I will never be a nurse

Nurses Career Support

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Hi everyone. I guess this is just me mourning the loss of what I worked so hard for but was taken away from me. I graduated from nursing school on Dec 2012 with my BSN, magna cum laude. Passed the boards April 2013. It has almost been two years and I have yet to work a day as a nurse. Long story short I am an immigrant. I was brought to America at age 11 and I am now almost 24. I had maintained a visa up until this year it expired. I had to let it expire because there is no way to become a permanent resident. If you have ever dealt with the hurdles of America's immigration system you know what I am taking about. I had seen about 15 immigration attorneys. All said the same thing. They told me to find a husband (sigh). I worked so hard to become an RN. And now my heart is broken going through social media looking at pictures and statuses of people who graduated a year after me and are working while I sit at home. These two years have passed by and I have been suffering from depression. I see a counselor but I do not see how this is helping me. I am crying right now because I was once a sharp nursing student but I cannot remember a single medication or side effect or basic nursing care or even diseases. I have literally forgotten everything. I am just mourning the loss of what would have been a great career. Due to immigration laws I am stuck. At this time last year I still had some hope but now I have come to a realization that it wasn't meant to be. I almost had a job at a hospital in NYC last year but once they found out about my status they refused to hire me. Even if by some miracle I was able to work now, I wouldn't even know where to start. I am no longer marketable and I am an old new grad. I am thinking of throwing my license away. This honestly physically hurts. My counselor tells me I am experiencing loss or stages of grief but I do not think I will ever accept it. It is not fair. I worked so hard. I am almost in my mid 20's and have not had a career.

Sorry for the long post I just really needed to cry my heart out online because no one in my real life cares.

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Specializes in OB.

this might sound like a dumb question but what about going back to your original country? is that not an option? at least until you can solve the immigration situation....

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this might sound like a dumb question but what about going back to your original country? is that not an option? at least until you can solve the immigration situation....

it is not an option. I barely know that place. I haven't been there since age 11. If I did go back it would be total failure on my part. I would be extremely depressed. Also knowing that people who have been here illegally have received work permits makes no sense to me. How come they do not get to go back? Why should I? I was here legally for so long and just finally lost my status. Sorry I do not mean to vent. Just elaborating a little more on my situation.

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Specializes in OB.

no need to apologize for venting. I asked a question and you replied. if you had you status for so long it doesn't make sense as why you lost it. three gotta be something you can do. what do the lawyers you have talks to say?

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no need to apologize for venting. I asked a question and you replied. if you had you status for so long it doesn't make sense as why you lost it. three gotta be something you can do. what do the lawyers you have talks to say?

that is how messed up the immigration system is. There was nothing I could do. There was no way for me to go from "nonimmigrant" to "permanent resident". The only option was to get married and have my husband petition for me. Well that's not realistic for me because I do not have a husband.

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Despite all this I did the best I could to further my education so I chose to go to nursing school. I had some hope that a miracle would happen and I would work but that hope is gone now. And nursing school was basically a waste of time.

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Specializes in ER, TRAUMA, MED-SURG.

I am SO sorry! I can't imagine what you're going through! So frustrating - it's a shame none of the attorneys could help u with the situation you have going on.

Anne, RNC

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That's so terrible. Immigration laws in this country are ridiculous and outdated. I saw a shirt recently that said "America, fighting immigration since 1742." The united states is solidly made up of and built by immigrants, it's unfortunate that the government and ignorant citizens don't embrace this.

It seems as if marrying someone would solve this for you; but I am sure that is not what you have planned for your life. And it is also probably not easily successfully portrayed to the government when it's a marriage solely to gain citizenship.

If things do work out for you, I am sure you will be able to work confidently and successfully as a nurse despite graduating 2 years ago. I feel like nursing is more practice then an expanse of knowledge from school. I just recently graduated, I feel like I know nothing.

Canada is getting the nclex exam, i think next year. Would it be a possibility to go to canada as you could have a valid nursing license there? I don't know their immigration laws but perhaps they are more lax. I myself would prefer to work for the canadian healthcare system.

I wish there was more I could say. I truly wish you the most luck. Also, do you live on long island? Your profile says valley stream. Small world if so; I grew up in Babylon on long island.

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Hi everyone. I guess this is just me mourning the loss of what I worked so hard for but was taken away from me. I graduated from nursing school on Dec 2012 with my BSN, magna cum laude. Passed the boards April 2013. It has almost been two years and I have yet to work a day as a nurse. Long story short I am an immigrant. I was brought to America at age 11 and I am now almost 24. I had maintained a visa up until this year it expired. I had to let it expire because there is no way to become a permanent resident. If you have ever dealt with the hurdles of America's immigration system you know what I am taking about. I had seen about 15 immigration attorneys. All said the same thing. They told me to find a husband (sigh). I worked so hard to become an RN. And now my heart is broken going through social media looking at pictures and statuses of people who graduated a year after me and are working while I sit at home. These two years have passed by and I have been suffering from depression. I see a counselor but I do not see how this is helping me. I am crying right now because I was once a sharp nursing student but I cannot remember a single medication or side effect or basic nursing care or even diseases. I have literally forgotten everything. I am just mourning the loss of what would have been a great career. Due to immigration laws I am stuck. At this time last year I still had some hope but now I have come to a realization that it wasn't meant to be. I almost had a job at a hospital in NYC last year but once they found out about my status they refused to hire me. Even if by some miracle I was able to work now, I wouldn't even know where to start. I am no longer marketable and I am an old new grad. I am thinking of throwing my license away. This honestly physically hurts. My counselor tells me I am experiencing loss or stages of grief but I do not think I will ever accept it. It is not fair. I worked so hard. I am almost in my mid 20's and have not had a career.

Sorry for the long post I just really needed to cry my heart out online because no one in my real life cares.

U said u were an immigrant... so that means u can get hired and work here in the US legally before it expired. Why not just renew it?

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Yes I was here legally for 12 years. My status expired. The immigration system is so flawed that an education nurse with a BSN who has been here since middle school cannot work. Anyway, the work permit I had was only for a year and no one would hire me with it. Right now I do not have a status. But I have no intention of returning back.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Even if you found a employer willing to go the immigration route with you depending on country of birth will depend on how many years it will take for you to get visa (currently looking at anything from 3-10 years) I thought there was a law brought out in regards children brought to the country and maintained legality and could then get something sorted in regard being a legal immigrant?

I am sorry you are going through this. Canada has a lot of requirements and a lot of different routes but a lot will depend on whether this is an option for you or not

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

If you are now out of status you risk deportation.and a 10 year ban if caught. Why not look at returning to school as a student?. Your OPT & legal status actually expires if you do not find suitable work within a specified short period post graduation, so I hate to be the bearer of more bad news but you may have been out if status for over a year. & a half. Student visas are not intended to lead to permanent resident status but a candidate is expected to return to their home country post graduation. It seems you have already researched your options after overstaying your status gained as a child. Aside from marriage (which is not a guaranteed option as immigration looks for marriages of convenience now), is returning to full time student an option for you? Though gaining a graduate degree in nursing with no clinical working experience is not a guarantee of employment. There is minimal incentive for employers to go through the time and expense of trying to hire an inexperienced nurse when there are so many citizen & PR nurses seeking employment.

It's tough. It's depressing for you.

Canadian immigration laws are not lax nor "easy". You are two years from graduation without recent practice so you will likely have a difficult time finding a work visa in Canada. There is lot a shortage of inexperienced nurses in the US or Canada.

I know you seem to not want to return to your home country but you need to come to a decision soon before USCIS makes the decision for you.

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