Worst news for RNs from India, Philippines and China

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update on may 11 2005 :

you can consider this thread as closed since information posted here became obsolete on may 11 2005, once president george w bush signed the apropriations bill in to a law to make additional 50,000 visas available for nurses. this thread was started on dec 11 2004 when the worst news hit rn community that the pd dates have been retrogressed to jan 2002 and nurses will be the hardest hit.

now its official.

pd dates for eb3 cases from india,china, philippines retrogress to jan 2002.

read the official visa bulletin at http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/frvi_bulletincurrent.html

this is worst news for the rn community who wish to migrate to us.

this means that, rns who are already in us will not be able to file i485 (aos) after dec 31 2004 till the priority dates become current. its not clear how long it will take.

those who have managed to file aos will have a huuuuuuuuuge waiting time for their gc apporval.

those who are outside us, will have a loooooooong wait

for someone who is in us and has either cgfns/ncelx (with or without visascreen), the only option is to get an employer to file for i140 and 485 before dec 31 2004. this will make them eligible for ead and legal status in us.

considering the rn shortage, there are chances that they may introduce a new visa category or an exception for nurses. depends on how hard the empoyers lobby the congress.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical.
Now its official.

PD dates for EB3 cases from India,China, Philippines retrogress to Jan 2002.

Read the official visa bulletin at http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/frvi_bulletincurrent.html

This is worst news for the RN community who wish to migrate to US.

This means that, RNs who are already in US will not be able to file I485 (AOS) after Dec 31 2004 till the Priority dates become current. Its not clear how long it will take.

Those who have managed to file AOS will have a huuuuuuuuuge waiting time for their GC apporval.

Those who are outside US, will have a loooooooong wait

For someone who is in US and has either CGFNS/NCELX (with or without Visascreen), the ONLY option is to get an employer to file for I140 and 485 before Dec 31 2004. This will make them eligible for EAD and legal status in US.

Considering the RN shortage, there are chances that they may introduce a new visa category or an exception for nurses. Depends on how hard the empoyers lobby the congress.

I was about to start a thread on this but you beat me. Just 4 hours ago, I logged on to the website of the US Dept. of State.

Yes, its back to January 2002. Thati is a long wait for us here in the Philippines. GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF US!

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Specializes in MICU.

I'm an international student from China graduating in Dec 2005. How would this new law affect me? What would happen to me after my OPT expires and I could find a sponsor at that time? Thanks for the help

EvePooh:crying2:

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I'm an international student from China graduating in Dec 2005. How would this new law affect me? What would happen to me after my OPT expires and I could find a sponsor at that time? Thanks for the help

EvePooh:crying2:

Not sure what will happen with the students.........if it is anyhting like the other fields, with the OPT you will have just one year to get experience in the US and then will have to leave until your number comes up. Hopefully, they will make some changes, but this is how it is looking right now.

If something changes, I will post it as soon as I get definite word.

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All hope is not lost. Eventhough nothing is clear now following are the possibilities that Attorney Shuserman suggests. Extract from his website :

* Is there a Solution to the Backlogs?

Any solution depends on Congress passing a new law to assist U.S. employers who cannot obtain permanent residence for needed workers. Here are a few suggestions:

  1. Recapture Lost Visas - Since the backlogs will occur only because the government processed so few employment-based green card applications during the past three years, Congress could allow for the "recapture" of 130,000 green cards lost to bureaucratic inertia during 2001, 2002 and 2003. Congress passed a similar recapture provision in 2000.

  2. Remove Country Limitations from EB Categories - Why punish U.S. employers who have recruited people with job skills needed for the U.S. economy simply because they were born in the "wrong" countries? Why should a teacher born in China, a medical researcher born in India or a registered nurse born in Philippines have to wait longer for a green card than a similar worker born in Jordan, Jamaica or Monaco?

  3. The simple reality is that our country can't graduate enough nurses simply to replace those who are retiring. U.S. nursing schools are actually closing their doors to new students. Perhaps the problem will eventually work itself out. However, one new study predicts that our current RN shortage will quadruple to 600,000 by 2020. Obviously, this is NOT the time to "Just say no" to foreign-born nurses. Congress would be wise to re-establish a temporary visa category for registered nurses like the one that brought hundreds of thousands of Filipina RNs to the U.S. between 1952 and 1995.

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I do not see them authorizing temporary work permits like they did back then. The nurse will still need the Visa Screen Certificate, no matter what. The ease before was that the nurse could have poor English skills and be hired. Not any longer. If the fast-track process would just be put back in place..................for nurses from the three countries. Remember that it was removed quite rapidly, it can be replaced down the line also.

I would just continue to get everything in order with the assumption that you are being fast-tracked. Do everything on your part to get all completed.

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I'm curious about the new policy to chinese and other two courtry's nurses, but how can I do after studying hard and getting the CGFNS certificate? We have to face the fact, sometimes, I think it doesn't matter because I have to live even though I could not go to the USA. And I believe that God be with us all the time, he never treat his daughters badly! So ,nurses, let's put all nuts on our Father's hands, he will help us!He must save us!! Please Believe Our Father! hehe

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I'm curious about the new policy to chinese and other two courtry's nurses, but how can I do after studying hard and getting the CGFNS certificate? We have to face the fact, sometimes, I think it doesn't matter because I have to live even though I could not go to the USA. And I believe that God be with us all the time, he never treat his daughters badly! So ,nurses, let's put all nuts on our Father's hands, he will help us!He must save us!! Please Believe Our Father! hehe

The new policy essentially states that nurses who were born in these three countries will not be fast-tracked, but will need to wait for a labor certificate and a visa number before being processed. Just like all of the other non-nurses. This may change, so instead of worrying about it, I would procedd with getting all of my requirements completed. CGFNS alone is just the beginning of the requirements. I would work on everything else.

And congratulations on passing the CGFNS exam.............. :balloons:

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Thank you suzanne4, I have heard so much about you from my friend. you are a kind person, thank you again. I'll come here everyday from today! do you welcome me ?hehe

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You are more than welcome. Looking forward to seeing you often around here. :)

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I'm curious about the new policy to chinese and other two courtry's nurses, but how can I do after studying hard and getting the CGFNS certificate? We have to face the fact, sometimes, I think it doesn't matter because I have to live even though I could not go to the USA. And I believe that God be with us all the time, he never treat his daughters badly! So ,nurses, let's put all nuts on our Father's hands, he will help us!He must save us!! Please Believe Our Father! hehe

:) Amen to that!

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I'm curious about the new policy to chinese and other two courtry's nurses, but how can I do after studying hard and getting the CGFNS certificate? We have to face the fact, sometimes, I think it doesn't matter because I have to live even though I could not go to the USA. And I believe that God be with us all the time, he never treat his daughters badly! So ,nurses, let's put all nuts on our Father's hands, he will help us!He must save us!! Please Believe Our Father! hehe

This new ruling is not saying that you can not come to the US, just that as a nurse you will not get the preferential treatment for a green card from your country. You will just have to wait in line with the other applicants.

Give you another example. In Manila, there was a recent graduation of 200 nurses. 150 were physicians and dentists who went back to school to get their RN so that it would be easier for them to get to the US. For those that did not get petitioned already, they are looking at about a three year wait.

For those that were already petitioned, the wait will be any where from one year to two years depending on which part of the country that they are going to work.

This new ruling should add a year or so onto your plans, it is not taking away your ability to work in the US, you just now need to have a visa number assigned to you before the processing can begin and that is where the delay is coming in.

But again as I have states earlier, this ruling could also be reversed at any time, so just get everything done that you possibly can..........so that you will be ready. :)

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