Filipino RNs in the Bay Area, California

suzanne4, RN · Feb 23, 2007

Thanks Suzanne,
didnt know that lots of US nurses want to work there considering the high cost of real estate. but then again, RNs make a lot. How many months of US experience do they usually look for? (or years?)

Two years minimum of specialty area for the Bay Area hospitals.

RNs make alot in that area, but cost of living is also very high as comppard to other areas.

It is the highest paying area in the US, so of course there are many that wish to work there.

suzanne4, RN · Feb 23, 2007

She only have sub acute experience and is a green card holder. She went to a job fair at Stanford and was told they do not accept foreign graduates with only sub acute US expereince. They only accept new graduates fron US schools and foreign nurses with US acute experience. But she applied anyway via online and was called for an interview. Found out later that not alot were applying for medical surgical areas so she was lucky.
I have been to jobs fairs held by Kaiser Permanente, went to El Camino Hospital, ValleyMed, O' Connor, etc but no luck. Same explanation given. Foreign nurses with no US acute experience are not qualified and their new graduate program are only for US graduates and not for foreign nurses who want to enter that program. But when I went to ValleyCare at Pleasanton, they told me I can join their new graduate training program this coming June. And that place is a 1 hour drive away form Mountain View where I lived.
For LTC and sub acute, starting salary is between $30 to $35/hour.
BTW, El Camino Hospital is just a 15 minutes walk from where I stay.
Been there, done that..... Talking about "equal opportunity employment."

Biggest difference was also holding a green card, she did not need to be petitioned. And she also had completed another contract prior in the US.

suzanne4, RN · Feb 23, 2007

Salaries for RNs in hospitals are much higher, and if being petitioned by a nursing home, then the rates that we have been seeing posted have been in the range of $28/hour. Even though it sounds wonderful, you are also paying a higher rate of tax.......so with what is left with higher housing costs will not be that beneficial. And may really even be less than working in another area where the salaries are lower, but the cost of living is much lower. Especially if you are going to be paying for rent and food.

Rep · Feb 23, 2007

Thanks for sharing that. This info is very important to me (didnt think i would be lucky enough to get info from someone from M View, it gives me a good understanding of the situation at the bay area, i regularly visit Mountain View and stay at the houses behind the Safeway along Shoreline.
Pleasanton looks like a nice place, i would pass there when visiting walnut Creek via 680.
In your estimate, how many years would you need to work in Valley Care before the likes of El Camino etc can hire you?
Thanks!

Minimum requirement is one year in a specialty area( medsurg, ICU, ER,etc) then ECH, Kaiser and Stanford would hire when you apply and they will even give you a sign in bonus.

rookie_rn · Feb 28, 2007

hey there.. rookie_rn here. i am a Filipino. i am currently in San Jose, CA. i am working as a Registered Nurse in Santa Clara, CA and Sunnyvale, CA. while it is true that it is indeed very difficult to apply for RN positions in hospitals in the Bay Area (especially if you don't have any RN work experience in the Philippines), i know for a fact that there are a lot of convalescent hospitals (or nursing homes) here in Santa Clara County that would accept new graduate RNs. most of them would even sponsor Green Cards (if you are here on an UNEXPIRED US tourist visa and Form I-94, repeat: UNEXPIRED). it's like this, you work for 9-12 months in a nursing home to acquire US RN work experience. then, you can apply for work in hospitals. give it a thought..

suzanne4, RN · Feb 28, 2007

hey there.. rookie_rn here. i am a filipino. i am currently in san jose, ca. i am working as a registered nurse in santa clara, ca and sunnyvale, ca. while it is true that it is indeed very difficult to apply for rn positions in hospitals in the bay area (especially if you don't have any rn work experience in the philippines), i know for a fact that there are a lot of convalescent hospitals (or nursing homes) here in santa clara county that would accept new graduate rns. most of them would even sponsor green cards (if you are here on an unexpired us tourist visa and form i-94, repeat: unexpired). it's like this, you work for 9-12 months in a nursing home to acquire us rn work experience. then, you can apply for work in hospitals. give it a thought..

there are no visas available now. so this cannot be done. the other issue is that it is actually illegal per us immigration/us state dept to come to the us for the sole purpose of finding a job and staying.

and it is minimum of five months before the nurse can begin to work legally. starting before and they will be in immigration detention waiting to be deported.

and you also have the highest chance of losing your license working in a nursing home in the us and that is per bon statistics.

rookie_rn · Mar 2, 2007

lucky me, i guess. everything turned out well for me.

however, i don't think my Lawyer would risk his entire practice to do something illegal for me who only met him for the first time when i came into his office to ask for legal immigration advice.

all the steps that i took were well within the boundaries of the law.

good luck to everyone!

suzanne4, RN · Mar 2, 2007

lucky me, i guess. everything turned out well for me.
however, i don't think my Lawyer would risk his entire practice to do something illegal for me who only met him for the first time when i came into his office to ask for legal immigration advice.
all the steps that i took were well within the boundaries of the law.
good luck to everyone!

Yes, you were lucky. However, I have seen quite a few immigration attorneys do some very unethical things. The biggest problem for many that if there are problems it takes several years before anything happens to the attorney. But the nurse is the one that takes the fall since it is their responsibility to know the law per USCIS.

And right now, there are some very unscrupulous attorneys that have helped Filipino RNs in nursing homes and are having them work when there are no visas and they are working illegally. No SSN# and they cannot work, and they are being paid under the table and there are attorneys that have played a bog part in that.

So, some very bad apples are out there, as well as the nurses that know what they are doing. It is even well known in Manila about several attorneys, agencies, and nursing homes that will employ staff illegally.

When the get raided, the nurse will be deported and not be able to return to the US for ten years. ICE is having sweeps all over the state right now, 800 picked up in Bay Area over the past few weeks in case you have not heard.

And to work in the role of an RN when you do not have a license, since no SSN#, is also punishable by jail term by the BRN for impersonating an RN. Even with a license overseas, if there is not one in the US, then they are illegally working as an RN.

rookie_rn · Mar 2, 2007

i totally agree with you, suzanne. everything must be done in accordance with the law.

i have also heard of lawyers who take advantage of my fellow filipinos aspiring to live the american dream. and i, for one, despise them.

so, to all my fellow pinoy RNs out there, be very wary in choosing a Lawyer/US Immigration Specialist. choose a very reputable one with good history/references. never mind the fee. it is always better to be safe than sorry.

good luck!

rookieq · Mar 3, 2007

i totally agree with you, suzanne. everything must be done in accordance with the law.
i have also heard of lawyers who take advantage of my fellow filipinos aspiring to live the american dream. and i, for one, despise them.
so, to all my fellow pinoy RNs out there, be very wary in choosing a Lawyer/US Immigration Specialist. choose a very reputable one with good history/references. never mind the fee. it is always better to be safe than sorry.
good luck!

Thanks rookie_rn

i sent you a PM,

cheers

bethlearning · May 10, 2011

Can you give us an idea of pay rate in CA ?? and job opening for an RN

3 years experiences.