For those of you that are studying in the US under either an F-1 visa, or any other where you do not have permission to work, and will need to apply for a green card when you finish your schooling-----this is for you.
You must meet all of the requirements for immigration that a foreign-trained nurse does, the only exception that you have is that the English requirements are waived for you. You still need to submit the application and get a Visa Screen Certificate. This is offered by CGFNS and the application is available on their website, http://www.CGFNS.org. There is only one application available, whether you did your training in the US, or overseas.
You will still need to find an employer that will petition for your green card. You will still need to undergo a physical exam at a physician's office that is approved by USCIS an have verification of all titers and vaccinations. If you do not have verifiable proof of having had chicken pox, etc., you will need to have either a titer drawn, or receive the vaccination. Immigration is very strict now with this, they will no longer go on what you are verbally telling them.
Hope that this helps...............most of you will also be able to get an OPT for one year of training while your documents are being processed, but you can only receive the OPT once, especially if this is now a second career for you, and you already used your OPT status for the other.
If you are coming to the US just for the MSN, and already have a BSN from overseas, you will be required to write the English exams. You are only exempt from them if this is your initial training as a nurse, meaning ADN or BSN only.
I checked with my International student director at University of Miami, and she said that you are entitled to OPT after each degree that you complete. I know this also because I have a BA in Psycholgy and I worked for 1 year after that on OPT, then I obtained a second degree BSN and I also obtained another year of OPT. Have also several other friends that have done this at differing degree levels and at same ones. If in doubt check with your school's International student department or uscis website re: F1 student status and work priviledge.
You got thru on a loop hole, and only that. You are entitled to the OPT once and for a year, you do not get it with each degree that you get.
And I graduated many, many years ago. I am the Moderator of the International Forum, as well as the NCLEX forums here. And please do your own review of the USCIS website, I know if quite well. And I work with immigration attorneys all of the time, and this is per them as well.
And International advisors do not always give correct or recent information. I deal with this on a daily basis. And actually have been working with several foreign nurses who are second degreers here that do not qualify for the OPT now, as they have already used it in the past with their other degree. They have been turned down from USCIS for obtaining it. You cannot use it for a second Bachelor's degree, or if you have the Bachelors and have used it, cannot use it for a ADN degree.
IS CORRECT, you can only get one OPT for a BA degree. So if you get two bachelors you can only get one OPT. If you go on to do a Master you may get another OPT depending on the criteria at that time for that degree. You can not receive a second OPT for another BA. However I think you are not understanding the regulations as they are written. I am not sure if there was an error made in providing you with a second OPT that you stated you have recieved (even if hours are partially used with CPT while attending school that does come off the hours you are allowed on your OPT) The school fills out the documentation and I am not sure what they are doing at your school. I would be very concern if this error was found and it could potentionally affected your immigration status later. I work with many foreign nurses and none of them have received a second OPT. I think it would be in your advisors best interest since they are giving information out to students to check with an immigration attorney. This can come back to bite you on the butt... immigration is not very forgiving and they expect everyone to follow the rules. If the advisor gives you wrong information, ultimately it is your responsibility and you will suffer the consequences of that wrong information..
Suzanne 4 is very knowledgeable and deals with this on a daily basis, I have found her advise to be as close to perfect as you are going to find on any site you check.
I am not denying that Suzanne's advice is great and further I am not challenging her. I was just giving my experience and experiences of others that I know. But by all means follow your path...
And just to verify what I had posted, I followed up today with several different immigration attorneys that I use to answer my questions as a resource, when needed, and they backed up 100% what I have said.
Please be very careful, it may be something that your school is doing when they fill out the papers, for the OPT, it is done by the school, not by an immigration attorney, and can actually come back to haunt you later on. Even if it is something that your school has done, it still is ultimately your responsibility. And can cause major issues for you with immigration in terms of getting a green card. I suggest that you seek counsel from an immigration attorney specializing in working with nurses as quickly as possible and do not rely on your International advisor.
hi guys iv goten myself in a major problem. i am havin diif in geting in the the assDeg in ny area have a GPa of 3.2 for my prereq. I am dont mind goin to a pvt school provided it is a 2 year degree. another Q can i study towards a LPN program as an international student and than transf to for RN ?
im a permanent resident here in US and i graduated from the phils. i submited my application form to the borard of nursing and im pretty sure my docs from the phils are also already there. suzanne, am i gonna get a notice from the board of nursing? what should i expect. its been a week and i havent heard or received anything yet.. if ever a notification will come will it include my eligibility to take the exam?
and another thing, this is my first time to take my licensing exam. i went to the US immediatealy after graduating BSN. what kind of job should i enter? i have good clinical work experience in my internship but i dont have BLS licensing etc....
I was with an immigration attorney yesterday and asked if you could get an OPT with each degree and was told this is not correct information, you can only get one. When information is given out, please check the facts to make sure... this can create immigration difficulties for other. If it sounds too good to be true, usually it isn't...
let me make this clear. you are allowed opt after each educational level that you complete in the us. after associate degree- 1 year, after bachelor's degree- 1 year, after master's degree- 1 year, after phd- 1 year.
from uscis.gov website. (go to uscis.gov and search under student visa)
"(10) practical training. practical training may be authorized to an f-1 student who has been lawfully enrolled on a full time basis, in a service-approved college, university, conservatory, or seminary for one full academic year. this provision also includes students who, during their course of study, were enrolled in a study abroad program, if the student had spent at least one full academic term enrolled in a full course of study in the united states prior to studying abroad. a student may be authorized 12 months of practical training, and becomes eligible for another 12 months of practical training when he or she changes to a higher educational level. students in english language training programs are ineligible for practical training. an eligible student may request employment authorization for practical training in a position that is directly related to his or her major area of study. there are two types of practical training available: (introductory text revised effective 1/1/03; 67 fr 76256) "
now mari-1 i do not post to mislead others so please do not insinuate that. i was just posting based on the experiences i have had, which i believe i am allowed to. even though i have an immigration attorney(who knows and has all my i-20's and other documents) and other international nurses around me i always look up my info.
i was in an Accelerated BSN program and one of the other international students in the program had a ms in counselling and obtained opt after that and then received opt after she completed her bsn. there is a section on the form that you use to apply for opt that asks if you have ever received it before and she answered it truthfully.
let me make this clear. you are allowed opt after each educational level that you complete in the us. after associate degree- 1 year, after bachelor's degree- 1 year, after master's degree- 1 year, after phd- 1 year.
from uscis.gov website. (go to uscis.gov and search under student visa)
"(10) practical training. practical training may be authorized to an f-1 student who has been lawfully enrolled on a full time basis, in a service-approved college, university, conservatory, or seminary for one full academic year. this provision also includes students who, during their course of study, were enrolled in a study abroad program, if the student had spent at least one full academic term enrolled in a full course of study in the united states prior to studying abroad. a student may be authorized 12 months of practical training, and becomes eligible for another 12 months of practical training when he or she changes to a higher educational level. students in english language training programs are ineligible for practical training. an eligible student may request employment authorization for practical training in a position that is directly related to his or her major area of study. there are two types of practical training available: (introductory text revised effective 1/1/03; 67 fr 76256) "
now mari-1 i do not post to mislead others so please do not insinuate that. i was just posting based on the experiences i have had, which i believe i am allowed to. even though i have an immigration attorney(who knows and has all my i-20's and other documents) and other international nurses around me i always look up my info.
i was in an accelerated bsn program and one of the other international students in the program had a ms in counselling and obtained opt after that and then received opt after she completed her bsn. there is a section on the form that you use to apply for opt that asks if you have ever received it before and she answered it truthfully.
i do wish you the best though.
with one bachelor's degree, with one master's degree; only allowed one with each. if you received one bachelor's degree, you get the opt for one year. if you go back and get a second bachelor's degree, you do not get the opt. you can argue all that you want about it, but both of us deal with this on a daily basis. it makes no difference to us what you do, but you are opening yourself up to issues with immigration when you do go for your green card.
StaRNew
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I checked with my International student director at University of Miami, and she said that you are entitled to OPT after each degree that you complete. I know this also because I have a BA in Psycholgy and I worked for 1 year after that on OPT, then I obtained a second degree BSN and I also obtained another year of OPT. Have also several other friends that have done this at differing degree levels and at same ones. If in doubt check with your school's International student department or uscis website re: F1 student status and work priviledge.