Agencies and contracts

Silverdragon102, BSN · Dec 3, 2005

Please pay attention to your contract before signing it. There is no such thing as a free green card. The money for it will be coming from your pocket, not the agencies. In most cases, there is about $5 per hour taken from you to cover the expenses. This works out to about $20,000 over two years. Expenses are about $4,000. You do the math.
The better way to do things, if you can afford it, is for you to pay the fees, and then you are in control, and can pick your attorney, etc. The facilities are normally paying a relocation fee that will cover your expenses.
Also, pay attention to what the cancellation fee is. If for some reason that you would need to leave your contract early, or the facility cancels you, you will be responsible for paying that fee. The document that you sign is a legally binding contract. And some contracts can be as high as $15,000 to $20,000.
If your recruiter makes a promise, but it is not written into your contract, then it doesn't exist. It must be in writing and signed off by the management of the agency. And oral promise will not mean anything, especially if your recruiter is no longer working for that agency later on.

Suzanne

Could you not make this a sticky with some hints on what to look for in a good contract?

suzanne4, RN · Dec 3, 2005

A good contract is one that the nurse actually pays the fees, so that they are completely in control. They can pick the attorney, etc., which is just as important, or even more important in some instances. Most facilities are now giving a relocation bonus that will pay for the fees, and you do not get that $5 per hour taken out of your rate of pay for the length of your contract. This would be an exmaple of the best type of contract. The agency, if they are used, and they can be beneficail, but they should not be taking advantage of the nurse. They should be beneficial to the nurse.

Cancellation fees should be no more than about $6000 to $7000, at the most, just to cover the hospital's expenses with training, etc. But $20,000??? And I just heard of one agency wanting a $25,000 cancellation fee today. Totally obsene................ :madface:

suzanne4, RN · Dec 3, 2005

The nurse should be in control of where he or she works, not the agency. Not where the agency "deems fit to place you." And if you want to work in a hospital, make sure that you have that in your contract, otherwise you will be losing priceless years of experience.

You should know the state, as well as city, before you sign the contract, not two weeks before you leave for the US.

You should be in the driver's seat, they need you, not the other way around. And you should market yourself to them as such, if you decide yo use an agency.

linRN2 · Dec 4, 2005

The good thing about the agency where I applied in is that I was given the choice of the city where I would like to be assigned to. It was also stipulated in the contract as well as in the ETA(some no.?) about the salary that we will be getting. However, as you mentioned, Suzanne, there was nothing in the contract that mentions about housing, legal fees, nor the salary deduction that they will be taking from us. The agency just mentioned in her emails about these benefits. When I asked her about the salary deduction in one of my emails, I just felt that she purposely veered from answering the question.

Anyway, we had good feedbacks from the friends who preceeded us, and are now Immigrant nurses there. True enough there was salary deduction (of around $1-2/hr), & 1 month housing. But we still don't know the amount of the contract we signed into.

If the amount is not stipulated in the contract, can we contest this if they ask a certain huge amt. should we decide to get out of this in the future? The contract is 2-way, right?

suzanne4, RN · Dec 5, 2005

Sorry, but the salary deduction is more than $1 or $2 dollars from what the US nurses are getting. And take a close look at your contract. I am sure that there is a cancellation clause in there. If you have signed the contract, then it is binding and you are stuck with it.

If she is veering off from giving you a straight answer, I am sure that there is a cancellation clause in there as well. Personally, I have not seen a contract that did not contain one.

Again, the contract is a legally binding contract, and if you agreed to the terms of it, then you have to live with what ever that you signed.

And just getting a city means absolutely nothing. Does you contract stipulate hospitals only, or the choice of the agency? Do you get to pick the facility, or does the agency do that?

bunso · Dec 6, 2005

:uhoh3: HI, ALTHOUGH I HAVE SIGNED SOME CONTRACT BOTH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL, IM NOT PARTICULAR IN ITS CONTENT, WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THE SALARY. MAYBE IM SIGNING THIS COZ ILL BE WORKING TOGETHER WITH MY FRIENDS BUT NOW THAT IVE APPLIED ALONE IM AFRAID THAT IM NOT GETTING A GOOD CONTRACT OR THE BEST ONE. WHAT DO YOU THINK SHOULD BE IN THE CONTRACT, THE IMPORTANT THINGS I SHOULD LOOK FOR? AND IF CANCELLATION OCCUR, $3500 PAYBACK IS OK? PLEASE DO EDUCATE ME ON THIS KIND OF THINGS...:uhoh21:

BUNSO

THANKS:)

Silverdragon102, BSN · Dec 6, 2005

HI, ALTHOUGH I HAVE SIGNED SOME CONTRACT BOTH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL, IM NOT PARTICULAR IN ITS CONTENT, WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THE SALARY. MAYBE IM SIGNING THIS COZ ILL BE WORKING TOGETHER WITH MY FRIENDS BUT NOW THAT IVE APPLIED ALONE IM AFRAID THAT IM NOT GETTING A GOOD CONTRACT OR THE BEST ONE. WHAT DO YOU THINK SHOULD BE IN THE CONTRACT, THE IMPORTANT THINGS I SHOULD LOOK FOR? AND IF CANCELLATION OCCUR, $3500 PAYBACK IS OK? PLEASE DO EDUCATE ME ON THIS KIND OF THINGS...:uhoh21:
BUNSO
THANKS:)

I am sure suzanne will be along to answer your questions. Could I suggest that when you type could it be in lower case as in capitals are classed as shouting but also makes it a bit harder to read. :)

jonRNMD · Dec 6, 2005

HI, ALTHOUGH I HAVE SIGNED SOME CONTRACT BOTH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL, IM NOT PARTICULAR IN ITS CONTENT, WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THE SALARY.

wait! wait! you signed contracts? did you check if you would not need to pay if you backed out of the contracts?

suzanne4, RN · Dec 6, 2005

HI, ALTHOUGH I HAVE SIGNED SOME CONTRACT BOTH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL, IM NOT PARTICULAR IN ITS CONTENT, WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THE SALARY. MAYBE IM SIGNING THIS COZ ILL BE WORKING TOGETHER WITH MY FRIENDS BUT NOW THAT IVE APPLIED ALONE IM AFRAID THAT IM NOT GETTING A GOOD CONTRACT OR THE BEST ONE. WHAT DO YOU THINK SHOULD BE IN THE CONTRACT, THE IMPORTANT THINGS I SHOULD LOOK FOR? AND IF CANCELLATION OCCUR, $3500 PAYBACK IS OK? PLEASE DO EDUCATE ME ON THIS KIND OF THINGS...:uhoh21:
BUNSO
THANKS:)

I have yet to see a contract that had a cancellation clause of only $3500, that may have been if you cancelled before you even went to the US, but all are higher. And I hate to ask, but what type of salary did they promicse you and for what city?

Can't tell you anything else without know ing more specifics.

linRN2 · Dec 7, 2005

Sorry, but the salary deduction is more than $1 or $2 dollars from what the US nurses are getting. And take a close look at your contract. I am sure that there is a cancellation clause in there. If you have signed the contract, then it is binding and you are stuck with it.
If she is veering off from giving you a straight answer, I am sure that there is a cancellation clause in there as well. Personally, I have not seen a contract that did not contain one.
Again, the contract is a legally binding contract, and if you agreed to the terms of it, then you have to live with what ever that you signed.
And just getting a city means absolutely nothing. Does you contract stipulate hospitals only, or the choice of the agency? Do you get to pick the facility, or does the agency do that?

Thanks, Suzanne. Before the contract was sent to me, I requested for the type of facility I want to be assigned to, as well as the location. When I received the contract, I had a lawyer go over it before I signed it. Yes, it has a cancellation clause re- paying back the expenses incurred by the employer during the process depending on the time the contract will lapse. Sorry, I forgot to mention this earlier. Although I am not really worried as regards the expenses they have invested on me. So far, it's still very minimal compared to others. I have spent for all my exams as well as for my visascreen.

But I was curious as regards the salary deduction, so this is what bothers me ...that if the specific amount is not indicated in the contract, is it legal for them to do so? Yes, I guess I need to compute, right?

Anyway, as you said...I have to live with whatever I signed. I pray that I made the right choice. :rolleyes:

suzanne4, RN · Dec 7, 2005

Most contracts have cancellation fees of about $20,000 and I think that is completely ridiculous. There expenses are at the most aobut $6,000. That would be a fair amount. If you had to return home, it could be years before you were able to repay that. There needs to be an actual fee listed there, not that there will be a charge, or it could be anything. Sorry, if your lawyer signed off on it without an actual fee or percentage listed there.