Foreign nurse grad to immigrate to US

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hi i graduated here in the philippines as a nurse, i took the local board exma but failed.i have no experience whatsoever in the medical field. recently, my siblings and I got approved for a visa in the US. my dad, a US citizen petitioned us years ago, he lives in LA. we plan to leave philippines 3 months from now.

1) should i take the NLE before I can take up NCLEX in CA?or I can take it without NLE?What problems will I encounter if i do this?

2) am I automatically a US citizen?

3) will i be able to work as a nurse assistant?or in nursing homes even without a license there?

4) once i take up the NCLEX there(if possible), and passed, will i be able to get a job as an RN right away?given that i am not experienced?

5)i saw threads of people residing in the US even americans that are having difficulty finding a job there?how come?

thanks

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I would contact the CA BRN regarding your local license. They require a local license, but I've heard of some people writing a letter as to why they don't have a local license. Some of them are approved, and some of them aren't. I know several nurses that had to go back to the Philippines and obtain their local license before they were allowed to sit for NCLEX in California.

In answer to your questions:

1. Read above

2. No you're not a US citizen even if your dad is one. Is he a naturalized citizen? I've heard of some who are naturalized citizens and the children aren't.

3. You need your CNA in order to work in a nursing home or hospital. Which means you'd have to take the CNA exam.

4. You may or may not be able to get a job as a RN right away after you take and pass the NCLEX. There are many US new grad RN's who can't find a job. If they can't find a job, most likely you wont be able to either.

5. We are in a recession becaues of a bad economy. It goes up and down, economy should pick up in a couple of years. It's a trend unfortunately, and you're coming over during a bad time. Unemployment is high in California and our state is in a huge deficit.

Since you're not going to be coming for quite sometime, and you've already taken the NLE, you should study and retake it again. Don't chance it because California requires your local license. Then start your paperwork with the CA BRN in order to take the NCLEX. While you're waiting for that you can start studying for the exam. IMO, Kaplan was the best because it offered tips and strategies on how to pass the exam. Unfortunately it didn't offer many practice questions. The reason I think is because they want you to pay to take their review course. I didn't take it and I passed 1st time around. I've heard that Lippencott has a thorough comprehensive review and the questions were more NCLEX style. Hope this helps. Good Luck

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thank you for that.

1)Im sorry, what does naturalized mean? all i know was that he went there as a tourist years ago,but then found an employer and also got married to a citizen. and just a few years back, he became a citizen too.anyway, so this means that Im just an immigrant and will probably have the green card and eventually could be a citizen, am i right?

2)I have heard about people that were granted the opportunity to take the nclex after writing an explanation letter, but that was years back.and now Ive heard that CA is strict nowadays and that one has to obtain a license locally. Dunno if this is true.

3)about CNA, does this mean that I have to take the NCLEX then the CNA?could you make it clear for me?

4)since I am not an RN yet, are there any jobs that I could work in that is Nursing/medically related? And I'd like to know whether hospitals there are really strict when it comes to having experiences or maybe they'll train you first?

5) my friend, an RN here would like to ask whether she could get a student visa and study there for an extensive, or maybe take up a masteral course in nursing.is it possible?

thanks again

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thank you for that.

1)Im sorry, what does naturalized mean? all i know was that he went there as a tourist years ago,but then found an employer and also got married to a citizen. and just a few years back, he became a citizen too.anyway, so this means that Im just an immigrant and will probably have the green card and eventually could be a citizen, am i right?

Naturalized means the citizen was not born in the USA, basically you have all the rights of citizen born in the USA except you can't run to be president. It is a long process but you get a US Passport.

2)I have heard about people that were granted the opportunity to take the nclex after writing an explanation letter, but that was years back.and now Ive heard that CA is strict nowadays and that one has to obtain a license locally. Dunno if this is true.

As Mentioned before some fall through the cracks, but it seems like the California Board of Nursing has been enforcing this rule

3)about CNA, does this mean that I have to take the NCLEX then the CNA?could you make it clear for me?

You need to pass a different test to be a CNA. In my state ( MA) you also have to complete a 6 week course.

4)since I am not an RN yet, are there any jobs that I could work in that is Nursing/medically related? And I'd like to know whether hospitals there are really strict when it comes to having experiences or maybe they'll train you first?

5) my friend, an RN here would like to ask whether she could get a student visa and study there for an extensive, or maybe take up a masteral course in nursing.is it possible?

Yes, to get into a MSN program you need a current US license and many places look for 1 year experience. It is very expensive too. She would only be allowed to work a limited schedule and one year after graduation and then would have to return home.

thanks again

Congrads your Dad gave you a great gift. Enjoy.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

You have received a GC through your dad as he was a immigrant and once you have meet citizen requirements (5 years living in the US) you can apply for citizenship.

If you check out the CA state forum (found under the region tab above) you will see many new grads struggling to find work so be prepared for a struggle. Make sure your English skills are up to scratch as you will be competing with many US nurses and that could be a deciding factor if you get an interview.

You may have an issue if you have already taken NLE with CA but if you haven't then it will be up to CA whether they will accept your application or not. If you have the chance to do it then may be beneficial doing it

Your friend has to qualify for a student visa and prove that she can support herself whilst doing it, there is also no guarantee at the end of it of staying.. only with proof of support etc will the consulate officer make a determination on whether to give her one or not. We just can't predict

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i see, so i am a green card holder automatically.if i move to another state will i be experiencing the same problems in finding a job?

my friend is pretty much well-off, her parents earn around $100000 -300000 a yr. is that ok? correct me if im wrong, if she applies as a working immigrant,(as a nurse,having said that she has completed her NCLEX+IELTS+visascreen) she still wont be able to get a visa due to the retrogression right? and even if i find her a sponsor, getting a visa is still not feasible?

oh and i have other queries, should i start a new post or could i continue here?it is regarding failing the nclex and requirements if one wants to apply as a nurse in newzealand, Australia and canada.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
i see, so i am a green card holder automatically.if i move to another state will i be experiencing the same problems in finding a job?

my friend is pretty much well-off, her parents earn around $100000 -300000 a yr. is that ok? correct me if im wrong, if she applies as a working immigrant,(as a nurse,having said that she has completed her NCLEX+IELTS+visascreen) she still wont be able to get a visa due to the retrogression right? and even if i find her a sponsor, getting a visa is still not feasible?

oh and i have other queries, should i start a new post or could i continue here?it is regarding failing the nclex and requirements if one wants to apply as a nurse in newzealand, Australia and canada.

Yes once you arrive in the US your GC will be activated. If you ,ove to another state you will still have to meet their requirements for foreign trained nurse and still may have problems finding a job.

Yes you are correct your friend if she finds a job in the US will be affected by retrogression and will have to wait years for a visa. Only exception is if she meets requirements for H1b and there are visas available. The employer for H1b has to prove that they can not employ a USC or PR which with the current climate will be very hard to do plus very expensive. Also has to be a specialist.

If wanting to apply to other countries you can start other threads but check first as we have several threads discussing Canada, Australia and New Zealand and yo may find your questions already answered. For those 3 countries you do need a local license

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