Hello,

I'm in a similar boat as many people--I've been in the US for 9 years, got my middle, high school and college diploma here, and i am classified as international student.

I just got accepted into the accelerated program at Pace University in NY that starts in Sept 2008.

I feel like I'm asking questions that already has been answered but I had a few.

While I was getting my undergraduate degree my visa changed from E-2 (dependent of my parents) to F-1 towards the end. Long story but I did not get to apply for OPT for my undergraduate degree. I am planning to apply for OPT before I receive BSN next year. I was wondering who i should consult for the matter--school international counselor or a lawyer? I doubt it but would it be possible to get two years of OPT for my undergraduate degree and bsn?

Also, is it possible to apply for a greencard while I am on OPT? I read something about petition but I don't quite understand. What would I need to discuss with my potential employers? and how long does it usually take to get a greencard that way? I know that it's a long and hard process and want to guess when I would be able to pursue my specialty (as a family nurse practitioner).

I plan to get my Master's in nursing as well but I don't think that I will do it at Pace because I want to get MSN/MPH. My dream is to go to underdeveloped countries and help people.. The closer i get to reaching my dream, the farther and harder it seems to get there, especially with all the immigration business. I'll save the trouble of talking about the past.

Once completing OPT, if the gc does not fall through, is it possible to get another student visa to goto school for MSN?

and last question--are the any hospitals who sponsor international student nurses as travel nurses outside of the US?

I'm sorry that it was so long. I'd appreciate any input/advice. Thank you! :loveya:

If you used the OPT before for the Bachelor's degree, you will not be able to use it now. And you can only use it once, so there are no two years of it available for you for the same level of degree.

What you need to be very aware of before you start an accelerated program is that many countries do not accept it for immigration and licensure since it is accelerated and does not meet their requirements in terms of actual hours completed in an approved school of nursing.

The US is under a retrogression at this time, and it is no longer possible to adjust status for the green card and we do not expect it to open up for years. So even if you complete the training and the OPT, the chances of being able to remain here to work are quite slim. And if you do go back for the Master's degree, you need to be aware of the fact that you will not be able to work when you start it as the OPT/EAD is only valid for one year and is never renewed. You would have to meet the requirements for obtaining the EAD again and it is not going to be as soon as you start your schooling. There is also a limit as to how many hours that you can work per week.

Next issue is that there are never travel assignments for student nurses, any of those jobs require a license as well as a couple of years of work experience.

Not sure what country that you are from and that is also going to be play a big part in things in terms of what will be happening as far as immigration with you.

Adn then the final question for you is if you have been in the US for so long and originally came with your parents, why do you not have citizenship by this time?

Just to add in to the equation, that the US is under a retrogression so there are no visas available; and no way to adjust your status when you finish your training most likely. Currently, you are looking at about five years for a chance at a green card.

Attending school in the US no longer guarantees that you will automatically receive a green card.

If you used the OPT before for the Bachelor's degree, you will not be able to use it now. And you can only use it once, so there are no two years of it available for you for the same level of degree.

I didn't use my OPT before for the bachelor's degree, but I can guess that I'll only get one year for my BSN. Thank you :]

What you need to be very aware of before you start an accelerated program is that many countries do not accept it for immigration and licensure since it is accelerated and does not meet their requirements in terms of actual hours completed in an approved school of nursing.

I didn't know that.. Thank you for the information.

The US is under a retrogression at this time, and it is no longer possible to adjust status for the green card and we do not expect it to open up for years. So even if you complete the training and the OPT, the chances of being able to remain here to work are quite slim. And if you do go back for the Master's degree, you need to be aware of the fact that you will not be able to work when you start it as the OPT/EAD is only valid for one year and is never renewed. You would have to meet the requirements for obtaining the EAD again and it is not going to be as soon as you start your schooling. There is also a limit as to how many hours that you can work per week.

What is EAD? Do I have to apply for that after completing the OPT or can I apply while I'm working during OPT? Does that mean that once completing my OPT, I would not be able to get another F1 Visa?

Also.. I was reading other forums and saw that it is not possible to obtain H1B visa with nursing? Is that due to retrogression?

Not sure what country that you are from and that is also going to be play a big part in things in terms of what will be happening as far as immigration with you.

I am from South Korea. I know that there are many Koreans in the US, and it is hard for us to get a gc.

Adn then the final question for you is if you have been in the US for so long and originally came with your parents, why do you not have citizenship by this time?

I came to the States when I was 14.. My parents applied for a greencard while i was still a minor but got rejected. They are in the process of applying again. Once I turned 21 in college, I was no longer considered a minor and got an independent visa, and the only one available for me at the time was F1, because I was still in school. I was also no longer eligible for in-state tuition (I live in Cali and went to UCLA), so I finished my degree in 3 years, before I turned 21.

Just to add in to the equation, that the US is under a retrogression so there are no visas available; and no way to adjust your status when you finish your training most likely. Currently, you are looking at about five years for a chance at a green card.

Attending school in the US no longer guarantees that you will automatically receive a green card.

Does that mean that it will be no use to find a hospital that can sponsor me for a gc once I become an RN?

Thank you so much for your thorough answers. I appreciate it greatly.

The EAD is a document that you receive from the US government when you qualify for the OPT. It is what gives you permission to actually work, but it is never renewed once the maximum of the year is used up.

The H1-B is actually designed for specialists and as a new grad, that would not be the case. You also do not see H1-B visas being used much as they are a temporary work permit and can be cancelled at any time and most facilities that are unionized are not permitted to use them.

The H1-B visas are also per lottery system and the application is made in April for the start date of October and one cannot remain in the US while that is being done if they do not have the proper visa for it.

And the other issue is that all H1-B visas are being reviewed now as only 11% went to specialists and that is what it was designed for.

For nursing, you need the green card and we are under the retrogression at this time so there is no way to adjust your visa at this time, or suspect when you will be done with your training.

Wish I could sound more promising, but with things the way that they are, it is just impossible to do. And do not think that things are going to get better, but even more difficult.

Is it possible to goto school and not work once i complete OPT? that is, is it possible to get another f-1 visa for my master's degree?

Thank you for telling me as it is. I appreciate it more than sugar coated reality. :]

As long as you remain a fullt-time student then the one I-20 is valid. The OPT is actually part of training and is done while you are under the F-1 status, you do not get a different status with that. And you would be able to continue on with the Master's degree.

Best of luck to you. But again, make sure that your accelerated program will let you do what you want. The bad part is that most other countries will not accept it for licensure/immigration and that has me worried if you start it and then cannot use it.

Get these things checked out very specifically before you start any program, when they are non-traditional.

Question for the OP: what degree did you get the first time you graduated college? I'm only asking because certain majors can get extension on their OPT...oops, never mind. you wouldn't qualify anyway because those who qualify for the new extensions are people with current opt about to expire. you don't have opt from your first degree so it wouldn't apply.

you coulda worked with that before starting school for your BSN. Only thing is you can't apply for OPT when you get out of school. You can get the OPT when your finish the BSN. the fact that you didn't apply for OPT after your first degree doesn't mean you'll be entitled to 2yrs of OPT. you only get one for each major. If you switch majors again, you'll be eligible for another year.

I'm assuming you'll finish your opt in 2010. Very few hospitals offer h1-c but they are very limited and i heard they won't be available in 2010.

I do know only 1 hospital, 1, that gets h1-b for nurses. Thing is they aren't hiring foreign nurses always so it isn't something you can bank on. I'm sure you'll figure out something by then

Also, in terms of travel nursing, suzanne4 gave you the a and z of it. You'll need to have a license and even then, it'll be nice if you've had experience in some local experience before travelling.

You CAN go back to school after you do your OPT. I know a korean girl from KS who came to Hopkins to do her OPT and after one year, she went back to KU for her masters. That was 2 years ago...she's prolly done with her masters. You can't do the OPT and be in school at the same time.

Don't know much about the retrogression so i can't help you there. best wishes.

The H1-B is currently being investigated and we are expecting to see some major changes being made to that visa. And one is that a new grad is never a specialist after only the Bachelor's degree.

Without experience, there is no specialty to start.

To the OP, if push comes to shove, you can work for a college. They don't have any caps to the h-1b.

There's currently a nursing glut in some areas here, at least in some cities on east coast. With all the various accelerated programs here and all the regular programs, i have a feeling this glut is just starting. So much for baby boomers causing nursing shortage...i think that whole scare is the cause of this glut.

Also, these things change all the time, OPT, H-1b, whatever....they keep changing rules and stuff you'll have to keep up with it.

All the best.

All of the H1-B programs are being investigated right now, and that goes for those from university programs. It does not matter where the job is but the fact that as a new grad, one is far from being a specialist.

And with more changes coming down the line in terms of visas, it is not known what will be available to them later on. I do hope that the H1-B goes back to what it was designed for in the first place.

And attending school in the US no longer guarantees that one will be able to remain here later on. It actually was required previously that those that came on student visas leave after training, that is why there was just the one year of the OPT and it could not be extended or renewed. And with the changes in the economy here, expect something similar again.

To the OP, if push comes to shove, you can work for a college. They don't have any caps to the h-1b.

There's currently a nursing glut in some areas here, at least in some cities on east coast. With all the various accelerated programs here and all the regular programs, i have a feeling this glut is just starting. So much for baby boomers causing nursing shortage...i think that whole scare is the cause of this glut.

Also, these things change all the time, OPT, H-1b, whatever....they keep changing rules and stuff you'll have to keep up with it.

All the best.

do you mean working for a college during my OPT or part time as a graduate student, or on H1b? sorry, a bit confused.

Question for the OP: what degree did you get the first time you graduated college? I'm only asking because certain majors can get extension on their OPT...oops, never mind. you wouldn't qualify anyway because those who qualify for the new extensions are people with current opt about to expire. you don't have opt from your first degree so it wouldn't apply.

you coulda worked with that before starting school for your BSN. Only thing is you can't apply for OPT when you get out of school. You can get the OPT when your finish the BSN. the fact that you didn't apply for OPT after your first degree doesn't mean you'll be entitled to 2yrs of OPT. you only get one for each major. If you switch majors again, you'll be eligible for another year.

I'm assuming you'll finish your opt in 2010. Very few hospitals offer h1-c but they are very limited and i heard they won't be available in 2010.

I do know only 1 hospital, 1, that gets h1-b for nurses. Thing is they aren't hiring foreign nurses always so it isn't something you can bank on. I'm sure you'll figure out something by then

Also, in terms of travel nursing, suzanne4 gave you the a and z of it. You'll need to have a license and even then, it'll be nice if you've had experience in some local experience before travelling.

You CAN go back to school after you do your OPT. I know a korean girl from KS who came to Hopkins to do her OPT and after one year, she went back to KU for her masters. That was 2 years ago...she's prolly done with her masters. You can't do the OPT and be in school at the same time.

Don't know much about the retrogression so i can't help you there. best wishes.

I majored in international development studies and minored in global studies and asian languages and cultures.. but i understand that i wont get an opt for that.

it is so awesome to hear that i can go back to school after finishing OPT. now id just need to figure out how to pay for it all..

i have a different question.

as I've sed, i just got accepted into Pace University in NY.. but I have not heard much about the school or their research program. their website doesn't have much info.. I'm sure it's a good school, but for the money that I will be paying without financial aid, i should apply to so-called "better schools."

i have previously gotten accepted into U of Rochester and am on the waitinglist for Emory.. but i also have gotten rejected from a few. my mind tells me that it would be illogical to wait for anoher school, but i dont know what school names mean when in the field of nursing. i also plan to pursue my masters and do research in international health.

any advice? thank you for your input!

If you have to wait to get into a better school, that will put you out of status because you have an f-1 visa and if you're not enrolled in school, they'll start counting your 60 days.

The only school i'm a little aware of is sarah lawrence and that's cuz i looked into it when i finished high school but never quite made it to ny.

Keep in my accelerate programs are more expensive. The one at my current school had students paying about 30k in 2005. Not sure what they pay now but we regular students were payng 25k so while it may be expensive, you do kinda save in the long run.

I did go to a school in PA that does have a good name and a good program. just not sure i'll recommend it to anyone.

Best wishes in whatever you choose to do.