General Discussion about Filipino RNs currently working in the U.S.

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for filipino rns currently in the us whether still undergoing the proper documentations or already working please kindly share your experiences on this thread.

topics maybe from experiences at the workplace, impact of the new culture to you and your family, general do's and dont's, and others.

this thread would serve, hopefully, as a general resource thread for would-be u.s. nurses in the near future and to dispel myths and rumors and of course general advice coming from those already in the u.s.

My two cents on credit building in the US.

I lived in Nevada from 1989 to 1995 so some of these info may be outdated but my sisters are still there and did the same things...

When you start working in the US as a nurse, it's good to have your utilities (phone, power, cable) under your name. Open a bank account, checking would be best. Use it for all your payments. US bank is a good bank because they don't charge fees even for withdrawals. After working there 6 months, try applying for local department store credit cards, because these are the only ones that will approve you. Try Target, Macy's, Penney's... don't apply to too many because they will not all approve you and every time you apply, your credit rating is viewed and this is a minus against your credit rating. Once you're approved for a credit card, use it and pay it on time, it might be good to just pay the minimum monthly required so that they can see you're keeping track of your debts and paying them on time. After about one year, you will qualify for the major credit cards like VISA and Mastercard. Me and my sisters never tried for a secured credit card that requires a deposit... As long as you have a credit card, use it and pay it on time. Pretty soon you'll be able to be approved for a car loan then later on even a housing loan. Save alot of money on the side too and keep it in the bank so that the bank can see your worth. And remember though, paying for something in whole is much much better than installments. You'll eventually pay for it so why not save paying for it once.

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Specializes in MedSurg.-Tele, Home health, LTC.

in order for you to establish a credit history, you should have a job in the u.s. first, then open a savings or checking account. if you want to have a credit card, shop for credit cards that have low interest rate and no annual fee. some cards will charges you more than $100.00 for an annual fee, even if you don't have any outstanding balance in that card. i started opening a credit card from sears, and macy's. however, i found out they have high interest rates, so i switch to cards from my bank, which carry visa and mastercard. it is important to keep tabs of your expenses, sometimes when you get carried away using that card, it's hard to pay that off in one crack, so try not to miss the payment date, or it will hurt your credit history. now, with you question lawrence, i wasn't sure if that card you are talking about will be considered for your credit history, because they need your social security number to match that credit, and you have to have a job literally in the u.s. but, if you have one right now, make sure you be careful with that card. also, some credit cards have a very ridiculous terms and conditions, you really have to understand and read the fine prints, because they are very tricky! and if you ever work in the u.s. try to save your money. you never know when you're gonna need that cash, yes, bank will loan you money but you have to pay the skyrocketing interest.:smokin: :smokin:

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Specializes in Critical Care Nursing.

thanks this is a very timely topic hehehehe.

i was thingking thismorning how can i build my credit history at least now i have a glimpse... thanks

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical.
Now, I have a question about credit history. Does having a credit history from an American Int'l bank and/or having an account w/ them for years in the Philippines or from any other country for that matter mean a thing?

I would imagine setting-up a new account will be faster if one has an account already here but what about credit card applications? Can the Int'l bank endorse to the new branch that their client who will be setting-up a new account on their North American branch (the local branch will be facilitating this of course - or so they say) has a good credit history even though of course N.A. uses a diff. credit score rating.

How about having a credit card from non-Int'l banks?

Credit history from other international banks does not count here. You have to start it here. I have a credit card for HSBC and I have a very good credit line with them but it does not mean a thing here.

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Credit history from other international banks does not count here. You have to start it here. I have a credit card for HSBC and I have a very good credit line with them but it does not mean a thing here.

That's because as somebody mentioned in this forum, your credit is tied with your social security number. I have a personal loan in the US which dont even show in my credit history as they did not put my social security number.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical.
That's because as somebody mentioned in this forum, your credit is tied with your social security number. I have a personal loan in the US which dont even show in my credit history as they did not put my social security number.

You are right.

I forgot to mention that our credit history is tie up with our SSN. We used our SSN when we apply for utilities,services and credit cards.

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Specializes in Critical Care Nursing.

what about paying with your personal check will it help building up your credit score?

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.

I just came across this forum and found the topics to be particularly interesting being a Filipino nurse who has been in the US for a long time. I naturally got drawn to this thread because I fit the profile of the discussion started here.

I find it amusing that we start the thread by bringing up credit history. Sure, let's all buy into American consumerism and rack up all the credit card debt we can possibly have so that before long we're just like everybody else, deep in debt up to our noses. And when we're ready to buy a car, let's settle for that top of the line "Lexus" so that we can show our fellow Pinoy immigrants that we've arrived even though we have to work double shifts every single day in order to catch up on monthly payments for that big, shiny piece of metal that deteriorates in value as the odometer miles go up.

My point is, America truly is a fun place to live in that one can easily get caught up in all these "first world" temptations and lose the fact that the key is to remember what our elders have told us for as long as we can remember: "spend your money wisely and responsibly".

But really, I posted here because I would just like to say that I really love being a nurse here in the US. This is where the best of nursing is practiced. Here, we have the latest in medical and nursing advances and the highest of expertise in any medical or nursing discipline. We can find employement in hospitals that are considered one of the best in the world and even participate in cutting-edge research to improve health-care as nurses. We nurses here work with the the best medical equipment to help make our jobs easier and there's always sufficient medical supplies at our disposal.

In addition, there is so much career choices for nurses here. Working as a RN in a hospital is just one of many practice options, there are numerous other settings we nurses can practice in. Nursing has evolved into a variety of roles and there's so much specialties to choose from to fit whichever lifestyle we choose. There's ample opportunities for career advancement and all we have to do is to take advantage of them.

I myself have pursued a master's degree in nursing here in the US and have been a nurse practitioner for a while now. I love my advanced role and this is definitely something I would not have been able to do had I not left the Philippines.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical.
I find it amusing that we start the thread by bringing up credit history. Sure, let's all buy into American consumerism and rack up all the credit card debt we can possibly have so that before long we're just like everybody else, deep in debt up to our noses. And when we're ready to buy a car, let's settle for that top of the line "Lexus" so that we can show our fellow Pinoy immigrants that we've arrived even though we have to work double shifts every single day in order to catch up on monthly payments for that big, shiny piece of metal that deteriorates in value as the odometer miles go up.

When I arrived here 9 months ago, I found it that as a new immigrant here everybody is checking my credit history when I applied for electricity, cable and telephone services. I do not even know what credit history means. I even deposited $100 for one of the services I applied simply because they told me I don't have a credit history. I applied for a financing at DELL so I can get a computer but I was turned down because of my credit history.

That is why I decided to mention here about credit history and how to start one so that when Filipino nurses in this forum who are coming over these few months will know what to do when they got here.

It will help them later when they have established a good credit history and that they can get better terms when they want something whether services. loans, etc. That is the reason why I posted about credit history to help the new ones coming and most of those nurses do not know about it because we don't have that in the Philippines.

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.

No need to defend yourself, Rep. It's not that your comment wasn't valid 'cause it absolutely is. Keeping good credit is a reality anyone who lives and plan on living in the US face. The fact is, credit history is built over time and you said it clearly in your example -- when you first arrived here, you didn't have any credit history and no credit firm would issue you a credit card at first. I was merely giving the advice that newcomers should be careful not to get suckered into all that messy credit card debt. Believe it or not, you can get approved for a car loan even without an established credit based on the income we make as Registered Nurses. You may not get the best interest rate, though.

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Specializes in MedSurg.-Tele, Home health, LTC.

hahaha, i have something to share about the "big spender" story. before i got my rn i actually work as an aide with fellow filipina nurses. i noticed almost all of them shy away from non-name brand products. for example, i noticed most of them uses only brands like "dooney and bourke" ( which cost none below $100.00 per handbag..), or the ridiculously priced "coach", and most of it has the latest models, the kind you cannot find in a shopping outlet.also, i had a co worker who actually brags about her $500 prada shoes.....my, my my, i cringed just to think how expensive it was! i could have save that money in the bank and buy shoes made by bandolino, or a discounted nike, or alfani...the bottom line is i don't see the point of wasting all that money where you can use it for other purposes later on. maybe i got no style, or i have poor taste in fashion, but i worked hard for that money, and i refused to spend that on some name brand stuff..i think people do it because we didn't have money when we were in pi, but that doesn't give us an excuse spend our money in a shoe made my a designer with goofy name.

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Specializes in Critical Care Nursing.

hello... i am interested in the topic building up thecreditbecause i have dreams of owning a house in the future.. however, i understand pinoyNP also, in the same manner that i understand Rep... both of you have points on how to build up credit history... hehehe.. i appreciate both your opinions

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