Foreign Nurses from the Philippines

suzanne4, RN · Jun 17, 2004

Dear Suzanne4,
Thanks Again For Your Reply. Anyway, I Will Try To Contact A U.s. Immigration Lawyer.
Thanks Again And More Power.
Lyn_pn03

You can try http://www.visapro.com. They have attorneys and staff available to chat on-line with you. Good luck........... :)

lyn_pn03 · Jun 22, 2004

Dear Suzanne4,

I Am A Practical Nurse From The Phils. And Would Like To Know How Long Will It Take For Me To Go To School In The U.s. To Be An Rn. Are There Hospitals Who Subsidize Schooling For Their Nurses? What Is The Difference Of An Adn, Rn, Bsn, Msn In The U.s.

Thanks And More Power.

Lyn_pn03

suzanne4, RN · Jun 23, 2004

First, RN is not a degree but a title that you are legally allowed to use after passing the NCLEX exam. You can use that title only when you pass the exam.

BSN is a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, basically a four year degree

ADN is an Associate Degree in Nursing, 2 year degree

MSN is a Master of Science in Nursing

Associate programs are essentially two year programs but they normally have many pre-reqs to do before getting accepted into the nursing program, so it can actually take 4 yrs to complete that degree also.

As a foreign nurse coming for training, more than likely you are going to be responsible for your own tuition and that will be as an out-of-state student.

The only time that you may be able to get help with schooling is after you have your RN and are working at a facility, then usually your employer will pay for or assist in your tuirion. Also be aware that to qualify for an F-1 visa, which is the student visa, you must have enough funding in the bank to cover your expenses in the US becuase you will not be permitted to work during that time. If you do take employment some place, illegally, and get caught, then you get deported and can never "fulfill your dream" so also keep that in mind.

Hope that this helps. It sounds like you did speak with an Immigration lawyer.

You would probably be better off going to school in the Philippines, then going to the US. Most nursing schools in the US have waiting lists of about one to two years.

yousev · Jun 23, 2004

Hi! still remember me? from the Philippines. i passed the recent nursing local board licensure exam. can u recommend any agency/hospital? thank you for all those comforting words you've said to me before.

suzanne4, RN · Jun 23, 2004

Your next goal is to get your English exams done as quickly as possible.

MR. DJ · Jul 3, 2004

Hi,

What did you mean by "...for you to get a green card on your own..."? Do you mean an RN can get a green card even without the help of a sponsoring employer? How does this work?

You can believe all that you want but according to US law, in order for you to get a green card on your own, and be fast-tracked, you must be an RN.
Sure if you aremarried to an American citizen or someone that already has a green card, then that is a differ nt set of circumstances. You must have a Visa Screen Certificate and this is not issued to LPNS.
Teachers ae under a completely different type of visa.
H1-B visas are no longer available for 2004 and probably won't be for 2005.
And as an LPN you don't qualify under that either.
There are alot of people out there that will promise you anything, but US laws mandate something else. To go as an LPN, will mean that you are under regular processing which can take quite a few years, at least three. You would be at a much better advantage just to complete your RN. You would be there legally much quicker.
It is your choice, why don't you actually speak to an Immigration lawyer to find out for yourself. Another thing, according to immigration law, if you actually go to the US with the idea that you are going to go and get hired, and not return, then that is also against immigration laws.

MR. DJ · Jul 3, 2004

Hi,

What did you mean by "...for you to get a green card on your own..."? Do you mean an RN can get a green card even without the help of a sponsoring employer? How does this work?

You can believe all that you want but according to US law, in order for you to get a green card on your own, and be fast-tracked, you must be an RN.
Sure if you aremarried to an American citizen or someone that already has a green card, then that is a differ nt set of circumstances. You must have a Visa Screen Certificate and this is not issued to LPNS.
Teachers ae under a completely different type of visa.
H1-B visas are no longer available for 2004 and probably won't be for 2005.
And as an LPN you don't qualify under that either.
There are alot of people out there that will promise you anything, but US laws mandate something else. To go as an LPN, will mean that you are under regular processing which can take quite a few years, at least three. You would be at a much better advantage just to complete your RN. You would be there legally much quicker.
It is your choice, why don't you actually speak to an Immigration lawyer to find out for yourself. Another thing, according to immigration law, if you actually go to the US with the idea that you are going to go and get hired, and not return, then that is also against immigration laws.

suzanne4, RN · Jul 3, 2004

Hi,
What did you mean by "...for you to get a green card on your own..."? Do you mean an RN can get a green card even without the help of a sponsoring employer? How does this work?

No, you need to have a sponsoring employer, but you can hire directly at a hospital without the middleman, if you knowthe proper procedures to follow.

Agencies can be beneficial to some, don't get me wrong, but if you are trying to do things in the fastest way, then direct hire is the way to go. An agency will only pay for one test at a time for you and wait for you to pass that before going onto the next step. If you do it on your own, then you can register for all applications at the same time, and save yourself considerable amount of time.

suzanne4, RN · Jul 3, 2004

Hi,
What did you mean by "...for you to get a green card on your own..."? Do you mean an RN can get a green card even without the help of a sponsoring employer? How does this work?

No, you need to have a sponsoring employer, but you can hire directly at a hospital without the middleman, if you knowthe proper procedures to follow.

Agencies can be beneficial to some, don't get me wrong, but if you are trying to do things in the fastest way, then direct hire is the way to go. An agency will only pay for one test at a time for you and wait for you to pass that before going onto the next step. If you do it on your own, then you can register for all applications at the same time, and save yourself considerable amount of time.

MR. DJ · Jul 3, 2004

What's your opinion about getting into psych nursing for a new grad? Do you think it's better than starting at med-surg? Thanks for all your insightful messages.

MR. DJ · Jul 3, 2004

What's your opinion about getting into psych nursing for a new grad? Do you think it's better than starting at med-surg? Thanks for all your insightful messages.

suzanne4, RN · Jul 3, 2004

It will be almost impossible to get a placement in a psych unit as a foreign grad until the hospital or facility is quite sure of your communication skills.

It doesn't even matter if English was your original language in your home country, nursing is practiced quite differently in the US from other countries.

You may get lucky, but I do not see it happening, actually have never seen it happen. I am sure that someone else will come along and say that they got a psych placement somewhere, but in the scheme of things.....it just doesn't happen.