Advice for new grads which state to choose

you really need to research where you want to live. There are a few states that do not require local license but you have taken local boards so if you fail (thinking positively) then you have to declare that you have taken it. Being able to take NCLEX will not be immediate, you will be looking atleast 4 months or more because your nurse training will have to be assessed before allowed to sit it. Also depending on state you may need CES from CGFNS before BON will assess and that too can take several months. I would suggest having a good read on this forum and even use the search facility in this forum. Some states although they are getting less also require CGFNS exam which again delays the process

You are applying for licensure as an RN, the NCLEX exam is only one of the steps in the process. Please be aware that the MAN degree (Master's degree)in the Philippines is not the same as the MSN in the US, and will not avail of the additional licensing benefits for that degree.

And please select a state where you wish to work in most cased, not which you think will be the fastest.

I know IL doesn;t require SSN# from first time RN applicants.

What other state is also good for newly graduated US educated foreign nurses? perhaps with less paperwork, perhaps has more chance to hire, etc. I'm flexible to relocate. Anyone has experience? keep them coming.

It may be a case of you ringing hospitals and enquiring regarding petitioning but I feel a lot at the moment are waiting for retrogression to be sorted.

A state should always be chosen or selected by where you actually wish to work, never by who is the fastest. You can end up spending more more in time and money to endorse.

So the time to do the research is before you submit even the first application or document.

And again, the issue for most is there is a retrogression in place, so many facilities will not even start the process now. Earliest that I expect to see anything happening will be when the October Visa Bulletin is released and see which countries will still be under the retrogression. And definitely expect some to remain.

If you are single and flexible about location, you may wish to consider New Orleans Louisianna or Mississippi as they are re building their coastal areas from the Katrina disaster and are in critical need of nurses. These states will offer very low cost housing and living, but you will start at approx. 20.00/hr there as wages are somewhat lower. However, nurses will be very high up in comparable wages to other workers in the states so your rent, food, and other living expenses will be FAR lower than California, New York, or other expensive states to live in. Go where the Nurses are in critical need (the rural south and gulf coast areas) and you will find hospitals willing to work with you to get you properly licensed and trained. The weather in the gulf coast is very much like the Philippines (very warm and humid almost year round) so climate would not be a big adjustment. Also, New Orleans is home to some very fine hospitals (LSU Med School, Oschner Clinic foundation, Charity Hospital New Orleans, etc) that offer excellent training but are desperate for nurses! It would be worth contacting them for more info.

Hoss