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.
If you leave the country, therotically you're subject to 10 year bar, pratically you might never be able to come back.
Check if you're eligible for 245i, you might still be able to ajust your status without leaving the country.
No, My passport expired in 2000. Having overstayed in the country I am afraid of leaving knowing that most likely they will deny my case anyway and then what will I do? I am married to an american citizen but we separated 3 years ago. I didn't want to take that route but it seems like that's the only way to go about it at this point. I wonder if after I get a work permit and start working legally...I have to follow through with that case until the end or can I switch it over to a petition through an employer... I can't imagine being married for 3 more years to someone I have no intentions on being with anymore.
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
No, My passport expired in 2000. Having overstayed in the country I am afraid of leaving knowing that most likely they will deny my case anyway and then what will I do? I am married to an american citizen but we separated 3 years ago. I didn't want to take that route but it seems like that's the only way to go about it at this point. I wonder if after I get a work permit and start working legally...I have to follow through with that case until the end or can I switch it over to a petition through an employer... I can't imagine being married for 3 more years to someone I have no intentions on being with anymore.
You are subject to a ban Would suggest you get in touch with a lawyer who specialises in immigration
I needed to have submited the papers before march of 2000 or 2001, I forgot when they stopped doing the 245i. I have been to immigration lawyers but they all tell me that marriage is the only way out ...but they're not really working with people that have degrees in the healthcare field and I was hoping that the agencies that recruit nurses, since they are used to dealing with all immmigration issues in this field, would be able to help. I was wrong...Oh well, hope is the last thing to die and I'm in denial.
i m a new grad. i passed nclex n currently working for a hospital, they have agreed to file for me and my petition has been filed,this week ,i m in USA, i m frm india, so wat wud it mean for my case, how wud it go..wud like to knw the possible outcome.
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
hello suzzane
i m a new grad. i passed nclex n currently working for a hospital, they have agreed to file for me and my petition has been filed,this week ,i m in USA, i m frm india, so wat wud it mean for my case, how wud it go..wud like to knw the possible outcome.
thank you
Try posting this in the thread titled Questions for Suzanne. It looks like she has some busy shifts at work and may miss this post
i got this from way back - Jan 17, 2006. its from page 14 of this post :
My wife is on H4 under my H1 Visa. She's on second year of associate degree in Nursing... Considering that we have not started green card processing under my H1 ... Will she be able to apply for a greencard based on a 2 year nursing degree?"
If she trains in the US, then the 2 year degree is accepted, but if she trains out of the US, then usually it is not accepted. She can then get an Adjustment of Status (AOS) filed on her behalf...................and the final process will be getting her green card, and one for you................:)
Is this still applicable at our current time? My cousin is in the exact situation, in an ADN program on an H4 visa. Ive been reading that foreigners need a BSN. Just making sure.
i applied at community colleges in order to get into a nursing program :wink2: (RN) to obtain an associates degree and a green card later on. currently, i am in the u.s. under a j-1 visa which will expire in jan. 2007. once i got accepted into college, would it be likely for me to easily be able to change my visa status into f-1? i have heard that a change of status (or at least from b-visa to f-1) is difficult to accomplish. any information about that? any experiences?
also, a friend of mine told me about the opportunity to register for LPN classes at technical schools (12 months) to transfer to a RN program after successful completion of the one-year class. my concern is the change of status and the eligibility for me to get a green card in that matter: would i have to apply for a F visa or M visa and if i had to apply for a M visa how would chances be to change it later on into a F visa when i plan to go for the associates degree (RN)?
as i understand it a LPN program is a certificate program for which one ''only'' gets a M visa. this forum shows me that there actually are students with a F visa in a certificate program. i am confused and need your help.
concerning the transfer from lpn-rn: is it true that a lpn graduate is guaranteed a seat in a RN-class (community college) as long as one's GPA is great/ excellent? and for lpn to rn-transfers it often is required to have worked several hundreds of hours as a lpn in order to get accepted into a program. what would that mean for me as an international student with a F or M visa? would i be allowed to legally work as a lpn after my year at technical school or does the practical experience gained during technical school count towards the hours one should have worked?
i want to stay here in the u.s. and would go anywhere to study. i want to make sure that i will be able to obtain permanent residency after my studies and state examinations.
its a money matter. i have the money to study here in the u.s. - for lets say - three years. but i don't want to study nursing here and spend thousands of us-dollars when i won't be able to at least be eligible to apply for a green card later on. moneywise it is advisable for me to study in my home country and come back as a foreign educated nurse in the future. but this process takes a long time, is a very difficult process and i would have to pass the national examination anyways. now that i am currently residing here in the u.s. i want to take all chances i have. please advise. thank you!
I'm starting to get very nervous hearing about this retrogression news.
I was on F-1 visa, have graduated and just started my new job at a well-known teaching hospital this past July 2006 on my OPT visa and quite enjoying it.
The hospital I am working at agreeed to petition for green card and pay for all expenses, that is, AFTER a 6 month probation period of evaluation. Technically, there're 3 more months before I can start filing the paperworks for petition.
I'm now getting worried of this I-140 and I-485 cut off and the possibility of not being able to work upon my expiration of OPT (in May 2007). I'm a citizen from Hong Kong, will I be affected by the retrogression? Should I start looking for other job that would start the petition right away?
I'd really hate to go back to my country at this point after investing so much time and effort and money here:( ...Please help.
wow, the 6 months is pretty harsh, considering you studied here. i know some that came from abroad that were hired immediately and they were not put on probation. if you can convince them to file the petition in the next 2 weeks you can make it. otherwise, youre too late. why dont you try looking for a hospital now that can file the eb3 and aos now. you have to move quickly.
if you dont make it, hopefully the retrogression will be over once the duration of your opt is over. whats important is you get a hospital to sponsor you.
I'm starting to get very nervous hearing about this retrogression news.
I was on F-1 visa, have graduated and just started my new job at a well-known teaching hospital this past July 2006 on my OPT visa and quite enjoying it.
The hospital I am working at agreeed to petition for green card and pay for all expenses, that is, AFTER a 6 month probation period of evaluation. Technically, there're 3 more months before I can start filing the paperworks for petition.
I'm now getting worried of this I-140 and I-485 cut off and the possibility of not being able to work upon my expiration of OPT (in May 2007). I'm a citizen from Hong Kong, will I be affected by the retrogression? Should I start looking for other job that would start the petition right away?
I'd really hate to go back to my country at this point after investing so much time and effort and money here:( ...Please help.
You need to file NOW. Yesterday infact... it is THAT important.
Talk to your HR/Managers. Try to reason with them as to how important this is.
So I've talked to EVERYONE I could get a hold of...My Nurse Manager, Assis. Nurse Manager, Human Resources, Supervisor, Immigration Attorneys...at my hospital and FINALLY, they agree to make an exception to their policy and let me start the paperwork before that 6months probation period!
I just heard back from my immigration attorney today and got all the documentations in and paperworks signed TODAY!!! According to my lawyer (here in CA), if we could get everything in before the end of this month and have them at the immigration office by Nov 1, 2006, we should be good and that I could get a work authorization permit to work in 3 months while waiting for the green card to process.
She told me due to the upcoming changes, nobody can predict how long it'll take for the green card will come down, but told me to expect at least 1 to 1.5 yrs. Anyway, I'm just ecstatic that at least I can continue working and don't have to fly back home and wait...
So I've talked to EVERYONE I could get a hold of...My Nurse Manager, Assis. Nurse Manager, Human Resources, Supervisor, Immigration Attorneys...at my hospital and FINALLY, they agree to make an exception to their policy and let me start the paperwork before that 6months probation period!
I just heard back from my immigration attorney today and got all the documentations in and paperworks signed TODAY!!! According to my lawyer (here in CA), if we could get everything in before the end of this month and have them at the immigration office by Nov 1, 2006, we should be good and that I could get a work authorization permit to work in 3 months while waiting for the green card to process.
She told me due to the upcoming changes, nobody can predict how long it'll take for the green card will come down, but told me to expect at least 1 to 1.5 yrs. Anyway, I'm just ecstatic that at least I can continue working and don't have to fly back home and wait...
Good luck with everyone out there~
:balloons: Good! I am happy for you! You are so very lucky that they would help you out with the paper work in a very short period of time. Good luck to you! Let us know when you receive the notice.
rhp123
307 Posts
If you leave the country, therotically you're subject to 10 year bar, pratically you might never be able to come back.
Check if you're eligible for 245i, you might still be able to ajust your status without leaving the country.