Avant Healthcare

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I was wondering if anybody has signed up with AVANT HEALTHCARE PROFFESIONALS, a USA based agency for NURSES and PTs, which currently sponsors NCLEX-passers. Any updates with your application?

I have started this thread thinking we could update on the process that you are undergoing since US visa bulletin is fast moving.

For those who signed up with AVANT, please. Share your experience with them here.

Thank you!

Hi spicy_mamba,

Actually my first petition was denied just recently and because of the high volume of denials I have to wait 2-3 months just to get my petition refiled. I'm not sure if they have chosen to prioritize first or second petitions or if they will file all petitions chronologically. You seem to be within the time frame, so just hang in there. The immigration process is all about waiting... patiently, I hope.

Has Avant sent you any email with a projected timeline? Do you know your estimated time of arrival?

As to your question about the PD, I copied this for you from Wikipedia:

"For employment-based immigration beneficiaries, the priority date is the date an immigration petition is filed at USCIS, under categories where a labor certification is not required, or when the United States Department of Labor receives a labor certification application, under categories where a labor certification is required. In all cases, the priority dates are not established until USCIS approves the immigration petition."

I guess a person can have their PD before they've passed the NCLEX if they're applying through a different route, i.e. not through employment-based immigration. Avant sponsors an EB-3 and it's required that the beneficiary has completed all requirements, including the NCLEX, before Avant can file the petition. Otherwise there's no point; it's futile to file an incomplete application.

After I received the denial on my first petition, I talked with my immigration specialist over the phone. We discussed the fact that the employment agreement will have different wording to ensure the USCIS doesn't find any absurd excuses to deny Avant's nurses. We went over a few examples and it seemed very reasonable. I haven't received the new agreement, yet, but there were some changes in the new ETA 9089 form that I already signed and returned to Avant.

It also helps that instead of waiting for a long period of time they'll now pay for the premium to get a decision in 15 days. Last year they didn't want to do that because the USCIS was unpredictable.

I hope all the best for you and your case, spicy_mamba!

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Hi spidersweb!,

may I ask about the new agreement, what was the changes from the previous one..

Do you have to first have the PD? after passing nclex, and then the visa screen?

how many estimated months from passing nclex to getting a PD? from PD to Immigration processing?

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Specializes in Acute and Critical Care.
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Hi spidersweb!,

may I ask about the new agreement, what was the changes from the previous one..

Do you have to first have the PD? after passing nclex, and then the visa screen?

how many estimated months from passing nclex to getting a PD? from PD to Immigration processing?

Hey rplf29,

I'm still to receive the new agreement, so I can't go into detail about what actually changed. We did, however, discuss that the USCIS is nitpicking about the fact that Avant doesn't offer a permanent – a lifetime – job but then again, that would be illegal. The USCIS just seems to be looking for excuses to deny cases. We do know for a fact that the RFEs went up by 45% (or 85,000) compared to a similar period during the Obama administration...

If I understood your question correctly, actually you need to file the petition as soon as possible for your PD to ever become current in your case. You need to be in that line waiting. The PD refers to the date the USCIS is starting to process cases from. So if you wait for your PD before you file, you'll be waiting forever because only a filed petition will ever get processed.

Also, it really depends on your country and the progress that affects the PD movement, so no one can say how many months it'll take from your NCLEX to have your PD turn current.

When you've passed the NCLEX, Avant will send you the ETA 9089 form which you will FedEx back to them and they will file the I-140 petition. For me, my I-140 was filed 5 weeks after I passed my NCLEX and by that time I already had my VisaScreen Certificate.

My country has been current this whole time but at this point it doesn't make any difference. It's only that they started processing my case soon after. It took them almost 6 months to reach a decision which was to deny my case. For you, because of your PD, it'll take longer for them to start processing your case and when they do, you will probably have around 6 months under normal processing before an initial approval.

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Hi SpidersWeb, BSN, RN

Thank you for your reply on my previous post. Anyway, right now, I still don't have an idea as to when they gonna file my case. They still have to receive the signed ETA 9089 or perhaps they already received it and now ready to endorse to their immigration attorney. I'm still waiting for their acknowledgment.

With regards to the new agreement, as far as I know, they need to receive the signed new form as part of the documentation process. There's no changes with the content per se, I think they just changed some of the words so it would be more appealing to USCIS once they received it, thus, the chance of denial is less (crossed fingers). As per advise by the immigration lawyer, it would be best for the company to process all applicants in premium due to time delays in case of denial. Things are more advantageous in our part now that we were embraced by Jackson Healthcare if you got the e-mail from Avant. One of their immigration lawyers were once affiliated with USCIS so hopefully, things will fall into place at our advantage.

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Dear Spider Web,

From what i get here, you are also waiting for your i-140 approval correct?

And if that's the case, when did you get your Denial?.

I got an RFE in mine and they had initially paid for a premium, it however did not take 15 days it took 4 months to get a feedback so i hope this time the premium will take 15 days

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At Spicy Mamba I hope things will work out for us all azwel! The company merger makes some sense to some extent

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hi there! I completed my requirements to them last May 2017 and I have not yet received my PD. NO response from them when I follow up. They sent papers to me to notarized but I actually dont know its purpose. Are they having problems with my application? Do they usually drop cases?

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Good day to all!

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Hi everyone,

It is so nice to be back on this thread again. It's been a while since the last time I visited this page.

BTW, anyone here still waiting for AVANT to give an update regarding the I140 petition?

I passed NCLEX last feb 2017. They told me that theyve already processed my petition last at April 20,2017 and have to wait for 8 months for the result.

I emailed them last month about the update and told me they dont have the result yet and maybe they will give me my PD before the end of the year.

It's January already and I still dont have the result. I emailed them again asking for an update but I haven't received a reply yet.

Anyone here experiencing the same?

Im a nurse from the Philippines.

Thank u.

I'm from PH, too. same experience here. No feedback from them. I'm thinking if I need to transfer agency.

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Specializes in Acute and Critical Care.
Hi SpidersWeb, BSN, RN

Thank you for your reply on my previous post. Anyway, right now, I still don't have an idea as to when they gonna file my case. They still have to receive the signed ETA 9089 or perhaps they already received it and now ready to endorse to their immigration attorney. I'm still waiting for their acknowledgment.

With regards to the new agreement, as far as I know, they need to receive the signed new form as part of the documentation process. There's no changes with the content per se, I think they just changed some of the words so it would be more appealing to USCIS once they received it, thus, the chance of denial is less (crossed fingers). As per advise by the immigration lawyer, it would be best for the company to process all applicants in premium due to time delays in case of denial. Things are more advantageous in our part now that we were embraced by Jackson Healthcare if you got the e-mail from Avant. One of their immigration lawyers were once affiliated with USCIS so hopefully, things will fall into place at our advantage.

Now that I've reviewed and signed the new contract, there are no changes in content as expected and as you wrote. Only the necessary parts were reworded.

Last year Avant was hesitant to file with premium processing because they felt they were getting too many denials and it was not worth to invest $1,225 for uncertain results. Now that they've analyzed the trends and changed the wordings on the contract they feel more confident about us receiving an approval. With premium they'll also be able to catch up some of that time that was wasted on extra long processing leading to a denial. It's not like us nurses are the only ones who care about arriving in the US as soon as possible.

Personally I've returned my ETA 9089 form and the employment agreement and I'm now waiting for my turn to have my petition refiled. Hoping it'll be sooner rather than later. I'm kind of excited about the 15 day processing time!

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Specializes in Acute and Critical Care.
Dear Spider Web,

From what i get here, you are also waiting for your i-140 approval correct?

And if that's the case, when did you get your Denial?.

I got an RFE in mine and they had initially paid for a premium, it however did not take 15 days it took 4 months to get a feedback so i hope this time the premium will take 15 days

Hey moryn,

My first petition was filed 8/17 and denied 1/18. I heard there was an RFE but it was swiftly taken care of by the lawyer. Now my second petition should get filed this month and I really hope I'll get approved in 15 days the second time round.

Sorry to hear that they couldn't hold up to the promise of premium processing. It's something I kind of fear now, I don't want to wait for so long again. When will your petition get filed again?

Had the original timeline worked out for me, I'd have already moved to the US.

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Specializes in Acute and Critical Care.
hi there! I completed my requirements to them last May 2017 and I have not yet received my PD. NO response from them when I follow up. They sent papers to me to notarized but I actually dont know its purpose. Are they having problems with my application? Do they usually drop cases?

Hey aja214,

Which requirements are you referring to? Which stage of the process are you at? The priority date will only matter after your visa petition is filed. It depends where you're from but it could take years for your PD to become current and I'm not sure if Avant will communicate much during this waiting time.

I don't think Avant can drop a case just like that because the employment agreement is binding to both parties.

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Specializes in Acute and Critical Care.
I'm from PH, too. same experience here. No feedback from them. I'm thinking if I need to transfer agency.

Hey alex1992 and aja214,

The priority date for the Philippines is currently May 1, 2016. This means that the USCIS is processing petitions filed up to that date.

If you look at this list below, you'll see how the date has moved up (positive progress):

Visa bulletin - Priority date

Mar 2018 - May 1, 2016

Feb 2018 - Mar 1, 2016

Jan 2018 - Feb 15, 2016

Dec 2017 - Jan 15, 2016

Nov 2017 - Jan 15, 2016

Oct 2017 - Dec 1, 2015

Sep 2017 - Nov 1, 2015

Alex1992 mentioned that her petition was filed April 20, 2017. Judging by the trend in the list above, you could expect your PD to become current around February/March 2019. This is based on a calculation that the PD moves up by one month per month.

Transfering from one agency to another won't get you around this issue.

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