International LPN Student seeking sponsorship

suzanne4, RN · Jul 18, 2008

Green card is not available for you with the LPN training, and there are no legal working visas available for that training either. This is something that your program should have made very clear to you.

You may be able qualify for the OPT for a year when you finish, but anything beyond that is not possible. There is no longer any guarantee that one can remain here even after completing the RN program here.

And you do need to be very aware that the one year training here for the LPN will not get you a visa for any other country to work in as well as there are not shortages of LPNs and many countries that used to have that training/licensure are no longer offering it.

Best of luck to you but I would seriously reconsider what you are going to be able to do with it, since a visa for the US is out of the question.

vovo1978 · Jul 19, 2008

Is there any hope? I mean, everybody talks about nurse shortages. How about nursing homes?

Silverdragon102, BSN · Jul 19, 2008

Doesn't matter where you get a job, it is the government that issues visas and currently retrogression means there is a delay regardless whether in the US already or not. Plus there is no shortage of PN's and does not meet immigration requirements. In fact I think that is the same for most countries, PN is not accepted

vovo1978 · Jul 19, 2008

Then, how about if I transfer to an RN program at the end of an LPN program. Would I have any chances to receive a nurse visa? Would you recommend a program in the Philadelphia area? How much would cost me? LPN school is already $14,000.

suzanne4, RN · Jul 19, 2008

The US is under a retrogression and there are no visas for nurses.

Attending school in the US for the RN does not guarantee that you will be able to remain here to work.

Not sure which country that you are from either and that also makes a diffference as well. For some countries, there are many more applicants than there are visas available.

If asking about the LPN program right from the start, I personally would not recommend it as you are not going to be able to work in any country with that and you do not know for a fact that you will be able to get into an RN program right away afterwards as well.

This is something that the school should have informed you of before you even signed up with them. Curious to know what they told you about being able to work in the US once you were done, that is definitiely not the case. And if they did, they need to be reported to US immigration as well.

vovo1978 · Jul 19, 2008

At school they told me that I can work and is easy to find a job. Actually they filled my I-20 for 2 years even if school lasts 1 year. They said that the second year is time for me to look for a job. What should i do now. I think I am scammed. I am here in the US and I don't want to return because of their fault. What do you recommend?

suzanne4, RN · Jul 19, 2008

You qualify for the OPT for a year, but otherwise you do not qualify for any type of legal visa to work in the US with the LPN training.

You were most definitely scammed as you call it and they need to be reported to the US Immigration services as well as the US Embassy for your country. What they are telling you is 100% illegal. We have seen LPNs be hired with the H2-B visa, but they are getting deported when ICE makes their rounds as that visa is not for nurses and cannot be used for them. It is illegal for anyone to hire a nurse with that visa as that was designed for unskilled, temporary workers, such as what you would see in a restaurant or something similar.

Shame on that school, and please report them so that they cannot continue to do this.

vovo1978 · Jul 19, 2008

Then what should I do? Can I transfer somewhere else? I didn't start school yet but can I transfer? Thank you so much

suzanne4, RN · Jul 20, 2008

Transfer to where? This is already July and the programs are beginning in the next six weeks or so; it is going to be very hard to do that.

You just need to know that what they told you is incorrect and that other than the one year OPT, there is no legal visa for you to remain in the US and work as an LPN.

I still would report them.

And which country are you from? Your country of birth? That will influence things for you as well as visas are issued based on that, not where one has a passport or legal residency now.

vovo1978 · Jul 20, 2008

I could transfer back to the ESL school. They take students at any time. I just don't want to waste money on a degree which would not help me. Would that be legal? How many transfers I am allowed to do? My country of birth is Romania. Thank you so much for your help Suzanne. Your help is really welcome in this moments.

suzanne4, RN · Jul 20, 2008

Does not matter if you transfer back to the ESL school, the issue is that even with doing that one cannot work in the US. There is no certification from that school that will let you remain in the US and work afterwards, it is not a training program either so there is no OPT when you finish it.

At the moment, we do not even have visas for RNs to remain in the US when they complete their program.

I feel bad for you that this school lied to you and took advantage of you. They most definitely need to be reported to US immigration for what they are doing and telling you, it is 100% illegal.