.

Please come back and let us know in case someone should have this question at a later date.

Good luck!

Thank you for the information. How would I maintain residency in a particular state if I'm living abroad and don't have a house or apartment in the US? Would I have to use my parents address or something? I wonder how the nurses abroad are doing it. 

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Jouba said:

Thank you for the information. How would I maintain residency in a particular state if I'm living abroad and don't have a house or apartment in the US? Would I have to use my parents address or something? I wonder how the nurses abroad are doing it. 

You can't.  If you want your license to grant multi-state privileges, you have to meet that state's residency requirements.  

You can hold a single state license.

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