Financial Status for the USA?

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I was just wondering if you already have 5 years experience of being nurse in the Philippines what are the step by step process for you to be a nurse in the U.S and how much would it cost. Like what are exam needed and what is the examination date. Aside from that what are the advantages and disadvantage you would get living in the U.S and how much would it cost living in the U.S like how much is the estimated cost for transportation, house or apartment, food, utility bills and etc in every month. Lastly, what is the estimated salary for nurses in the U.S?

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

A lot of the info you are asking about will depend on the state you plan on living and working in. State fees will be on the BON website as well as requirements for International Educated Nurse. Living expenses will greatly depend on the state

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What about in California?

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

That's a lot of questions you could find the answer to via Google.

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Could anybody answer me even just the expenses living in California.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.
Could anybody answer me even just the expenses living in California.

California is HUGE and the cost of living can vary from extremely expensive (major cities) to quite reasonable (rural areas). Again, some.time spent narrowing down what you want and google will be more helpful. There is not one simple.answer to your question..

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okey thanks.

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Specializes in Acute and Critical Care.

Hey Novy18,

The costs during the immigration process depend on whether you're doing everything on your own or with the help of a recruitment company and with which specific company.

I'm with a US-based recruitment company and they are sponsoring an EB-3 visa (and permanent residency) for me in exchange for an employment contract. They offered an NCLEX review program, they paid for my flights and hotel to take the NCLEX and for the NCLEX itself, I get lawyers through them, they prepare all the documents and everything is taken care of for me. So far I've only paid for the IELTS ($300) and the CGFNS VisaScreen Certificate ($540).

Basically the process goes like this:

1) CES Report: Get your educational credentials evaluated and your license approved by the CGFNS.

2) Study for the NCLEX.

2) Apply to a Board of Nursing but choose a BON that doesn't require Social Security Number (SSN).

3) Take and pass the NCLEX.

4) Apply for the VisaScreen Certificate once you receive your license from the BON.

5) File your visa petition.

6) Wait for the immigrant visa to get processed and move to the US at an appropriate time.

I've learned that RNs earn around $30/h in the US but this varies based on your education, work experience and other merits as well as location. Cost of living varies based on location as well. I don't think anyone can give any educated guess as an average because the US is a huge country. From my perspective public transportation is not expensive but there are areas where transportation is not an option and you need to own a car. For expatriates and immigrants it's difficult to get a loan for a car without any credit history in the US. Food prices depend on area and your preferences (there are cheap stores with lower quality food and more expensive stores with organic and high quality food). Internet is expensive starting at around $80/mo and so are unlimited cell plans starting at around $50/mo (over twice as much as in Europe). Utility payments will vary. Tax rate can be about 20-25% and healthcare insurance can eat up a lot of your monthly salary.

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Hi SpidersWeb,

I'm an international nurse as well. May I know, what is your recruitment company or agency ?, I'm going to take the Nclex exam soon and I plan to take Ietls exam while doing visascreen.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical Nursing.

You have a lot of questions that we can't give all the answers. If you want to choose a specific U.S. State, google each State. There are 50 States and other territories like Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands and Northern Mariana Islands. USA is such a big country. You also mentioned California. Well, I live in California, and it also depends on where you live here.

My suggestion is for you to look for an agency that will help you understand the process of getting here. You cannot work in any of the State here without passing NCLEX-RN, so your agency will help you process that, just like what @SpidersWeb enumerated on the list. Each U.S. State has a different way of processing an application especially for an IEN (internationally educated nurse) like you. Since you're still there in the Philippines, you might choose a State that doesn't require SSN (social security number) because most of the States require that. Again, your agency will explain it to you, and I guess different agencies have different amount of expenses too. So choose wisely.

You mentioned disadvantages and advantages. I guess there are more advantages living here. You get paid well, and you can sustain your needs despite of cutting your monthly income from your monthly bills. May I remind you also that USA is a country of bills. You will know that more when you get here. Especially when you become a driver with your own car, you will pay for your monthly car insurance and monthly payment for your car if it's leased, or financed by a dealership. We have buses here but as a nurse, I don't think so if commuting a bus is appropriate (not to degrade or negate riding a bus, but you have to wake up early and you have to be in your workplace on time). You need a car. If not, you need a person who will give you a ride.

I'm sure, by the time you have passed NCLEX-RN, and have gotten your working visa, your agency will orient you about travel, expenses living here, bills, transportation, people here, and so much more especially for the State where you want to settle down. So look for an agency that will help you achieve your goal to migrate over here. And don't forget to post about your success stories here at allnurses. GOOD LUCK!

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Specializes in Acute and Critical Care.
Hi SpidersWeb,

I'm an international nurse as well. May I know, what is your recruitment company or agency ?, I'm going to take the Nclex exam soon and I plan to take Ietls exam while doing visascreen.

Hey Ystyusuf,

I'm with Avant Healthcare Professionals, which I claim to be the best in their field right now. They have a comprehensive NCLEX review program with a 90% success rate when generally only 30% of international nurses pass on their first try. If you plan to apply with Avant and you have your NCLEX, you'll get a nice sign in bonus. Besides just the NCLEX, they provide their nurses with lawyers and everything they need to make the process easy.

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