how many green card left from 50k ?

suzanne4, RN · Feb 23, 2006

None of us have actual numbers, but if you filed last year, you are safe.

maro · Feb 24, 2006

What if you are filing this year say next month?

suzanne4, RN · Feb 24, 2006

You are just fine...................

Nurse Dependent · Mar 6, 2006

nobody crucify me for this.

but i stumbled upon this item in the latest shusterman bulletin.

this item came up in item #6 which discusses a "step-by-step guide for

rns, hospitals, & recruiters." http://www.shusterman.com/siu.html

"the bad news is that the state department predicts that at the present rate of usage, the 50,000 visa numbers reserved for rns and pts may be used up between october and december of this year. all the more important to submit your applications immediately!"

this might be old news already, but this is the only item i found which says something about the status of the 50k visas.

if you have info contrary to this, please feel free to share it with us.

thanks.

sarahluo · Mar 6, 2006

it is estimated that it would take one more year to go through the immigration process for PIC, in this case, people can proboly get visas before October this year when they filed their petitions before October last year. i think we can only sure if we can catch 50k until the final interview.

so, how we can say it is safe when we filed last year ?

suzanne4, RN · Mar 7, 2006

If you have already filesd, then you should be fine.

Will there be visas available Janauray, 2007? No one knows for sure, but currently they are available. And that is all that you need to worry about. The government doesn't post anything as to how many are left, nor about how many have been used.

nimishavarghese · Mar 10, 2006

Hi Suzane...

Its been long time since I have logged into all nurses. Hope ur in good sprit and time. Right now I am in NewYork and enjoying my stay and work here. I am expecting my plastic card by next month.

Well this is something which I want to inform everybody and was searching for the right forum. I heard from many diffrent people and sources that, after the end of recaptured 50K US is going to stop issuing green card for Nurses and PTs. Instead of Green Card they are going to issue H1 visas where they will be on Non Immigrant status. And I heard a strong lobbying has started on this issue. The main disadvantage of this will be the non employment of spouses in H4 status.

I heard this from many immigrant sources and thats the reason why I took it serious. But when I was searching net I wasn't able to find any article on this regard.

If anybody come across this issue please let us all know. Mean while I will try updating on this.

Nimisha

suzanne4, RN · Mar 10, 2006

I have not heard one thing about this and I hope that H1 visas never, ever return for nurses. First, there is way too much paperwork for facilities to handle, and most won't so the availability for jobs will be quite low in comparison to what is available now. It takes a staff of three or more just to keep up with that paperwork.

You may have heard it from agencies, because then you belong to them and they can dictate exactly what you are going to do and not do. You essentially are owned by them. Soemthing that I want no part of, if it comes to that, you will hear major protests around the world from me. No one should ever, ever agree to work in the US on an Ha visa is they ever return. If your empoyer fires you, you will have about 30 days to leave the US, it will be very hard to find another employer under that rating.

I do not see it happening.

rhp123 · Mar 11, 2006

I have not heard one thing about this and I hope that H1 visas never, ever return for nurses. First, there is way too much paperwork for facilities to handle, and most won't so the availability for jobs will be quite low in comparison to what is available now. It takes a staff of three or more just to keep up with that paperwork.
You may have heard it from agencies, because then you belong to them and they can dictate exactly what you are going to do and not do. You essentially are owned by them. Soemthing that I want no part of, if it comes to that, you will hear major protests around the world from me. No one should ever, ever agree to work in the US on an Ha visa is they ever return. If your empoyer fires you, you will have about 30 days to leave the US, it will be very hard to find another employer under that rating.
I do not see it happening.

I hope that does not happen. I've been on H1b visa for a while (non-nursing field). The quota for H1 is used up every year even before the fiscal year starts. There are additional H1 visa quota reserved for people who have Advanced degrees.

I guess if nurses have to use some H1 visa, then I do not need to worry about quota issue since I already have H1 within 6 years. Also I will be eligible for advanced degree H visa.

rhp123 · Mar 11, 2006

To be eligible for advanced degree H1, a person has to have a Master or higher degree from a not-for-profit US university. Graduates from other countries, or graduates from a for-profit US university (such as many on-line universities like U of Phonex, Devry U, etc), are not eligible for advanced degree H1 visa.

suzanne4, RN · Mar 11, 2006

To be eligible for advanced degree H1, a person has to have a Master or higher degree from a not-for-profit US university. Graduates from other countries, or graduates from a for-profit US university (such as many on-line universities like U of Phonex, Devry U, etc), are not eligible for advanced degree H1 visa.

H1-B visas are currently not available for RNs, there are a few that are still on them, but are at the end of there time with them. They are not being renewed and haven't been for over two years. You need the Visa Screen Certificate now even if they were available, and with them, the agency or hospital is not required to pay you the same as what they pay to American employees. And I am 100% against that. The only thing that is currently available is the green card and it is expedited for RNs, so why would someone want anything else?

Definitely makes no sense at all. Plus right now, you can hardly find a facility that would even consider going back to the old way for international nurse sponsorship. It takes about three employees full-time to handle all of the paperwork, vs. just a few documents that need to be submitted just once.