Exploitation!!!!

Hi Folks!

I am an Indian nurse who came to United States legally on an employment category (immigrant) visa after passing all required exams including RN. But the employer who sponsored me to work in US, is demanding now, to submit my passport until their contract is over!

Is it legal to demand passport like middle east countries? What steps I have to take inorder to prevent this type of exploitation to other foreign nurses. If I choose not to work for the employer, whether they can deport me back to my country? Or what are the other consequences ?

All replies are greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Deepika

Go to your EEOC and make a formal complaint against whoever is telling you this. The only people who can demand your passport are legal authority to export you if you have committed a crime. The boss can get a photo copy, but don't give them the real thing!

[Roy Fokker, BSN, RN]

Go to your EEOC and make a formal complaint against whoever is telling you this. The only people who can demand your passport are legal authority to export you if you have committed a crime. The boss can get a photo copy, but don't give them the real thing!

In full agreement here!

I'm an immigrant myself and can attest that only law-enforcement/Immigration Dpt. authorities can hold onto your passport. Please don't even consider giving it to anyone else. You could be seriously jeapordising your legal stay here - especially post 9-11.

I would also sincierly recommend that you register yourself with the nearest Indian embassy or mission post at the earliest. (I can almost see you rolling your eyes, but believe me, unlike the jokers in India, the embassy staff here are pretty helpful. Besides, you don't lose anything by taking that step!)

What is an EEOC ? The passport issue was not mention in their original contract. If it was there, I wouldn't choose this placement agency as my sponsor. I don't want them to exploit any more foreign nurses. I believe agencies are taking advantage of us by demanding indian passports until the contract is over!

I paid all expenses for all required exams, licence, NCLEX-RN , flight ticket etc. However the agency paid only legal fees and other administrative costs. If I choose not to work for them, whether they (sponsor) can cancel my green card which I already received ? What are the other consequences, I may face ?

[BBFRN, BSN, PhD]

Start looking for jobs with facilities in your area. I'm sure you're marketable enough to get hired at one of those, and then scrap the agency. Don't give them your passport!

Sadly many of these agencies/hospitals treat the foreign nurses like indentured servants and it is wrong. Good luck...and I would never hand over my passport without a fight either. Let us know what you find out and best wishes.

Hopefully someone here has personal knowledge of this situation and can PM you how to proceed.

Thanks Mary! It is highly appreciated, if someone can give some input(s) how to proceed. My main concern is that I don't want to get into trouble like deportation back to India. At the same time, I am thinking to draw attention towards District Attorney's, various TV channels, Immigration office and Indian embassy in New York regarding this type of exploitation.

Thanks

Deepika

[Roy Fokker, BSN, RN]

They can't deport you unless you seriously violate immigration law. Since youa re authorised to work here, unless you commit a felony or soemthing, I can't see how they can deport you....

Keep your papers with you. Keep them in order. Don't commit any crimes (goes without saying, huh?) and then can't kick you.

[virmm1, LPN]

Would it be feasable to copy your papers and passport and keep the originals in a bank box?

It angers me tht your employer wants your passport. I agree with the other posters . Don't give up your passport and look for work elsewhere if possible.

I smell a trollin rat.

things like this bring out my evil side.

Hi Folks!

I am an Indian nurse who came to United States legally on an employment category (immigrant) visa after passing all required exams including RN. But the employer who sponsored me to work in US, is demanding now, to submit my passport until their contract is over!

Is it legal to demand passport like middle east countries? What steps I have to take inorder to prevent this type of exploitation to other foreign nurses. If I choose not to work for the employer, whether they can deport me back to my country? Or what are the other consequences ?

All replies are greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Deepika

(I'm sorry to tell you this...)

If so, Silicon Valley imported 10s of thousands (if not more) programmers from India--and exploited them. I'm not sure how much attention you will get to the "exploitation", if it didn't raise eyebrows in Silicon Valley.

As one thread points out, they don't believe there really is a nursing shortage, but is only a ploy by the hospitals to get more people trained and drive salaries down.

Please note that in Silicon Valley this was the ploy used by many hi-tech industries--saying they could not find qualified people to hire, and so lobbied the Congress to raise the number of people they could bring over on h1-bs. But really, many Indians were exploited, because the the companies would hire them at what seemed to the workers to be eye-popping salaries, only to discover that those "eye-popping" salaries barely kept them in housing and food.

To those who are unaware, the h1-b visa holder is very beholden to the employer. They can't just "get up and move to another employer." Hiring immigrants has its own set of pitfalls and many companies simply do not want to deal with them. If the employer of the h1-b holder decides to no longer employ the h1-b holder, the h1-b holder has a very short period of time (weeks, I think) to find another job. However, even if the h1-b holder did find an employer willing to hire them, the paperwork to get things changed over would take longer than the h1-b holder had before being required to return to their home country.

It's not a pretty picture.

NurseFirst

[Roy Fokker, BSN, RN]

If the employer of the h1-b holder decides to no longer employ the h1-b holder, the h1-b holder has a very short period of time (weeks, I think)

This is true. Change of status grace period is usually only 30 days....

In my case, I got my green card. It is not H1-B

Call the INS to find out your rights. They have agents who live for this kind of thing. They are not even authorized to take your license much less your passport. It is a legal document issued by the government to you. Be very careful because the company that brought you over may be able to fire you, which might force you into a situation that causes you to go back. The immigration services can explain what your specific rights are.PS. welcome to the United States.