leaving hospital on awol

TazziRN, RN · May 21, 2006

With a green card she is not necessarily restricted as to whom she can work for, but the contract she signed changes everything. Rather than just leaving the job, she needs to contact the agency that signed her and discuss it with them. I don't blame her for wanting to leave, I couldn't work in those conditions----but there is a right way and a wrong way to do it.

suzanne4, RN · May 21, 2006

thank you for clarifying, a bit confusing to me. Can you elaborate as how a "green card", which I thought my friends were working twords, I could be wrong, affects the OP? It seems that there must be a contract to ensure that because finances have alloted her "stay", that she therefore cannot renig? it seems as if the US hospital is financing the employment... a very sticky situation, one not left for a quick desicion AWOL. Just trying to provide sound advice.
thanks for the "expertise"
rob

From Canada, there is a NAFTA TN Visa that is available to them. All that they need to produce is a letter of employment form the hospital, or agency, and a Visa Screen Certificate, and they are issued the visa at the border. No fancy process to go thru, but it needs to be renewed every one year. Many use this as a stepping stone to getting a green card, which is permanent residency.

The original poster here already has been issued her green card. It it no longer employer dependent, once she has it; like the NAFTA TN Visa.

Foreign nurses coming to the US to owrk, usually go thru the immigration process in their home country, and recieve the green card once they are here.

Your frinds will be going thru a different process, called Adjustment of Status, their interview with immigration will actually be done in the US.

Hope that this clears up things for you.

maidy · May 21, 2006

Hello! again, my concern is that there was a lot that was kept from me when they did their big job fair then in 2002. i was informed when i passed their series of exams that i will be their full scholar and that everything will be free, all that is needed, to be able to come to the US like free exams, trip, filing fees etc. the works! but for the 4 years that they promised and I waited. i was the one who paid for everything like my TSE, TOEFL, CGFNS, Visa screen, medical exam and even my airfare. They only reimbursed it last March 2006 when i finally arrived here January. The only thing that made me stick with that company was because my original documents were with them and it is expensive and difficult to get another copy. and besides, they were telling me like oh your papers are with the embassy now and if you applied with another company the embassy will get confused making you wait some more time or if could be lost. So I just let them processed me. I asked the nurse to patient ratio and they told me that there are 4 RN's 2 LVN's and 2 CNA's in per shift which was all so untrue since there are only 2 RN, 2LVN and 1 CNA for the whole med surg floor of 36 patients. and what was worse is they cancel us if census goes down to 26 they will send one away to keep 2 nurses having 13-15 patients. and guess what... they gave me another contract to present and give to the consul when i was interviewed that i will be going in another facility in another state and with better wages and that was the basis for the consul to issue this visa. and when I got that visa they gave me the 3rd contract to sign that will now send me in another state and with lesser pay. I signed that contract because i was forced to... because the 6 months expiration of the visa was coming up and they said they couldn't find a facility for me when before they even boasted like they have 176 facilities scattered all over US. I thought well once in the US nothing of this sort will happen because there will surely be laws and nothing bad could happen. Even the sign on bonus was reduced from 12 th to 6th which until now I still haven't received any and informed us in writing that it is broken down as follows like 1,500 on the 3rd month, 1500 after 1 year 1500 on the 2nd year and the 1500 after completion of the 3 years contract. this is further reduced after taxes. well..This is not a signed on bonus this is a signed out bonus.!!!.. oh by the way, with the new contract they increased it from 2 years to 3 years. So. just right now I'm just so fed up and frustrated for the deception and they are asking me to pay the 15000 buy out contract right away and threatened to send me back home. one of the super has even told me that they have to do it just so the others who are left and are trapped too won't follow me. pls advice. thanks in advance.!!!

control · May 21, 2006

On one of your days off you should try to find another hospital/agency to sponsor you and/or offer you a job. That does sound really deceptive. I'm sorry you have to go through all of that! Good luck.

It's not right for anyone to be exploited like that.

maidy · May 21, 2006

Ms. Suzanne, I am so grateful to you. i did call the person that you PM'd and he has been a great help. He gave me the lawyer and is now working on my case although certain events happened only this weekend and which he doesn't know yet. right now i am so unhappy. Anyway, I am glad that there are a lot who care and gives insight and this somehow uplift my broken down spirit. I really need all your support in my trying moments. thanks a lot!!!.