Florida Immigrant Guide: Jobs, Universities, Licenses and Help

Florida is one of the top states for immigrants. Cuba is the largest country of origin, followed by Haiti, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Brazil. South Florida is a gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, with large Cuban, Venezuelan, Colombian, Nicaraguan, and Haitian communities. Orlando has fast-growing Venezuelan and Brazilian communities (and many Puerto Ricans, who are US citizens).

Many Floridians have been affected by recent federal changes, including the end of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for several countries and the end of CHNV parole. See TPS terminations and the end of CHNV parole.

Main areas:

• South Florida (Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach)
• Orlando and Central Florida
• Tampa Bay (Tampa, St. Petersburg)
• Jacksonville, in the northeast

If you are still choosing a route to the US, start with how US immigration works and the USA overview.

• Health care: Florida's large and aging population drives demand for nurses, therapists, and physicians, many recruited from the Philippines, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
• Tourism and hospitality: theme parks, hotels, and cruise lines in Orlando and Miami hire year-round and seasonal staff, including H-2B and J-1 workers.
• Aerospace: the Space Coast around Cape Canaveral has NASA and private launch companies, though some roles require US citizenship.
• Trade, banking, and investment: Miami is a hub for Latin American business. Investors from treaty countries often use the E-2 visa, and multinationals transfer staff on the L-1.
• Agriculture: citrus, tomatoes, strawberries, and sugarcane. Florida is one of the largest users of H-2A seasonal workers.

How workers usually get here: degree-level jobs mostly use the H-1B, and cap-exempt employers such as universities can hire outside the lottery. Canadians and Mexicans often use the TN, seasonal jobs use the H-2A and H-2B, and permanent jobs lead to EB-3 or EB-2 green cards through PERM. The $100,000 payment on some new H-1B petitions is not being collected while a court order is in place, but the legal fight continues (current status). More options: working in the USA.

• University of Florida (Gainesville)
• Florida State University (Tallahassee)
• University of Miami (Coral Gables, private)
• University of Central Florida (Orlando)
• University of South Florida (Tampa)
• Florida International University (Miami)
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach), for aviation and aerospace

You need admission to a school certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and an F-1 visa (check a school on Study in the States). After graduation, many F-1 students work on OPT or STEM OPT. A rule to replace "duration of status" with fixed admission periods was blocked by a federal court on September 14, 2026, so duration of status continues for now (latest update). See studying in the USA.

In Florida, driver's licenses and state ID cards are issued by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) (official site). In most counties, licenses are issued by the county tax collector's office on behalf of FLHSMV.

Since May 7, 2025, you need a REAL ID-compliant card (marked with a star), a passport, a green card, or another accepted ID to board domestic flights (TSA REAL ID page). Bring:

• Passport with your US visa, or your green card
• I-94 record and status papers (EAD, I-20, DS-2019, or I-797 approval notice)
• Social Security number, or proof you are not eligible (SSN and ITIN guide)
• Two proofs of your Florida address

On a temporary visa, your card usually expires when your authorized stay ends, and a status check in the federal SAVE system can add days or weeks. Visitors can usually drive for a limited time on a valid home license (an International Driving Permit helps as a translation). After you move, plan to get your Florida license: expect vision and knowledge tests and often a road test. Ask the FLHSMV or your county tax collector's office whether any agreement with your country waives tests.

Each state runs its own licensing boards. To work in a licensed job in Florida, expect a credential evaluation of your degree, proof of English, and US exams.

Nurses

Registered nurses are licensed by the Florida Board of Nursing. Foreign-educated nurses usually need a credential review (often by CGFNS International), the NCLEX-RN exam, and sometimes an English test. For a work visa or green card you also need a VisaScreen certificate or approved equivalent. Florida is in the Nurse Licensure Compact, so your Florida license can let you work in other compact states. Many hospitals sponsor nurses for an EB-3 green card (employer guide).

Doctors

Physicians are licensed by the Florida Board of Medicine (for MDs) and the Board of Osteopathic Medicine (for DOs). The usual route is ECFMG certification, the USMLE exams, and US residency training.

Alternative pathway: yes. Florida is one of the states that let some internationally trained physicians get licensed without repeating a full US residency. Under a 2024 law, a doctor who holds an active foreign license, practiced actively for the four years before applying, completed residency or similar training abroad, holds ECFMG certification, and passed the required exams (USMLE Steps 1 and 2 and the Occupational English Test for Medicine) can apply once a Florida health care provider offers a full-time job. The doctor must stay with that employer for at least two years.

Conrad 30 waivers (lapsed): doctors who trained in the US on a J-1 visa usually must spend two years in their home country unless they get a waiver. Under Conrad 30, each state could recommend up to 30 waivers a year for doctors who agreed to work full time for three years in an underserved area. The program has lapsed: USCIS says doctors admitted in or acquiring J-1 status on or after October 1, 2025, cannot get a Conrad 30 waiver unless Congress reauthorizes it, and reauthorization is pending. In Florida, the state program has been run by the Florida Department of Health. Check with the state health department and the USCIS Conrad 30 page for the current status.

Teachers

The Florida Department of Education issues educator certificates, and most require passing the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE). Expect a credential evaluation, tests, and a background check. Some schools hire teachers from abroad on the J-1 teacher program or the H-1B.

Engineers

Many engineers work under a licensed Professional Engineer (PE). To sign plans for public work, you need a PE license from the Florida Board of Professional Engineers, which uses the NCEES exams (FE and PE) and may ask for an evaluation of your foreign degree.

The state Medicaid program is Florida Medicaid (eligibility is handled by the Department of Children and Families through ACCESS Florida), and children's coverage is Florida KidCare. Florida has not expanded Medicaid, so low-income adults without children or a disability rarely qualify, whatever their immigration status. Private plans are sold on HealthCare.gov, and Florida has one of the largest marketplace enrollments in the country.

Federal rules (as of September 2026):

• Green card holders usually wait 5 years before federal Medicaid or CHIP (the Children's Health Insurance Program) covers them. Former refugees and some others are exempt.
• From October 1, 2026, a 2025 federal law (H.R. 1) limits federal Medicaid and CHIP to green card holders, Cuban and Haitian entrants, and COFA migrants (citizens of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau). Refugees, asylees, and other lawfully present people without a green card lose federal eligibility. States can still cover lawfully residing children and pregnant people if they chose that option.
• Marketplace plans: most lawfully present immigrants, including visa holders, can buy one. Since January 1, 2026, those with income below the poverty line get no premium tax credits, and from January 1, 2027, credits are limited to green card holders, Cuban and Haitian entrants, and COFA migrants.
• Students: universities usually require international students to buy the school plan, and J-1 visitors must carry insurance that meets State Department rules.

Cuban and Haitian entrants in Florida remain in a group that can qualify for federal Medicaid after October 1, 2026, if they meet the other rules.

Benefits can matter in immigration cases, and a new public charge rule took effect on September 18, 2026. Read our public charge guide and what changed before you apply.

Florida does not have a statewide Office of New Americans.

The Florida Department of Children and Families runs the state's Refugee Services program, which serves refugees, asylees, Cuban and Haitian entrants, and other eligible groups through local providers. The US refugee ceiling for fiscal year 2026 is 17,500 (7,500 set in 2025 plus 10,000 added in May 2026, all for Afrikaners) (details), so few new refugees arrive, but agencies still help refugees and asylees already here with jobs, English classes, and case management (humanitarian options).

Free legal help: only licensed attorneys and accredited representatives at recognized nonprofits can give immigration legal advice. The Justice Department's Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) publishes a roster of recognized organizations and accredited representatives, with a list by state, and a list of pro bono providers. Avoid notarios (how to spot notario fraud, how to check a lawyer). If you have a criminal record, a past refusal, an overstay, or a pending asylum case, talk to a licensed immigration lawyer before you file anything.

Florida has several USCIS field offices: Miami, Kendall, Hialeah, Oakland Park, and West Palm Beach in South Florida, plus Fort Myers, Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville.

Field offices hold interviews for adjustment of status and naturalization; fingerprints are taken at Application Support Centers. A May 2026 USCIS policy memo says people in temporary (nonimmigrant) status should get green cards through adjustment of status only in "extraordinary circumstances," so talk to a lawyer before you file. There are no walk-ins, and offices are assigned by ZIP code (USCIS field office locator). Nationals of travel-ban countries should expect delays, because USCIS is holding many of their pending cases (travel ban status).

Costs vary a lot by region. Rents in Miami and much of South Florida are high, while north and central Florida cost less. Home and car insurance in Florida are among the most expensive in the US because of hurricanes and claims costs.

• State income tax: none on personal income.
• Sales tax: a state rate plus county surtaxes.
• Property tax: moderate. People who make a Florida home their permanent residence may qualify for a homestead exemption.

Everyone with US income files a federal return. Many F-1 and J-1 students count as nonresident aliens for tax purposes in their first years, which changes the forms they use (SSN and ITIN guide).