Can F1 ADN RN's get OPT

[texancanadian]

Are associate degree in Nursing graduates who have passed the RN exam eligible for the 1 yr Optional Practical Training ?

Also if someone were to change from an H4 to F1 when should they ideally do it to get OPT ? Does it have to be at the beginning of the 2 yr course or after the 1st yr or does it not matter ?

Please advice.

[suzanne4, RN]

Why do you even need the OPT? You get much cheaper tuition with the H-4 visa than you will get with the F-1 visa. You take the NCLEX-RN when you graduate, and then get petitioned right after you pass the exam.

The OPT is really no longer even needed. To change from an H-4 to the F-1 for that reason alone does not make any sense to me.

Also safer to stay with the H-4 as long as it will be current for you when you finish school. The F-1 has a strict time frame after you graduate from your program.

[texancanadian]

Suzanne,

I agreEEthe H4 is better option today when visas are still available. However accoding to the US State Department's latest visa bulletin, the Schedule A numbers will be used up by October of this year. Unless congress passes a new law and provides more visas, it would mean that nurses would have to apply in the regular EB3 category. for people born in India that is currently stuck on April 1 2001. Believe me I know the pain since my application was filed in August 2001 and im still waiting.

Atleast on F1 she will get OPT when she graduates. If she is on H4 and visas arent current and cant be filed her degree will be useless and she cant work. Plus if she wants to get into an RN -->MSN program most schools require 1 yr of experience , so she cant even study if visas are retrogressed.

Do you see my situation now ?

Thanks

Why do you even need the OPT? You get much cheaper tuition with the H-4 visa than you will get with the F-1 visa. You take the NCLEX-RN when you graduate, and then get petitioned right after you pass the exam.

The OPT is really no longer even needed. To change from an H-4 to the F-1 for that reason alone does not make any sense to me.

Also safer to stay with the H-4 as long as it will be current for you when you finish school. The F-1 has a strict time frame after you graduate from your program.

[suzanne4, RN]

Still, no. There are new laws that are always coming out. And there is another viable option that is available to her, if the need would arise. I am not going to post it here...............

If you are asking my opinion, I would not change, but it is up to you to make the decision.