Welcome Back Initiative
Supporting Immigrants in Returning to Their Careers
Internationally trained professionals face barriers to fully using their expertise in the U.S., while communities nationwide struggle with workforce shortages. This disconnect leaves talent underutilized and communities’ needs unmet. The Welcome Back Initiative was created to bridge this gap.
Addressing Health Care Shortages with Immigrant Talent
Communities nationwide face health care workforce shortages, especially in rural and underserved areas. More than 90 million people live in areas without enough primary care providers, and by 2036, the U.S. is expected to face a shortfall of 86,000 doctors.
Internationally trained health care professionals already make up more than a quarter of all physicians and 16 percent of registered nurses, yet more than 2 million immigrants–270,000 with health care degrees—are unemployed or underemployed due to unrecognized credentials and redundant training requirements.
With WES support, Welcome Back Centers help immigrant professionals re-enter the workforce in jobs that match their skills. When they do, the whole community benefits: more workers in critical positions, more patients receiving care, and employers able to find the talent they need. In the last two decades, the Welcome Back Initiative has served tens of thousands of internationally trained professionals.
WES began convening the Welcome Back Initiative in 2026, bridging local practices with regional and national efforts for greater impact. The reason is simple: systems change often starts in places like community colleges and Welcome Back Centers. They sit where policy meets practice, seeing firsthand where licensing rules, recognition, and training requirements create barriers for immigrants. By actively addressing these challenges and connecting talent to opportunity, they play an important role in driving change. Through close collaboration with partners at the Welcome Back Initiative, WES can advance policy and practice changes at scale and help communities learn from one another to amplify the change. Those lessons can inform state and national efforts to streamline licensing and credential recognition, so more people can reach good work sooner.
Mission
To build a bridge between the pool of internationally trained professionals already living in the U.S. and the demand for experienced talent across multiple sectors. The Welcome Back Initiative advances economic inclusion by ensuring that immigrant professionals can fully contribute their education and skills to the workforce and their communities.
Welcome Back Centers in Action
The Spring Institute
With WES’ assistance, Colorado passed legislation that opened the door for internationally trained physicians to return to medicine. As part of these changes, the Spring Institute supported Sulafa, a physician from Sudan. “Being a doctor has been my dream job since kindergarten,” Sulafa said. “There was no detail overlooked in terms of helping me master the many administrative steps and crucial clinical skills needed to match and get back to my calling as a physician.” Sulafa intends to practice family medicine in her new community.
NYC Welcome Back Center
The NYC Welcome Back Center at LaGuardia Community College provided Mamata, a nurse from Nepal, with the resources she needed to return to nursing. She began taking English courses and graduated as a biology major. While she was studying, the Welcome Back Center referred her to an NCLEX preparation course specifically for English language learners. “LaGuardia has helped me in each and every moment to learn English, earn a degree, and become a Registered Nurse,” Mamata said. As New York faces a persistent nursing shortage, immigrants like Mamata are filling critical vacancies that help patients receive quality and timely care.
Boston Welcome Back Center
The Boston Welcome Back Center at Bunker Hill Community College accompanied Tsering every step of her journey to become a nurse in the U.S. Originally from Tibet, Tsering trained as a nurse in India. The Welcome Back Center connected her with training to become a certified nursing assistant, a position she held while studying for the NCLEX-RN exam. Tsering passed the test and received an offer to work as an RN in Oncology. “The Welcome Back Center provided me with so many resources,” Tsering said. “They were always available to advise and encourage me.” Working in oncology, Tsering provides compassionate care and critical support to patients in her community.
About the Welcome Back Initiative
Founded in 2001 by Dr. José Ramón Fernández-Peña, the Welcome Back Initiative connects internationally trained professionals to the United States workforce. It has grown into a national network of nine Welcome Back Centers across eight states. Convened by World Education Services, the Welcome Back Initiative shares knowledge and best practices to support immigrants access to commensurate employment.
Welcome Back Centers reconnect internationally trained professionals with careers in health care, such as nursing and medicine, as well as non-medical fields, like engineering and education. Participants receive counseling to develop a career pathway plan that builds on their education and experience and direct support with professional credentials and licensing. While each center follows the model outlined above, individual centers may offer additional services.
Find a Welcome Back Center
Each Welcome Back Center has a unique history and specialized focus. To learn more about the services and achievements of each center, visit their individual websites.
Established in 2005
We serve internationally educated nurses trained to become registered nurses in Massachusetts.
Established in 2007
We serve those with international education, training, and background in health care, STEM, business, law, education, and will meet with any internationally trained professional. We will provide counseling and educational services to help prepare you to practice your profession in Washington state.
Established in 2010
We are an information and resource center for internationally trained professionals who would like to enter the health care sector in the U.S.
Established in 2021
We serve internationally trained health care professionals (primarily doctors, nurses, and dentists) who are now residents of New York. Our goal is to help them navigate the complex process of re-credentialing, licensing, and professional placement so they can re-enter the U.S. health care workforce at a level that matches their prior education and experience.
Established in 2015
We serve internationally trained professionals who have higher education experience—including university-level coursework, professional training, or credentials—and related work experience outside the U.S., as well as immigrants with work experience in the trades.
Established in 2007
We serve internationally educated health professionals with licensure, certification, professional development, and language assistance necessary to enter the workforce in Rhode Island.
Established in 2022
We serve internationally trained professionals to use their experience, education, and skills to return to their fields of nursing or education in the Illinois workforce.
Established in 2010
We serve internationally trained health care professionals seeking to reconnect with their careers while strengthening Colorado’s health care workforce.
Established in 2010
We currently are focused on serving, recruiting, and supporting internationally trained nurses who have completed at least three academic years of nursing education.
Frequently Asked Questions
Each center has its own entry process which can include an English language level assessment, skills, work authorization, prior education, and other enrollment requirements. Contact your nearest Welcome Back Center to learn more about its individual requirements.
Each Welcome Back Center offers a variety of services which can include career pathway advising, training, employment preparation support, and courses. To find out what type of courses are available, visit the website of the Welcome Back Center nearest you.
Each Welcome Back Center is housed within a community college, non-profit organization, adult education provider, health entity, or other supporting institution. Visit the website of the Welcome Back Center nearest you to learn more about its specific structure.
Welcome Back Centers are typically hosted by community colleges, non-profit organizations, adult education providers, health care institutions, and other community-based organizations that are committed to helping internationally trained professionals re-enter their careers. Organizations interested in joining the initiative can learn more by emailing WES at [email protected].
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Each Welcome Back Center supports a range of health and other careers. While all support nursing, they may also serve physicians, engineers, and other professionals trained abroad. For details about the careers supported by the Welcome Back Center nearest you, visit its website.