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.
Are associate degree in Nursing graduates who have passed the RN exam eligible for the 1 yr Optional Practical Training ?
Also if someone were to change from an H4 to F1 when should they ideally do it to get OPT ? Does it have to be at the beginning of the 2 yr course or after the 1st yr or does it not matter ?
A two year grad can get the OPT. The OPT is most beneficial when you have graduated, that is what it is designed for. While in school, you would be getting the CPT.
Hooray...I graduate in 2 weeks with a BSN! I have already applied for the OPT and should be receiving it shortly. Now, based on what I have read in this thread I am of the idea that this is what i have to do.
1. I need to set up a date for my NCLEX (I do not have to wait for my transcripts)
2. I apply for a license post NCLEX.(and a job:icon_roll)
3. I get in touch with CGFNS and apply for the VisaScreen.
4. With the VisaScreen and a job in hand I can apply for the Green Card (considering I have employers help).
Please let me know if these are the right steps. Any advice will be highly appreciated.
BTW anyone know of hospitals in Denver, Boulder area that have hired US educated foreign nurses?
I finally got my wife changed her status from H1 to F1. This coming semester she will be finishing her 2 year degree in nursing. She will apply for OPT midway of the semester, as advised by the international student affairs office of her college.
Considering she finishes school in December and gets her OPT approval, what are her next steps?
Can she work on OPT in Los Angeles even if she finishes her school in the Bay Area, or is OPT in the same locality as the school?
I also want to confirm if she is really qualified to apply for green card even if it is just a two year degree.
Which state are you? i know alot of hospitals in Los Angels, Baltimore and New york that will sponsor and have plenty of information on there websites about the whole process. you may want to take a look at their websites.
Hi Shiloh,
Where can I find the list for Los Angeles hospitals that can sponsor, please let me know. My wife will be looking for employers next year because she is finishing up this fall.
Schedule A Cut-Off Date Predicted in October 2006 and Visa Availability During FY 2007
A total of 50,000 numbers were provided for use in the Schedule A (EX) visa category which was established last May. Visa demand in this category is approaching that limit, and may require the establishment of a cut-off date as early as October. Once all 50,000 numbers have been made available under the current limitation, processing under this category will end.
Hooray...I graduate in 2 weeks with a BSN! I have already applied for the OPT and should be receiving it shortly. Now, based on what I have read in this thread I am of the idea that this is what i have to do.
1. I need to set up a date for my NCLEX (I do not have to wait for my transcripts)
2. I apply for a license post NCLEX.(and a job:icon_roll)
3. I get in touch with CGFNS and apply for the VisaScreen.
4. With the VisaScreen and a job in hand I can apply for the Green Card (considering I have employers help).
Please let me know if these are the right steps. Any advice will be highly appreciated.
BTW anyone know of hospitals in Denver, Boulder area that have hired US educated foreign nurses?
Thanks Ya'll :thankya:.
First, depends on which state that you are in. Most require that you have a set of transcripts on file before they will give permission to Pearson-Vue for you to sit for the exam.
You have already applied for a license, that is what you are doing when you apply to a state Board of Nursing. You will not have permission to sit for the exam, until you have applied for it. Taking the NCLEX exam is the last step in the licensure process, it is not the only step. And you must have permission to sit for it by a state, as well as receive the ATT from Pearson-Vue. That is only released once you have paid the $200 for the exam AND they have received the okay from the state to issue it to you. They are only acting as a middleman, they do not give the permisiion on their own for you to test.
You have two choices as fas as employer, if you have the OPT. Sponsorship is not required for you to begin work, since you have permission to work with the OPT. But that is only good for one year. You can either look for an employer that will start the petition prcess for you, or you can get some experience under your belt and then look.
You go to www.cgfns.org and download the application for the Visa Screen Certificate. Your school will need to send a copy of official transcripts to them, since you are getting your initial nursing degree in the US, then the English exams are waived for you. And you will need proof of passing the NCLEX exam. Then they will process a Certificate for you. Simple as that.
You do not need to have the VSC in hand to have the petition process started, it is needed further down the line.
I finally got my wife changed her status from H1 to F1. This coming semester she will be finishing her 2 year degree in nursing. She will apply for OPT midway of the semester, as advised by the international student affairs office of her college.
Considering she finishes school in December and gets her OPT approval, what are her next steps?
Can she work on OPT in Los Angeles even if she finishes her school in the Bay Area, or is OPT in the same locality as the school?
I also want to confirm if she is really qualified to apply for green card even if it is just a two year degree.
First, I would never have changed her status to the F-1. Your tuition more than likely will go up considerably, as she will now be considered an International student. She could easily have waited to get the results of her NCLEX exam and then get petitioned right away. The F-1 puts a time limit on things, an issue that you did not need to have.
The OPT is just that, it gives permission for the nurse to get experience for one year, it can be anywhere in the country, it is not limited to CA even. It has nothing to do with the locality of the school.
And YES, she qualifies for the green card/permanent residency since she will be obtaining her degree in the US. If out of the US, a two year degree with an Associate do not qualify for it.
Schedule A Cut-Off Date Predicted in October 2006 and Visa Availability During FY 2007
A total of 50,000 numbers were provided for use in the Schedule A (EX) visa category which was established last May. Visa demand in this category is approaching that limit, and may require the establishment of a cut-off date as early as October. Once all 50,000 numbers have been made available under the current limitation, processing under this category will end.
She is already in the US. There are other avenues in place, in case that she would need it, but I am not going to discuss it here or now. It is not the place for it.
The more reputable facilites will not even consider the petition process until she passes the NCLEX exam. I would wait until she is much closer to graduating. Hospitals are always changing on who will petition and who will not.
I just graduated as an RN and I would like to know if you know any hospitals that will sponsor students on an F-1. I have legal authorization to work for a year and that is why I need to find a sponsor before the year is up. Can you help me??? Thanx
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texancanadian
112 Posts
Are associate degree in Nursing graduates who have passed the RN exam eligible for the 1 yr Optional Practical Training ?
Also if someone were to change from an H4 to F1 when should they ideally do it to get OPT ? Does it have to be at the beginning of the 2 yr course or after the 1st yr or does it not matter ?
Please advice.