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.
Once the OPT is completed that you are under, then the next degree kicks in and you have to start the process again to be able to work. It does not automatically just kick in. The EAD that you get with the OPT is not able to be renewed under any circumstances, so you need to apply again to be able to work legally here.
You will be a non-working RN from the time that your OPT is finished and you qualify to be able to work part-time again under the new EAD.
OK, thanks for the answer. What would be the procedure/grounds for applying for a new EAD after OPT? I know that now I can apply under hardship conditions (which I don't have) or as part time on campus (which I wouldn't do for RN because my hospital would not be considered part of the school). What does applying for the EAD once I am an RN and pursuing an advanced degree entail? Incidentally, since I already have a Bachelors and Masters degree in another field, I would be going for the RN to MSN, and not BSN as I stated earlier. I know the EAD I have under OPT would no longer be valid, so what kind of EAD would I be applying for and on what grounds?
I know that now I can apply under hardship conditions (which I don't have) or as part time on campus (which I wouldn't do for RN because my hospital would not be considered part of the school).
In fact, the hospital can be considered as a part of the school, if your school sends students there for clinical practice.
Also, you can apply for curriculum practical training. CPT can full-time or part-time. It does not require authorization from USCIS. You can google more information online.
The issue is that there are no visas available to adjust to and we do not expect them for a few years. It is also no longer a guarantee that someone that is in school here to become an RN will automatically get the green card. There are those that are finding it out the hard way.
No one has ever gotten his/her green card automatically.
And only twenty hour maximum while in school until the next OPT is obtained. So I am very correct on what I stated above.
This is not true. One can work full-time on CPT.
And my question for you is: if the I-485 can be submitted, why in the world would someone not wish to go with that and the EAD that you can get at that same time? If they have accepted the I-485 it means that it is being processed and your I-20 is no longer needed.
It depends. If one applies for EAD and I-485 gets rejected, then one has to leave the country.
Once the I-485 can be submitted, then your F-1 status fails to exist any longer.
Back to the point. The above statement is inaccurate.
Sorry, but you have incorrect information concerning the CPT, it can be used only for part-time work of 20 hours per week or less, with the exception of vacation time. During school time it is not permitted.
In the past, until this past retrogression a year ago, those that came here to go to school were pretty much guaranteed that they could remain in the US and be able to get a green card, no it is not automatic for anyone that they will get approved, but the chance of getting one was significantly in their favor. That is no longer the case anymore.
You are trying to split hairs with me over things that you are taking out of context, this is not how things are done here.
And again, if the person is going to be rejected, they are going to get rejected no matter what. You are trying to get me to argue with you, but this is not the place. To with hold submitting the for the EAD based on that assumption is your choice to make, but not one that is advised. As a student, you have no rights to anything in the US, period, you are here as a guest only. You are entitled to your opinion, and I am entitled to mine.
And I am sticking by what I have posted when it has been in the context where it was placed, not with you taking it from the other statements with it.
If you are getting poor information from your school about the requirements for the CPT and the OPT, that is an issue that you need to take up with them. But to come here and tell me that I am wrong, is not the thing to do when you have nothing to back it up with, only your behavior.
If you are getting poor information from your school about the requirements for the CPT and the OPT, that is an issue that you need to take up with them. But to come here and tell me that I am wrong, is not the thing to do when you have nothing to back it up with, only your behavior.
You are so funny.
I think you are confusing CPT with OPT. CPT can be either part-time of full-time. Ask me how I know. If you want to know too, go to google.com and type "full-time CPT".
I think you are confusing CPT with OPT. CPT can be either part-time of full-time. Ask me how I know. If you want to know too, go to google.com and type "full-time CPT".
Hi,
I had CPT and worked part-time while I was in school, and then full-time under CPT (not OPT) after graduating. Each one, part-time and full-time, was filed separately because the employer was different, and they were both approved.
I had CPT and worked part-time while I was in school, and then full-time under CPT (not OPT) after graduating. Each one, part-time and full-time, was filed separately because the employer was different, and they were both approved.
I just wonder how you could work on CPT after graduation? Probably, that's because technically you were considered a student at the university but you did not take any classes along with your full-time CPT (which is permitted).
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
F1 visa holders may work on campus (i.e. within the university) for up to 20 hours per week if they are in good academic standing, maintain full-time study, and do not displace a US resident.Students may work full-time between semesters and during the annual summer vacation if they enroll for the following term. After completing their studies, however, they may not be employed on-campus unless authorized for practical training.
Anna is correct in what she posted above, and the bigger issue is that the CPT time is subtracted from the one year that is available for the OPT. The CPT and the OPT is applied for thru the school, but the EAD in fact comes from USCIS, so they are in fact giving the final approval. The school does not keep the EAD cards in a drawer. This is also the reason that you get only the year total, the US government is very aware of what goes on, more than you think. Use CPT time full-time and that is taken off of OPT time; and no way around that.
We are speaking of the CPT and OPT that you get with nursing, nothing more. And this is how itis done. What you did with other degrees or anything else is your deal, but with nursing programs, you get the year total. And if you used up any full-time experience while you were in school, then that is subtracted from the total OPT time, it is not added on to give you more. Then the fact becomes that there are no visas and the nurse is stuck with nothing else to do but return to school; and start the process again to get permission to work. You came here looking for information, you do not like what we post here, and have been doing for sometime, and correctly, I might add, they you are free to go someplace else.
And it is not changed when you get another employer, at least legally; the time is allotted for the year total. Doing something that slips by is not what is normally done, and what is advised. Because someone has done something, it does not mean that it is the legal thing to do.
End of anything from me on this topic. You are grown adults and are free to do as you please, when you have problems later on, do not come back and ask for my help. I do not need to waste time over this with you. And I will not.
Suzanne, I think my last question to you kind of got buried in the discussion. I asked:
OK, thanks for the answer. What would be the procedure/grounds for applying for a new EAD after OPT? I know that now I can apply under hardship conditions (which I don't have) or as part time on campus (which I wouldn't do for RN because my hospital would not be considered part of the school). What does applying for the EAD once I am an RN and pursuing an advanced degree entail? Incidentally, since I already have a Bachelors and Masters degree in another field, I would be going for the RN to MSN, and not BSN as I stated earlier. I know the EAD I have under OPT would no longer be valid, so what kind of EAD would I be applying for and on what grounds?
thanks again
I would appreciate if you would give me some more info on this.
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Suzanne, I think my last question to you kind of got buried in the discussion. I asked:
I would appreciate if you would give me some more info on this.
thanks
once your EAD is completed with OPT there is nothing you can do except stay on in schooling, only other option is to go home. No visas to adjust, wonder why you did not apply for AOS in July/August when the small window opened up? May not open again for a long time due to the amount of applicants they had in that window
once your EAD is completed with OPT there is nothing you can do except stay on in schooling, only other option is to go home. No visas to adjust, wonder why you did not apply for AOS in July/August when the small window opened up? May not open again for a long time due to the amount of applicants they had in that window
Don't know what you mean by your response. I was asking Suzanne a question in connection with something she had said in a previous post and that I had responded to and she answered. So I was seeking clarification. I am still in school, graduating in December and starting OPT in Feb '08. I am preparing myself and trying to make sense of everything in case I don't get change of status by the end of my OPT in Feb '09. So I am not sure I understand your reply about AOS in July/August? If you read back some posts you may understand my question better.
helloworld
84 Posts
OK, thanks for the answer. What would be the procedure/grounds for applying for a new EAD after OPT? I know that now I can apply under hardship conditions (which I don't have) or as part time on campus (which I wouldn't do for RN because my hospital would not be considered part of the school). What does applying for the EAD once I am an RN and pursuing an advanced degree entail? Incidentally, since I already have a Bachelors and Masters degree in another field, I would be going for the RN to MSN, and not BSN as I stated earlier. I know the EAD I have under OPT would no longer be valid, so what kind of EAD would I be applying for and on what grounds?
thanks again