Filipino Citizen with H4 Visa to study in the U.S.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Aug 28, 2008

Moved to the International forum

I think you will find it hard for your credits to be transferred over to the US, we read of problems transferring credits between states so probably be very hard between countries.

I think you can studying on H4 but will probably have high fees to pay. If retrogression is still affecting nurses then once completed ADN you may find it impossible to AOS your visa and work. If you contact student advisers or international advisers at the colleges where you are living they will be able to tell you more what you can do regarding study

gaileyt · Aug 29, 2008

My friends fiance has an H1B visa. They are getting married as soon as she comes over here in NY and will try to get her the H4 visa as his dependent. She is currently in the Philippines studying at St. Ignatius. The school claims that their curriculum is similar to Fresno City College as they have some kind of affiliation with the school in California. Their school staff is assuring her that her nursing credits will be transfered. No one in her school has done what she's thinking of doing. I've read some threads here about St. Ignatius in the Philippines, about it being a little shady. My friend assured me that she had friends transfered over to Fresno City College last semester so I'm a bit halfway convinced about the schools claim.

I guess we'll see when she gets here in October.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Aug 29, 2008

My friends fiance has an H1B visa. They are getting married as soon as she comes over here in NY and will try to get her the H4 visa as his dependent. She is currently in the Philippines studying at St. Ignatius. The school claims that their curriculum is similar to Fresno City College as they have some kind of affiliation with the school in California. Their school staff is assuring her that her nursing credits will be transfered. No one in her school has done what she's thinking of doing. I've read some threads here about St. Ignatius in the Philippines, about it being a little shady. My friend assured me that she had friends transfered over to Fresno City College last semester so I'm a bit halfway convinced about the schools claim.
I guess we'll see when she gets here in October.

I find it hard to believe credit will transfer when some people have problems within the USA. Guess your friend will find out once she arrives.

NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN · Aug 30, 2008

Here's a few question my friend asked me....
My first question is: Am I allowed to study in the US with this visa?
Second: I have bursing classes taken at St. Ignatius in the Philippines and supposed to go on my last semester at Fresno City College. Some of my friends already left to go on their last semester. Will my nursing classes be credited?
Third: How can I go about applying? I'm still int he U.S. and my husband is fixing my papers for me to follow with my H4 Visa by the end of this semester which is Oct.
Lastly: Would an ADN degree that I will earn in the U.S. an an H4 visa holder be valid for NCLEX and employment?

If your school offers a BSN program, how can they go to the US and study at Fresno City College which ONLY OFFERS AN ASSOCIATE IN NURSING? My friend attends Fresno City College and she'd like to know how your school is affiliated with her school, she's never heard of such a thing.

gaileyt · Aug 30, 2008

If your school offers a BSN program, how can they go to the US and study at Fresno City College which ONLY OFFERS AN ASSOCIATE IN NURSING? My friend attends Fresno City College and she'd like to know how your school is affiliated with her school, she's never heard of such a thing.

I never said its a BSN...please read...its ADN...Associate...and its not my school...as I said, its my friends...I only go by what she tells me about it...also in my reply i said im also skeptical about it...specially how i stress myself out studying to get into Nursing Schools here in NY.

Anyway, I did call Fresno City College to confirm this school's claim. As soon as I mentioned the school in the Philippines, I was transfered to the Nursing Director. I guess I hit a sensitive issue. The Nursing Director did tell me that they do not have an affiliation with the school but an articulation that they will accept the students given they pass all the requirements as a regular transferee would. In short, no special treatment. When I asked about the nursing classes that a student might have already taken in St. Ignatius she said that they would accept it. I was kind of in a hurry (lunch break at work was over) so I did not get to elaborate on it. And I never thought I'd get an answer from the school beside "We do not know what you're talking about".

So have your friend ask their Nursing Director, maybe she'll get a better answer.

NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN · Aug 30, 2008

I never said its a BSN...please read...its ADN...Associate...and its not my school...as I said, its my friends...I only go by what she tells me about it...also in my reply i said im also skeptical about it...specially how i stress myself out studying to get into Nursing Schools here in NY.
Anyway, I did call Fresno City College to confirm this school's claim. As soon as I mentioned the school in the Philippines, I was transfered to the Nursing Director. I guess I hit a sensitive issue. The Nursing Director did tell me that they do not have an affiliation with the school but an articulation that they will accept the students given they pass all the requirements as a regular transferee would. In short, no special treatment. When I asked about the nursing classes that a student might have already taken in St. Ignatius she said that they would accept it. I was kind of in a hurry (lunch break at work was over) so I did not get to elaborate on it. And I never thought I'd get an answer from the school beside "We do not know what you're talking about".
So have your friend ask their Nursing Director, maybe she'll get a better answer.

I'm sorry, I got your post confused, you were asking in regards with what your friend asked you. I thought you were asking for yourself.

suzanne4, RN · Aug 30, 2008

The problem is that the ADN training done in the Philippines is not accepted for immigration purposes in the US. The H-4 status does not permit one to work here, and this training is also not accepted by the Philippine government for licensure as well.

Much has been written on the Philippine Forum about these programs, they are also not approved by CHED as well.

There has been much written on this topic and issues with the program in the Philippines that supposedly has signed these letters of agreement, but they are in affect not going to help one work in the US.

If going to go thru immigration to work here, then one needs to have the BSN from your country, the ADN is not accepted if done in your country. And right now the US is under a retrogression, so even if you go for the ADN done entirely in the US, you will not be able to work with that training. You are looking at about a five year wait for a chance at a visa, and one cannot even apply until they have taken and passed the NCLEX-RN and have an employer.

Chances are that the maximum of six years for the H-1 B visa will be over before the training and immigration would be completed for you.

Wish that others would be aware that these ADN programs from the Philippines will not get one a visa to work in the US.

NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN · Aug 30, 2008

I understand that it's hard to find a nursing job there in the Philippines. Why don't they go to another country to practice nursing until the retrogression passes? Why must they only work here? I understand if they have family here, of course this is the place where they want to be. But if they're just looking for a job as a nurse then they should go to another country if they can't find a job at home. Once retrogression passes, then they can apply for a work visa with experience as a nurse instead of waiting and letting time pass with out practicing nursing.

gaileyt · Aug 30, 2008

From what I understood from my friend, she will not try to get immigration papers thru work as a nurse. Her soon to be husband's employer (NYS Dept Ed) is filing a petition for his green card. And she will have an H4 Visa while waiting for the papers and she will also be studying while waiting for the papers. That, I think is legal, she can go to school under this visa right?

So, in effect, she's not using whatever degree she will obtain here for immigration purposes.

Do I make sense?

:typing Sorry 'bout the questions...I'm just too interested in this matter mainly because my husband is also still in the Philippines with my eldest child. I am here with my youngest child (we left the country when she was just 1 yr old, automatically giving her an immigrant visa since I am an Immigrant). Our case is kind of unique because my family and I migrated to the US when I was still a teenager, my parents decided to move us back to the Phil due to the family business after 6 years in NY.

I was there for over 7 years without coming back to NY. I got married and had kids and decided to go back to the US to continue my status. I applied as a returning resident and was approved (That is another long story). My eldest daughter then was already 3 years old, so after going back and forth the US Consulate they decided that I cannot take my eldest child with me. :bluecry1:

I already petitioned my husband and child and we'e waiting patiently for it. My husband is thinking of going back to school in the Philippines while waiting for their papers. St.Ignatius is one of the school's he's considering, but is in the bottom of my list. We do not know when his papers will come an we just want to make sure that when that time comes and hes not yet finished with the course that he took that it will not be a waste of time for him when they get here because it will not count for anything.

We're trying to prepare ourselves for the inevitable reunion of our family here in the US. :yeah:

I hope I did not confuse you with this :wink2:

suzanne4, RN · Aug 30, 2008

The training there is not accepted here in the US as it is not considered a US degree, and that is what the problem is. That training is also not accepted by the Philippine government for licensure.

If asking what he should do, it needs to be a full four year program that will grant the BSN, anything less and it will be of no use to him. That school has advertized repeatedly that it has agreements with other schools in the US, but that still does not make it an American program, nor have the agreements panned out as they have stated either.

Much has already been written on this under the Philippine forum, would have a good read there.

And as for your friend, the issue is that the US is under a retrogression and even if her husband's work applied for the green card for him, there still are not any visas available at this time. Unless she has the BSN, it is going to be hard for her to get licensed here as well. The two year ADN program does not meet the requirements if done in the Philippines as one is not permitted to sit for the NLE exam with that training, and that is one of the requirements for many of the states now.

That training with only the one semester completed in the US will not get one a US Diploma and that is the major issue with that training and a false hope that the school is giving you. Training for one semester in the US never grants anyone a degree from that school, has never happened in the past either. That training is not going to be accepted as an American degree and that is where the biggest problem is.

I wish that these programs that make promises that they are not keeping would just be closed down by your government and not allowed to offer any type of training. It is really a shame and hurtful to the students that have gone thru it or are in the process of going thru it.