International nursing students in the US

[suzanne4]

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.

[sharmap]

Thank you very much for advise. Right now i m doing masters. Probably in may 2008 i will start my BSN and it will end around august, 2009. If i file my papers after completing BSN then what will be my status at that time. Then will they provide me H1B visa or GREEN CARD FOR WORK.?. Do i have to wait unless i got my green card to work? and if this process took more time than two months then do i have to go back to my country and wait over there? If i take admission to some other course after completing BSN and file my papers.Then i think by doing so i can wait here until i get something (green card or H1B visa) to work and in this way my visa status will also be remain active. What do you mean by retrogression? Does it means that all the available visas got filled. Kindly guide me regarding this.

Your advisor is correct. You will not qualify for the OPT as you will already hold a higher degree. Depends on what will happen when you graduate with the BSN. Currently there are no visas for those that graduate from US programs, or from anywhere else right now due to the retrogression. And yes, you can stay only two months in the US if there are no visas available for the Adjustment of Status. But if you continue with your studies, then your visa can remain current while waiting.

If their is the Adjustment of Status (AOS) available, then there is not an issue to get the process started before the two months are up. But be aware that you must pass the NCLEX-RN exam and have those results in hand for the petition to be submitted to immigration.

[suzanne4, RN]

Thank you very much for advise. Right now i m doing masters. Probably in may 2008 i will start my BSN and it will end around august, 2009. If i file my papers after completing BSN then what will be my status at that time. Then will they provide me H1B visa or GREEN CARD FOR WORK.?. Do i have to wait unless i got my green card to work? and if this process took more time than two months then do i have to go back to my country and wait over there? If i take admission to some other course after completing BSN and file my papers.Then i think by doing so i can wait here until i get something (green card or H1B visa) to work and in this way my visa status will also be remain active. What do you mean by retrogression? Does it means that all the available visas got filled. Kindly guide me regarding this.

We do not have H1-B visas for nurses in the US. The only thing that will be available for you at that time is the green card, and that is truly what you want, what the ultimate goal is of everyone.

There are currently no visas available for nurses to work in the US. Over the past few years, nurses have been expedited for the green card, and currently they are not being expedited; meaning about a five year wait.

If things are opened ip, you will sit for the NCLEX exam, and provided that you pass, you can get petitioned by an employer. Once the documents are submitted to immigration, about five weeks later ( on average), you will receive the EAD which will permit you to work during the green card processing. You do not get the actual green card immediately. You need to allow time for the processing and the required steps. Not going to go into that here as there is much already written on it.

[tanita]

Hello Suzanne,

I passed NCLEX but i lack of 3 points on spoken secction of the Toefl. Do I need pass Toefl for filling in I-140 (i've found a hospital) or it's needed only for visa screen?

Thank you.

[suzanne4, RN]

Hello Suzanne,

I passed NCLEX but i lack of 3 points on spoken secction of the Toefl. Do I need pass Toefl for filling in I-140 (i've found a hospital) or it's needed only for visa screen?

Thank you.

The I-140 does not need the English; since you have a green card, you do not need to have it done. However, the facility may require it of you.

Great news that you found a facility to petition you.

[tanita]

Thank you very much.

The hospital is in North Carolina.

[suzanne4, RN]

Thank you very much.

The hospital is in North Carolina.

You do have a green card already? Correct? Otherwise they will not be able to do anything past the I-140 at this time.

[usdsu]

Respected Suzanne4,

I am writing you after a very long time. I am very gretful to you for you valuable advice in the forum. Let me put my case in brief for you again.

I am an international student and pursuing accelerated BSN .i have already used up my OPT from my previous degree. I will be graduating on Aug 22. Since this will be my second degree and there is no way i can get another OPT. I am planning to take NCLEX in coming October which means i will have the hard copy mailed by the end of November. After i receive it, i can apply for Visa screen that is what i have understood. Suzanne! Do i really have to wait until i get the hard copy of License in my hand to apply for Visa Screen or i can apply for visa screen once i know i passed NCLEX test checking the result online?

How long does it take on average to get Visa Screen done?

I am very much aware of the fact that there is retrogression on Schedule A visa and like many other international students who are pursuing nursing degree here in usa, i am also praying and hoping that retrogression will be lifted soon.

Is there anything else that i can do now besides getting license and visa screen done so that once the retrogression will be lifted i will proceed forward for Green Card.

One more question. I am not from India or China or Phil., does retrogression still affect me? I am from Bhutan and there are very few nurses from Bhutan in USA. Will that be advantage by any means?

Also, can i apply for H1B visa if retrogression seem to last longer?

Sincerely

R. S.

[suzanne4, RN]

Respected Suzanne4,

I am writing you after a very long time. I am very gretful to you for you valuable advice in the forum. Let me put my case in brief for you again.

I am an international student and pursuing accelerated BSN .i have already used up my OPT from my previous degree. I will be graduating on Aug 22. Since this will be my second degree and there is no way i can get another OPT. I am planning to take NCLEX in coming October which means i will have the hard copy mailed by the end of November. After i receive it, i can apply for Visa screen that is what i have understood. Suzanne! Do i really have to wait until i get the hard copy of License in my hand to apply for Visa Screen or i can apply for visa screen once i know i passed NCLEX test checking the result online?

How long does it take on average to get Visa Screen done?

I am very much aware of the fact that there is retrogression on Schedule A visa and like many other international students who are pursuing nursing degree here in usa, i am also praying and hoping that retrogression will be lifted soon.

Is there anything else that i can do now besides getting license and visa screen done so that once the retrogression will be lifted i will proceed forward for Green Card.

One more question. I am not from India or China or Phil., does retrogression still affect me? I am from Bhutan and there are very few nurses from Bhutan in USA. Will that be advantage by any means?

Also, can i apply for H1B visa if retrogression seem to last longer?

Sincerely

R. S.

Retrogression is affecting every single nurse that wishes petitioning to work in the US as an RN. Currently, it is not limited to those from certain countries. But every single nurse and with any type of experience.

Right now, with things the way that they are today; do not know what will happen and when. But based on what is happening right now, you are going to need to leave the US after sixty days if you do not continue on as a student until visas are available. You only have 60 days after you graduate to remain in the US. So theorectically, October 22 would be your final date to remain. And that is if visas do not open.

Which state are you planning to write the exam for? You do not need to have a hard license in hand, only verification that you passed the NCLEX exam. And you do not currently need to have the Visa Screen Certificate in hand to begin the immigration process. As soon as you have verifiable proof in writing from a Board of Nursing, your petitioning can be started. But again, that is if there are visas available. That is where your problem is right now. If things get signed in August, as we are anticipating, then it is still three more months until visas are available. At least this is how it has been in the past. You are going to need to have a legal status to remain in the US, so suggest that you think about grad school as a back-up plan to start if you need to.

And glad to hear that you are finally getting to the end of your program.

[usdsu]

Thank you very much for the reply Suzanne. As a back-up plan i applied to few grad schools and i have already been accepted to few pharmacy schools and one public health school. But, the sad thing is that those schools start by the end of August. I was anticipating some positives moves towards Schedule A visa before August so that i can drop off the plan to go to grad school for few years and work as an RN. I do not want to drop off from the grad school once i start it. Sometimes i feel like i am yet to find the direction to move on.

For now i think i should remain focused on NCLEX and pray that retrogression will end soon.

I wanted to write the exam in SD but i am not aware of hospitals that hire international nurses in SD. It is another dilemma for me. Your suggestions will be appreciated.

Sincerely,

R.S.

[suzanne4, RN]

Thank you very much for the reply Suzanne. As a back-up plan i applied to few grad schools and i have already been accepted to few pharmacy schools and one public health school. But, the sad thing is that those schools start by the end of August. I was anticipating some positives moves towards Schedule A visa before August so that i can drop off the plan to go to grad school for few years and work as an RN. I do not want to drop off from the grad school once i start it. Sometimes i feel like i am yet to find the direction to move on.

For now i think i should remain focused on NCLEX and pray that retrogression will end soon.

I wanted to write the exam in SD but i am not aware of hospitals that hire international nurses in SD. It is another dilemma for me. Your suggestions will be appreciated.

Sincerely,

R.S.

There is no Schedule A and we do not even know if that will ever be back. There may be a new visa type created, again as a sub-set of the EB-3.

As far as SD, you are going to need to check into that one. More than likely you are not going to find many. If you look at it the other way, you can still start grad school and when the visas are available, you can still go to school and work part-time initially, or the other way around. Even if there are visas created, it is still going to be three months from when things finally do get approved. So if August is somewhat written in the sand, then add on 90 days to that, and you have already come to November, you will already have finished one semester of full-time studies. And can then switch to part-time, if you want. But the biggest issue is that you need to remain current with your status. No one knows right now what will happen but glad to hear that you have a back-up plan in place.

Best of luck to you.

[usdsu]

As far as SD, you are going to need to check into that one. More than likely you are not going to find many. If you look at it the other way, you can still start grad school and when the visas are available, you can still go to school and work part-time initially, or the other way around. Even if there are visas created, it is still going to be three months from when things finally do get approved.

Best of luck to you.

Dear Suzanne,

I wonder.. can i find a hospital willing to sponsor Green Card even if i wish to work part-time? I never thought about it before. Seems like a great relief to me if it really works.

What about getting license from NV or AL? I will be going to one of these two states for grad school. I am very sure both states have better opportunities for me as an international nurse compared to SD.

I am more tilted to NV because i can get done with pharmD in 2 years plus 10 months of residency. Now i am relying on your expertise again to assess job opportunities in both states NV or AL.

I will appreciate your input.

Thank you very much in advance.

Sincerely,

R.S.

[suzanne4, RN]

You would need to work full-time when you are petitioned for the green card. But that can be three 12 hour shifts per week, and that would give you four days to attend class.

You will be able to attend school full-time the first semester no matter what happens with visas, the earliest that my sources are saying, as well as my crystal ball is about November when they will be released, and then you still need to wait for the processing to be done. Do not expect anything to be finalized and signed before end of July or sometime in August at the latest.