International LPN Student seeking sponsorship

suzanne4, RN · Feb 18, 2009

Also be aware that one does not instantly receive the CPT and the EAD, there are requirements that will need to be met in the new program. So never assume that if you complete the OPT, you will automatically be able to cotinue on immediately working part-time.

And as mentioned just above, this CPT time does count against the OPT time that you will get in the end. So you need to decide which will work better for you. As well as anticipate that there are not going to be visas available for years and years to adjust to; and if that will even be possible down the road.

knzaku · Feb 18, 2009

If I were in your shoes I will look and apply for RN in another school with a program that begins in August 2009 instead of waiting for next year. Your employer will appreciate that you want to be done with the RN quickly. If the employer is willing to sponsor you, just assure him/her that you will be back soon and keep in touch. Also don't be limited by Work Visas or green cards. Get good education that will be beneficial to you in future. If that requires a BSN or MSN just go for it. Right now they are hiring MSNs to teach nursing and universities are not bound to work visa quotas at the moment. Once you obtain your BSN you can easily progress to MSN without paying for it. No matter how this country's laws seem unfair, there are alot of opportunities and you can become anything if your put your will in it.

suzanne4, RN · Feb 18, 2009

Yes, they are hiring MSNs to teach; however, they require at least 5 years of actual work experience as an RN to get hired in the first place for a teaching role.

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But the focus needs to be on how the person is going to be able to pay for their schooling and not be working along the way. There are not as many empoyers willing to do this right now since there is no guarantee when the employee will be able to work for them and if ever.

There is no longer any guarantee to anything dealing with schooling and getting hired to remain here.

This thread is also specific as to what this person can do now, not 5 years from now. They have to make it thru this first step as well.

knzaku · Feb 18, 2009

Thanks Susanne.

Agne · Feb 23, 2009

Hello, you have been very helpful, thank You. I am also in the exact same situation. So i am from lithuania, do you think it would be possible to get any work visa for me? All I wanna do is to work as a nurse here in usa. I am planning to go back for an RN in 2010. i currently work under my OPT. There has to be something I mean...they are "shipping" nurses from all over the world and i was trained here now cant work...(( it is horrible, if I knew that i would just work as a nurse in my country....my opt will expire in July:((((

Silverdragon102, BSN · Feb 23, 2009

Hello, you have been very helpful, thank You. I am also in the exact same situation. So i am from lithuania, do you think it would be possible to get any work visa for me? All I wanna do is to work as a nurse here in usa. I am planning to go back for an RN in 2010. i currently work under my OPT. There has to be something I mean...they are "shipping" nurses from all over the world and i was trained here now cant work...(( it is horrible, if I knew that i would just work as a nurse in my country....my opt will expire in July:((((

There are no visas enabling you to stay. The only way is for you to continue your study. They are not shipping nurses from all over the world. Retrogression has been ongoing since Oct 06 and there are no signs of it changing and LPN just doesn't meet immigration requirements. The next question would be would your training be accepted in your country? You may have to consider going home once your OPT is up unless you start your RN sooner

Agne · Feb 23, 2009

yeah...so it all comes to money...i cant work-cant pay for rn...so sad... really nothing else to do just come back home and practice as a nurse there...

suzanne4, RN · Feb 23, 2009

Hello, you have been very helpful, thank You. I am also in the exact same situation. So i am from lithuania, do you think it would be possible to get any work visa for me? All I wanna do is to work as a nurse here in usa. I am planning to go back for an RN in 2010. i currently work under my OPT. There has to be something I mean...they are "shipping" nurses from all over the world and i was trained here now cant work...(( it is horrible, if I knew that i would just work as a nurse in my country....my opt will expire in July:((((

If your OPT expires in July and you are not to start your RN training until 2010, then you are going to be out of status. Your visa will not permit you to remain in the US for the six months and wait.

And they are not shipping in nurses from all over the world, the US has been under a retrogression since October, 2006. This started before you came here to attend school more than likely as well as the fact that there have never been visas for the LPN to work under. You are currently under the OPT, which is under the F-1 visa that you have. It is not a separate visa that will permit you to work. You also need to be aware of the fact that once you complete your RN program, you are again going to be facing the same issues. Priority is not given to someone that has attended school in the US, and it should not be.

This was something that your school should have informed you of before you even started to attend courses here.

There was never any guarantee that you could automatically remain here and work once your training was done. The OPT is actually considered part of your training program.

You only have 60 days after the completion of your program to remain in the US if you are not under full-time status to continue your training. Since the program starts in 2010 and not September, 2009 it is not going to meet it.

suzanne4, RN · Feb 23, 2009

There are no legal work visas for LPNs to work in the US, no matter where they trained. To try and find something illegal makes you subject to being deported for ten years.

The other thing that you need to be aware of is the fact that once the OPT is completed, you must stop work. Even if your program were to start up in September, you still will not be able to begin work immediately with that. You would have to start the application once again to be able to work and only then part-time.

And the same thing would happen when you would get the RN.

The US is in one of the worst economic downturns that I hope any of us will ever have to live thru again. We are seeing many Americans that trained here out of work in the field of nursing, and they are always going to come first in terms of getting hired. Things just are not looking good right now.

You may wish to reconsider what you will do when you finish the RN and cannot remain here to work. If you are going for the ADN here, be aware that the majority of countries do not accept it for licensure, they require the BSN.