REVEALED: Minnesota employers are recruiting nurses from KENYA—with green-card sponsorship, immigration costs covered and temporary housing. Their plans include placing nurses together in rural communities. The industry association helping expand the operation has a foundation awarded $1.68 MILLION in taxpayer grants for immigrant and refugee workforce programs. Global Care Recruiters co-founder Traci Larson explained the rural strategy: “we can’t place just one Kenyan nurse way out here in Marshall, MN.” Her recommendation: “We should probably look at a few [nurses].” The groundwork included a delegation to Kenya led by Democratic state Rep. Mohamud Noor. He helped establish a Nairobi examination center so Kenyan nurses could more easily take the licensing exam required for American nursing jobs. Minnesota providers visited recruitment agencies and nursing schools. Their stated purpose included: “represent Minnesota as a state to welcome diasporan nurses warmly” Four senior-care employers subsequently established Global Care Recruiters. By September, it reported more than 60 nurses in the pipeline and over 100 candidates undergoing legal review and employer interviews. Its website tells recruits: “Global Care Recruiters covers the cost of your immigration process—there are no fees for you to pay.” No repayment required. Partner employers provide temporary housing. LeadingAge Minnesota’s business subsidiary is helping run and expand the operation. Meanwhile, the association’s foundation received the taxpayer grants to build immigrant-worker recruitment and support resources—including a 64-page employer guide, translation devices, regional job fairs and a map connecting workers and families with more than 250 support organizations. It calls this: “practical infrastructure—not simply one-time programming” The recruiter’s ambitions extend beyond nurses to nursing assistants, culinary workers, dietitians and therapists—with potential expansion into other states and source countries. Larson’s own words: “why just Kenya?”
— Natalie Winters (@nataliegwinters) October 26, 2026
Their plans include placing nurses together in rural communities.
The industry association helping expand the operation has a foundation awarded $1.68 MILLION in taxpayer grants for immigrant and refugee workforce programs.
Global Care Recruiters co-founder Traci Larson explained the rural strategy:
“we can’t place just one Kenyan nurse way out here in Marshall, MN.”
Her recommendation:
“We should probably look at a few [nurses].”
The groundwork included a delegation to Kenya led by Democratic state Rep. Mohamud Noor.
He helped establish a Nairobi examination center so Kenyan nurses could more easily take the licensing exam required for American nursing jobs.
Minnesota providers visited recruitment agencies and nursing schools. Their stated purpose included:
“represent Minnesota as a state to welcome diasporan nurses warmly”
Four senior-care employers subsequently established Global Care Recruiters.
By September, it reported more than 60 nurses in the pipeline and over 100 candidates undergoing legal review and employer interviews.
Its website tells recruits:
“Global Care Recruiters covers the cost of your immigration process—there are no fees for you to pay.”
No repayment required. Partner employers provide temporary housing.
LeadingAge Minnesota’s business subsidiary is helping run and expand the operation.
Meanwhile, the association’s foundation received the taxpayer grants to build immigrant-worker recruitment and support resources—including a 64-page employer guide, translation devices, regional job fairs and a map connecting workers and families with more than 250 support organizations.
It calls this:
“practical infrastructure—not simply one-time programming”
The recruiter’s ambitions extend beyond nurses to nursing assistants, culinary workers, dietitians and therapists—with potential expansion into other states and source countries.
Larson’s own words: “why just Kenya?”
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