[suzanne4]

There is still a limit as to the number of visas per year that the US government will issue so there is a restriction on the number of visas issued per year and it depends on country of birth as well. So there are always going to be more applicants than there are visas.

I love having others be able to come to the US, but I still do not believe in an open door policy, and the government here does not either.

When a country trains nurses specifically for export like a commodity, then they have to deal with their own internal issues and not rely on the US to hire everyone that wishes to come here.

(This is in response to a post that was edited for others that are reading here and wondering.)

[bebotwaiting]

For you Filipino Nurses getting frustrated in looking for jobs abroad.
Actually, it does not matter where you work anymore. Every place is the same, we are only a fraction of the entire population. While we Philippine nurses want to relocate to bigger and better opportunities, most of the Filipinos are just content to where they are and make the most out of it. I bet that is the same thing with some Americans, Europeans and etc... They want to retire here because their pension is bigger when converted to Philippine money. The problem is the Filipinos are just too hospitable and willing to accept just about anyone who migrates to this place because they call these people investors.
For me, I am just trying out my luck somewhere else aside from the Philippines. If I get to work abroad, nowhere specific, then good and if I don't this is okay too. That just proves that God has other purposes for you in your profession and you don't have to earn loads of money for it.

[Hoss]

It is a beginning step, but be warned the bill may fall off the track at any time during the legislative process. However, it is worth noting that attention is being paid to the retrogression problem facing nurses from foreign countries. Mr. WEXLER and Mr. SENSENBRENNER) introduced the following bill

`Emergency Nursing Supply Relief Act'.


Introduced in House: This is the original text of the bill as it was written by its sponsor and submitted to the House for consideration.
Text of Legislation

HR 5924 IH
110th CONGRESS2d Session H. R. 5924To provide relief for the shortage of nurses in the United States, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESApril 29, 2008
Mr. WEXLER (for himself and Mr. SENSENBRENNER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILLTo provide relief for the shortage of nurses in the United States, and for other purposes.

• Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

• This Act may be cited as the `Emergency Nursing Supply Relief Act'.

SEC. 2. NURSING SHORTAGE RELIEF.
(a) Increasing Visa Numbers- Section 106 of the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-first Century Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-313; 8 U.S.C. 1153 note) is amended by adding at the end the following:
`(e) Visa Shortage Relief for Nurses and Physical Therapists-

• `(1) IN GENERAL- Subject to paragraph (2), for petitions filed during the period beginning on the date of the enactment of the Emergency Nursing Supply Relief Act and ending on September 30, 2011, for employment-based immigrants (and their family members accompanying or following to join under section 203(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153(d)), which are or have been approved based on Schedule A, Group I as defined in section 656.5 of title 20, Code of Federal Regulations, as promulgated by the Secretary of Labor, the numerical limitations set forth in sections 201(d) and 202(a) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1151(d) and 1152(a)) shall not apply.
  `(2) LIMITATION ON NUMBER OF VISAS- The Secretary of State may not issue more than 20,000 immigrant visa numbers in any one fiscal year (plus any available visa numbers under this paragraph not used during the preceding fiscal year) to principal beneficiaries of petitions pursuant to paragraph (1).
  `(3) EXPEDITED REVIEW- The Secretary of Homeland Security shall provide a process for reviewing and acting upon petitions with respect to immigrants described in paragraph (1) not later than 30 days after the date on which a completed petition has been filed.

`(f) Fee for Use of Visas Under Subsection (a)-

• `(1) IN GENERAL- The Secretary of Homeland Security shall impose a fee upon each petitioning employer who uses a visa provided under subsection (e) to provide employment for an alien as a professional nurse, except that--
  • `(A) such fee shall be in the amount of $1,500 for each such alien nurse (but not for dependents accompanying or following to join who are not professional nurses); and
    `(B) no fee shall be imposed for the use of such visas if the employer demonstrates to the Secretary that--
    • `(i) the employer is a health care facility that is located in a county or parish that received individual and public assistance pursuant to Major Disaster Declaration number 1603 or 1607; or
      `(ii) the employer is a health care facility that has been designated as a Health Professional Shortage Area facility by the Secretary of Health and Human Services as defined in section 332 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254e).
  `(2) FEE COLLECTION- A fee imposed by the Secretary of Homeland Security pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be collected by the Secretary as a condition of approval of an application for adjustment of status by the beneficiary of a petition or by the Secretary of State as a condition of issuance of a visa to such beneficiary.'.
  
  
  Full text of bill continues..... http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill...bill=h110-5924

[suzanne4]

And we have already seen one come thru with the 20,000 for three years and not one thing has come of it. And 20,000 is only a drop in the bucket, will not make much of a difference at all if you figure that is for the world and not just one country.

The reason for the retrogression is that there are more applicants than there are visas available.

[lawrence01]

If I'm not mistaken I think this is the same one we posted a weeks ago as I see that it also ends on Sept. 30, 2011 and that dependents are not included on the visa counting on the 20,000 a year quota.

[lost_stranger]

Originally Posted by lawrence01

If I'm not mistaken I think this is the same one we posted a weeks ago as I see that it also ends on Sept. 30, 2011 and that dependents are not included on the visa counting on the 20,000 a year quota.

Yeah, the bill was introduced almost a month back, only change is the increase in the number of co-sponsors to 5.

[Nurse!Nurse!Hello?]

In order to fully understand HR 5924, I would encourage people to read the complete text of the bill, rather than just the small portion cited by Hoss.

The purpose of the bill is to address the so-called "nursing shortage" in the United States. Part of the bill deals with temporarily increasing visas for nurses, but the larger portion involves addressing the problem of educating and retaining US nurses.

In a nutshell, HR 5924 will dump a whole lot of grant money into US nursing programs to attract, train, and retain US nurses in order to ensure an adequate supply of nurses for the future. An emphasis will be placed on increasing the number of nurses with advanced degrees, so that nursing schools will have enough faculty members to teach the increasing number of US nursing students. An emphasis will also be placed on retaining the nurses who are already working.

I know that people will get excited over anything that has to do with more visa availability, but keep it in perspective so you will not be disappointed (again...) 20,000 visas for the entire world is a small, small number, considering the many people who want to apply. Read the full text of the bill--it is primarily designed to address educating nurses in the US. Increasing the number of visas for foreign nurses is just a stop-gap measure. It's putting a bandaid on the US healthcare system while the wound is healing.

[prp009]

Suzanne, Just wondering, are you for international nurses or against them?
I have not seen any positive posts from you yet. I firmly believe that retrogression is gonna be lifted soon. There is no way US healthcare system can sustain without foreign nurses. (like any other sectors- IT, lans scaping, farming) I am sorry but it's the glass is half full or half empty scenario and you definitely always see it half-empty! Prasamsa

[prp009]

Are you trying to say we should let 2-years associate nurses, diploma nurses, LPN and med techs run the healthcare system? Coz if the government does not do something about the retrogression, I see that situation coming pretty soon!

[lawrence01]

The US Healthcare System will not fold up if there are no nurses with BSN or MSNs if that is what you are driving at.

It will run perfectly well with the ADNs, diploma nurses, LPNs and med techs that you are talking about. Throw in US-born MDs as well. It will run perfectly well with just them and no imports from other countries.

Foreign-educated nurses and non-US nationals educated in the US School system, whether nurses, physicians or other popular courses like IT must not have a feeling of entitlement.

Everyone are just guests in the grand scheme of things. It is this feeling of entitlement that irks US nationals.

Remember, if the US wants to be really strict about things then all F1 student visas should not be allowed to stay after graduation. Part of being granted the F1 student visa is that there is understanding that they will be going back to their home countries and not stay in the US after graduation. There was never a guarantee that F1 or M1 student visas will ALL be allowed to stay and work in the US.