Is that too hard to get H-1B sponsor from hospital for now?

[Ethenchoi]

Hi. I'm in dilemma whether I should do military service now or after I graduate.

I'm from South Korea, and to decide, I need your help so badly.

The Thing is I'm going to graduate from nursing school in 2013 december, and My Korean visa only allows me to stay in USA until 2014.

Which means I got only 1 years to finish my OPT. So, I have to go back to Korea to finish my military service in 1

year unless I acquire my own Green Card.

Thus, my question is how difficult it is from me, who is at foreign country,

to get a job offer from hospital which is willing to sponsor me with H-1B in

order to get me USA VIsa again.

Please help me out..

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

Unless you have a master's degree, or extensive specialty training, you do not qualify for H1B - that is strictly for specialist nurses in certain fields. New grads generally do not qualify. Plus there are very few H1Bs out there, with the extremely poor US economy and lack of nursing jobs.

Green card applicants are seriously affected by retrogression and the delay is for years.

[Ethenchoi]

Thank you so much for the reply

One more question though...

I heard nursing students with bachelor's degree can get a green card after they

work for the hospital for a couple of years, and H-1B visa allows them to stay

longer than 1 years.

I heard they exchange their status from F-1 visa to H-1B visa

Do you know anything about it?

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

The problem is an H1B status requires one to be a "specialist" with a certain amount of specialized experience. And even with those qualifications, there are very few places offering them.

A new grad BSN is not a specialist nor has that experience. Therefore they do not qualify for H1B to begin with, much less be able to stay here on it long enough to wait out retrogression.

A green cards require a long wait due to retrogression.

You really can't change from F-1 to H1B as a BSN or ADN grad, because you would be a new grad, thus not be "specialized" or have adequate experience. And the facility seeking you for H1B status would also have to legally prove that there are no qualified US citizen available to be employed in the position. With the current US economy, with thousands upon thousands of nurses, many experienced, that unemployed...that is difficult to prove.