foreign nursing grad, passed CA nclex, need to work in TX!

eirn11 · Oct 22, 2007

thanks also, lawrence...

i didn't realize all this, because our decision-making has been terribly clouded by the sudden unexpected illness of my mom. everything has just been done haphazardly, i guess.

but in terms of property in the phils, we might still have other answers to that.

yes, we are trying to get a hold of a lawyer as of now.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Oct 22, 2007

thanks caroladybelle and silverdragon for the replies...
so, it isn't really advisable now for me to file for an extension of stay? especially with my mom's medical reason? because, yes im aware that it's actually two reasons - both to be here for my mom (though im not the primary caretaker), and to try to to process the visa screen. and i'm not desperate enough as to push my legal limits, which is why this is a really big problem. i CAN still go home, there would be other places for me to stay, but wouldn't my returning here be more difficult?
as for my parents, they are actually the lucky ones because they've been petitioned by my uncle way back 1986 and if all goes according to plan for the immigration, they might be approved by next year. which is good because my mom really needs to stay here. but it's me now who's in the tight spot, because i only have the opportunity to work as a nurse which is turning out to be difficult, with all the time pressure and legal consequences.
caroladybelle - the selling deal, is ultimately for us to generate finances that would help my mom. we still have the house, though, because it is not that easy to find buyers for such property. so hopefully that wouldn't be an issue in immigration...again, thanks for your reply to this matter :-)
silverdragon - if texas wouldnt be able to grant me a license, would they at least keep my file until i get my requirements?

As far as I am aware Texas should keep your file whilst you complete your requirements but there may be a time limit on how long they will keep stuff as they may not have the room. CES may take approx 4 months and depends on how long you take to do the language exam for VSC as depending on CES if your nurse training was done in English it may be waivered. Even going home you are looking at a few years due to the high demand of visas from your country as it is currently, if anything changes then may move sooner but no one knows what will happen. As it stands at the moment it should be better going CP as AOS I doubt will re open for a few years going on what figures filed the other month

asiagarden · Oct 25, 2007

thanks also, lawrence...
i didn't realize all this, because our decision-making has been terribly clouded by the sudden unexpected illness of my mom. everything has just been done haphazardly, i guess.
but in terms of property in the phils, we might still have other answers to that.
yes, we are trying to get a hold of a lawyer as of now.

HI. I know with all these things happening in your life right now it is very hard to make a decision. since you said that the main issue here is the medical condition of your mom...you wanted to be here to be able to help financially. hmmm i am not saying that you cannot help financially right now but i suggest that you finding medical aid here in the US is what you can do. my father was here too back in 2002 as a tourist for three months when my sister noticed that his color seems to be "ashen-gray", so they consulted a doctor and they found out he has an end-stage kidney due to unmanaged hypertension. the arteries in his heart was 90% clogged. they did not let him go out of the hospital then and they suggested heart bypass. you see we were not well-off in the philippines. my sister was just even holding an H1-visa then. so what my sister did was she asked helped from the social worker in that hospital and they were referred to a cardiologist. he saw my father and said that if he go back to the philippines, he might die on the plane due to heart attack unless there are special equipments on board to revive him and plus we need to be escorted by at least 3 medical personnel. and so that is why the cardiologist who happens to be asian was very compassionate to look for surgeons that will operate on my father because going back home is not an alternative anymore. luckily the cardiologist found help and my father was operated on. that did not cost us a dime. after the operation, one part of the management is dialysis, 3 times a week. so what my sister did was she asked help from a group (sorry i do not know the name) to sponsor his dialysis since my father is just a tourist, he do not have a health insurance. God-willing, my sister not only found a sponsor for my father's dialysis, she even found a sponsor for his health insurance. so you see erin (did i spell it right?), even if you are not able to work as a nurse here yet, there are "RESOURCES" available, just research on it. one thing good about this country is that there are resources even for tourist like you. at least if your mom is getting her medical help through aids, you can concentrate on getting your license work for you. good luck and God Bless.

suzanne4, RN · Oct 26, 2007

Even if you can get your tourist visa extended one time and one time only, you can not work with that visa. And the fact that there are no visas available for the AOS procedure and the fact that we do not expect any for more than two years, you will not be helping things by getting the extension. You will have to leave at the end of the extension for sure, it will not be extended a second time.

A tourist visa does not permit you to work in any capacity at all, and attempting to do so will get you deported for ten years at the very minimum. Unfortunately, hardship does not have any bearing on this, and there are no special green cards available for this.

And as mentioned above, selling off everything there, and then you have no ties there makes it harder to prove that you plan to return to the Philippines. Having dual intent in the first place is not permitted by US Immigration Law in the first place.

Sorry, but your family that resides in the US has given you very poor information about being able to work here with the tourist visa, it will get you deported.

Ty-134 · Oct 29, 2007

If you have multi-entry visa I would suggest to go home in December and then to come back in January. If you have single-entry visa, you can extend your stay, and you have a good reason for that, but it can be difficult to obtain a new tourist visa from the US Consulate next time.

Now, I disagree with those who says "No way", "No choice". Your option at this time is H-1C visa. The only hospital that sponsors that visa in Texas is Mercy Medical Center in Laredo. The pay rate is low. They offer something around $17.50/hour ($21/hr if you work at night) plus sign up bonus and relocation assistance. You will be able to work on H-1C until December 27, 2009.

You need to apply for your VisaScreen ASAP.

suzanne4, RN · Nov 1, 2007

Problem with the H1-C visa is that the VSC must be in hand before it can even be applied for, as well as a license in the state where the nurse will be working. Texas requires the CES, and therefore will not even look at a an application without that.

And H1-C visas can be cancelled at anytime by the facility for no reason, or the US government can cancel it and then the nurse has 30 days and that only to find another facility that can take them on that has the H1-C classification. There are only 15 in the entire US.

And then there is a four month wait for the H1-C and you cannot remain in the US waiting for it like you can when someone goes thru AOS processing. It is going to be impossible to get things done by January, just is not going to work. The issue is that she needs to leave the US. Applying for an extension to remain because of her mother, and then trying to get the H1-C is going to make it hard on her and grounds to get it denied.

Ty-134 · Nov 2, 2007

I agree with Suzanne that VisaScreen is required for H-1C visa, but I disagree that one can not remain in the US while application for change of status is pending. It's quite the opposite. One should not leave the country while application for COS is pending. This period of stay is considered to be authorized by the Attorney General. You can apply for ext. of stay for another 6 month on your current visa, this should give you enough time to get you VisaScreen and education evaluation. If they sponsor your H-1C you will be able to stay while you application is pending, but you will not be able to work until your application is approved.

Ty-134 · Nov 2, 2007

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