Agencies and contracts

[suzanne4]

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.

[msrclim]

I have a contract with an agency in California. There is no set amount for the cancellation clause. However, it states that I will agree to reimburse the agency for any and all expenses they incurred in hiring me. At present, only the contract has been signed and they have not spent any money on my behalf. At most, they will only be spending for the lawyers and consular process fees. I have a copy of how much this will cost and how much they are paying the lawyers. At this point, can I still cancel the contract without paying any major amount based on the cancellation clause? How do you cancel a contract if you want to cancel it?

Rita

[msrclim]

I am the nurse who posted the previous message. I also wanted to ask, if after I get my visa, I decide to terminate my contract with the agency, does that mean that the only amount I have to pay them will be the lawyers fees and the consular process fees (which amounts to about $8000 for a family of four)?

Rita

[suzanne4, RN]

I have a contract with an agency in California. There is no set amount for the cancellation clause. However, it states that I will agree to reimburse the agency for any and all expenses they incurred in hiring me. At present, only the contract has been signed and they have not spent any money on my behalf. At most, they will only be spending for the lawyers and consular process fees. I have a copy of how much this will cost and how much they are paying the lawyers. At this point, can I still cancel the contract without paying any major amount based on the cancellation clause? How do you cancel a contract if you want to cancel it?

Rita

Sorry, but you got the royal screw with that contract. Never, ever sign a contract like that where fees are not actually written into the contract. They can add in the cost of advertising, writing a letter for you, postage, etc. I have seen all types of things. They know quite well down to the penny what their costs are. If they do not write it, they are free to charge you whatever they want.

You need to comtact a lawyer to get their opinion on this. Not their lawyer, who works for them and not you. I posted a website for pre-pad legal aid and they can help you with this. You will just need to review a few of the posts here to find it.

[suzanne4, RN]

I am the nurse who posted the previous message. I also wanted to ask, if after I get my visa, I decide to terminate my contract with the agency, does that mean that the only amount I have to pay them will be the lawyers fees and the consular process fees (which amounts to about $8000 for a family of four)?

Rita

Sorry, but I am sure that they are going to charge you much more than that. Contact the pre-pad legal firm that I posted previously about.

Did they tell you where you would be working? Or just any place that they would place you?

Please send me the name of this agency by pm.

[msrclim]

Hi Suzanne. Couldn't find the legal aid website that you mentioned. Can you post it again? Thanks.

Rita

[Dedicategirl]

I Would Like To Know How Can Break Agency Bond. I Signed Agency Bond Before I Come To Us(all Documents Signed When I Was In Indai). Agency Says, I Have To Pay Compensation To Break Bond.

Do I Have To Pay Compensation For Breaking Bond.they Made A Contract Of 3-year. Can I Get A Details Of Attorney Who Specialisted In agency Bond Breaking

thanks

[jat_phil]

I agree that if you have the money pay for your own expenses rather than be at the mercy of the agency. I have signed a contract and now i'm stuck with it. Many of us who signed up with our agency are regretting it but as of now we can do nothing about it but just comply with whatever they say and just hope that our agony with them will be over.

[suzanne4, RN]

I Would Like To Know How Can Break Agency Bond. I Signed Agency Bond Before I Come To Us(all Documents Signed When I Was In Indai). Agency Says, I Have To Pay Compensation To Break Bond.

Do I Have To Pay Compensation For Breaking Bond.they Made A Contract Of 3-year. Can I Get A Details Of Attorney Who Specialisted In agency Bond Breaking

thanks

Not if they haven't lived up to their part of the contract. A contract is a legally binding document, only when both parties meet their obligations to it in a timely fashion. And what your agecny is doing, is 100% illegal.

I have a meeting with some people that may be able to help you tomorrow, I already passed your story on to someone. Give me a couple of days to get things together for what you will need to do.

Please send me a copy of the contract and any other mailings that you have received from them, as soon as possible.

[suzanne4, RN]

I agree that if you have the money pay for your own expenses rather than be at the mercy of the agency. I have signed a contract and now i'm stuck with it. Many of us who signed up with our agency are regretting it but as of now we can do nothing about it but just comply with whatever they say and just hope that our agony with them will be over.

Sorry, but you are taking a defeatist attitude and that won't help. If your agency doesn't do what they have specified in the contract with you, then the contract can actually be cancelled. There is not reason that any of you should be taken advantage of, but these crooks need to get what is coming to them.

[pg27]

kindly tell ur agency so we will not go there if its not good!!! help us and if u can tell us good agency... from the philippines

[zippiestfriend]

Hi Suzanne,

I am in my 2nd(of 4) years of schooling for my RN degree in Ontario, Canada. I am thinking of relocating to the US when finished.

My father is American and i am eligible to apply for dual citizenship.

So, my thoughts were to apply for my dual citizenship, and i would have thought that i could approach hospitals in the area that i want to live in.

Do you have to go through an agency?

Will it actually help or hinder to have dual citizenship?

I realize i would need to get certification in whichever state i am applying too, but are there any other big things i would need to think about?

Many thanks, for your help and suggestion.

The only suggestion and maybe because i'm new i havne't found it yet, is to have something for people listing all the steps one needs to do to move to the US for work.

Thanks in advance,

Zip

[suzanne4, RN]

Hi Suzanne,

I am in my 2nd(of 4) years of schooling for my RN degree in Ontario, Canada. I am thinking of relocating to the US when finished.

My father is American and i am eligible to apply for dual citizenship.

So, my thoughts were to apply for my dual citizenship, and i would have thought that i could approach hospitals in the area that i want to live in.

Do you have to go through an agency?

Will it actually help or hinder to have dual citizenship?

I realize i would need to get certification in whichever state i am applying too, but are there any other big things i would need to think about?

Many thanks, for your help and suggestion.

The only suggestion and maybe because i'm new i havne't found it yet, is to have something for people listing all the steps one needs to do to move to the US for work.

Thanks in advance,

Zip

If you have dual citizenship, you will need to only pass the NCLEX-RN exam.

You need to get a license in which ever state or states that you wish to work in.

And there are stickies at the top of the page for working in the US, fastest way, etc. Your case is a little different because you are Canadian, and trained there. Special allowances are made by some states for that, such as MI waives the need for the CGFNS exam for you. And because of the possibility of dula citizenship, you do not have any immigraiton issues to deal with. Even as a Canadian, you could work in the US right away with a Visa Screen Certificate, but since you will US Citizenship, you do not need that, only the NCLEX-RN exam. You are unable to begin the process to work here as an RN, until you have an actual completed set of transcripts to be submitted to a Board of Nursing for licensure. You nned to complete that step before you will be able to sit for the NCLEX-RN.

Hope that this helps..............

And if you check out the Canadian Forum, there is a sticky at the top of that page for Canadians wishing to work in the US that I prepared.

Best bet for you is to contact a facility directly. You do not have any immigration issues to worry about.