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.

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

I am a bsn graduate from philippines and i am american citizen do i still need to take english profiency exam to meet the colorado state of nursing requirements? And all of our reference book are written in english..

This is something you have to ask the BON.

[NathanielC]

hi everyone, i'm an international student with F-1 visa currently in my first year. I'm considering nursing because i'm interested in the medical field and that nursing is in high demand especially for male nurse. But I see these previous posts talking about difficulty in getting H1-b visa and green card. I know I am far from graduating, expected spring 2014, but I would like to know if male nurse have a better shot at getting visa ? Also, I know in nursing program there are clinical placement, I don't have SSN, where does that put me in the application process. hope someone can clarify this for me, thank you in advance

[NathanielC]

btw i'm looking to get into BSN in next fall if possible. so again, does being international student on F-1 visa without SSN mean it is very hard for me to get accepted ? say to school like stony brook, SUNY downstate, Molloy, Adelphi, New Rochelle, Rochester, Mt St Vincent, Binghamton, Buffalo. . . even hunter and pace.

Thanks again ...

[aruncna100]

hi all im arun from india i hav just comoleted my BSN.now doin ma 1year internship. i want to immigrate to us.anyone can help?

thank you

[ekuna04]

Hi everyone,

As F1 student i got my Associate degree in Nursing, I passed NCLEX in couple months while on OPT, I had hard time finding the job. Eventually I started to work for non-profit agency(big one). They supported in getting H1B visa for 3 years, and I had to pay all the expenses. However then I asked my employer to help me to obtain the Green Card, they denied me. I am still employed with the same company. Please any one has any advise what should I do now. I am applying, however I do not think for now anybody hiring, especially if you need the sponsorship from your employer.

Thanks

[Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN]

Hi everyone,

As F1 student i got my Associate degree in Nursing, I passed NCLEX in couple months while on OPT, I had hard time finding the job. Eventually I started to work for non-profit agency(big one). They supported in getting H1B visa for 3 years, and I had to pay all the expenses. However then I asked my employer to help me to obtain the Green Card, they denied me. I am still employed with the same company. Please any one has any advise what should I do now. I am applying, however I do not think for now anybody hiring, especially if you need the sponsorship from your employer.

Thanks

I think what you are asking is a legal question and best be answered by a lawyer. If you are working on a H1B with an ADN, that is wrong since it requires a BSN or better. But once again best to get advice from a lawyer and good luck.

[ekuna04]

Since I posses BA in Biology, I am qualify for H1B. I think I was not clear, my question is: if anybody knows any hospital or agency which will sponsor to obtain the Green Card.

thanks again

[loxof]

Ekuna04, may i know the name of your non profit agency? You could try Texas Health Resources. My wife got green card sponsor from them in 2009. Even though they sponsored her, there is visa retrogression so that she needs H1B visa sponsor. I am not sure whether they would sponsor greencard again this year because they don't want to sponsor H1b visa for my wife. thx

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

Hi everyone,

As F1 student i got my Associate degree in Nursing, I passed NCLEX in couple months while on OPT, I had hard time finding the job. Eventually I started to work for non-profit agency(big one). They supported in getting H1B visa for 3 years, and I had to pay all the expenses. However then I asked my employer to help me to obtain the Green Card, they denied me. I am still employed with the same company. Please any one has any advise what should I do now. I am applying, however I do not think for now anybody hiring, especially if you need the sponsorship from your employer.

Thanks

Not sure why you paid expenses when the employer is supposed to pay in regards H1b fees.

Current issue is retrogression and the wait may be a lot longer than 3 years, when your H1b expires. You can not at the moment AOS so even if you do find a employer willing to go the GC route with you you can not stay in the US and work if your H1b runs out

[ekuna04]

Hello every one,

lofox I am sorry I can not reveal the name of my employer.

Silverdragon 102

As I know even though H1B is for 3 years, the same employer or any employer who is willing to sponsor or hire the visa can be renewed. And when employer is agree to further support you can apply for GC: the DOL (Department of Labor) has to approve you salary depending on job you perform, on the location of the employer and your education level. After that you need the change of status from H1B to permanent resident. Even though the wait time is long, however still the medical personal has good chance that the process would not take more than 1 year. The DOL has approved my salary and my employer halted the process to go further. And so now I am still to square one.

Once again thank you

PS I am with Viltaire in amusing the patient

[Ginger's Mom, MSN, RN]

Hello every one,

lofox I am sorry I can not reveal the name of my employer.

Silverdragon 102

As I know even though H1B is for 3 years, the same employer or any employer who is willing to sponsor or hire the visa can be renewed. And when employer is agree to further support you can apply for GC: the DOL (Department of Labor) has to approve you salary depending on job you perform, on the location of the employer and your education level. After that you need the change of status from H1B to permanent resident. Even though the wait time is long, however still the medical personal has good chance that the process would not take more than 1 year. The DOL has approved my salary and my employer halted the process to go further. And so now I am still to square one.

Once again thank you

PS I am with Viltaire in amusing the patient

I don't know how you qualify for H1B visa as nurse, to qualify for H1B you are a new grad without a BSN, a biology degree is never required for a nursing position, if you worked as biologist I understand you are qualified for H1B.

So I see you are not qualified for a H1B visa ( perhaps your employer realized their mistake), I believe you need a BSN to qualify for a Green Card as nurse, in my unqualified opinion your best option is to return to school and get a BSN or higher, otherwise you need to return home. For the best option go see a qualified lawyer.

Qualifications for a H1B for RNs

Many RNs, therefore, would not qualify for the H1B classification. However, a petitioning employer may show that a particular RN position could qualify for an H1B by demonstrating that:

a bachelor's degree or higher (or its equivalent) is normally the minimum requirement for entry into that particular position;

the degree requirement is common to the industry in parallel nursing positions;

the employer normally requires a degree or its equivalent for the position;

or the nature of the position's duties is so specialized and complex that the knowledge required to perform the duties is usually associated with the attainment of a bachelor's degree, or higher (or its equivalent). In determining how experience may be substituted for education, the formula that three years of specialized training and/or work experience is equal to one year of college-level training.

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

Ginger's mom, if trained in the US then ADN is ok for immigrant visa