moving to arizona from UK

suzanne4, RN · Nov 30, 2004

To clear up a few misconceptions that many of you have.

1. The Visa Screen Certificate is issued by CGFNS after you apply for it and meet the requirements. It has nothing to do with any state.

2. There are 5 processing centers in the US for processing the paperwork for green cards. The company does not choose where it wants to submit your papers, it depends on where theif main office is, or where the hopsital, depending on who is doing the petitioning. California is by far the longest, followed next by Texas. Quickest is Vermont which handles only the east coast.

If you go to http://www.visapro.com, it will give you a list of the which states are covered by which center. It will also give you an idea of the processing times in each of the various centers.

Good luck.................. :balloons:

cariad · Nov 30, 2004

hi suzanne, coming from the uk, I didnt have to have cgfns, as I came through an agency although I filled the forms in they filed them, why I said about the agency sending the applications to different centres, was that I was told the centre where they sent mine seemed to process uk nurses faster, the philipine nurses that I became friends with after sitting my n-clex with them (they worked in the uk) all went through a different centre, and I didnt know what state I was coming to, I requested the south-east, interviewed for arizona and for the usvi and ended up in the usvi, and all the travellers here have gone through various centres. there are carribean nurses, one from poland one from south africa and none of us knew that we were coming here.

none of the british nurses that I know have taken the cgfns, just the n-clex.

good to see you still on the site, spoke to you before from britain.

scotjan · Nov 30, 2004

hi, you seem to be in the same position that we were in this time last year. right at this moment I have got a memory block about which state my visa screen went through, but I was under the impression that it depends on where you are coming from as to where they like to send them to be processed. I work with nurses from jamaica and theres went through new mexico. my phase one approval was in january and we were told then to plan to leave in august, but it could take less or more. after the approval you then have to wait for the health care providers certificate, only when you have all these can you get your embassy interview, everything is so slow without you knowing what is going on, and then all of a sudden, its all approved and you get a date for the interview and at the same time OGP start trying to get you a post, we wanted to go to the south east and were offered arizona, it all depends what hospitals want nurses when all your immigration stuff is complete. hardly anyone at my hospital asked to be placed there, theres only one other uk nurse and she is from london. after immigration approval, you have to start some online courses and completing them and getting all your vaccinationa up to date, if you dont do this, then it costs you at the embassy medical. we flew here on july 1st. so it was about 6 weeks earlier than told. feel free to ask anything as I tried to get info before we came and found it difficult.

Thanks Cariad,

I know that my transcript of training an NMC registration have already been sent to the visa screen people, so hopefully thats under control.

I also had to complete 45 hours of courses stipulated by OGP. Are these the courses you referred to or do I have more to look forward to?

How did you find the transition to life in the USA? Isthere anything you could have done from the UK that would have made that easier?

Also did you ship any belongings over? If so, was that straightforward?

Thanks for any info,

Good luck... :rolleyes:

Silverdragon102, BSN · Nov 30, 2004

hi suzanne, coming from the uk, I didnt have to have cgfns, as I came through an agency although I filled the forms in they filed them, why I said about the agency sending the applications to different centres, was that I was told the centre where they sent mine seemed to process uk nurses faster, the philipine nurses that I became friends with after sitting my n-clex with them (they worked in the uk) all went through a different centre, and I didnt know what state I was coming to, I requested the south-east, interviewed for arizona and for the usvi and ended up in the usvi, and all the travellers here have gone through various centres. there are carribean nurses, one from poland one from south africa and none of us knew that we were coming here.
none of the british nurses that I know have taken the cgfns, just the n-clex.
good to see you still on the site, spoke to you before from britain.

I am coming from the UK to AZ and I have had to deal with CGFNS for Credential report and you have to get visa screen done by them for immigration as it is a requirement for your interview in London. It took me just under 6 months to get it and they had everything from march this yr.

celeste7767 · Dec 5, 2004

Hi all arizona nurses :)
Thought I would introduce myself I am at present a UK RN but am in the process of moving to USA, Phoenix Arizona to be more precise. Had an interview with St Joesephs last monday and recieved a start date of January 2006 I know it seems a long way of, but all the immigration paper workd takes forever .
Moving to arizona with my husband and two teenage girls we are really excited and wondered if there are any nurses out there who would like to tell me of their experiences with living and working in Arizona.
Now come on on't be shy if your lke me carn't stop me talking once I start :rotfl: .
looking forward to reading all about you :)
Bettyboop

Hi Bettyboop,

I have worked in 2 states, Indiana,and Az,.. If it is possible for you to make a change in plans and go to a different state I would highly recommend it. The Arizona Board Of Nursing is one of the most Punitive in the US. It has the highest rate of disciplining nurses and if you think that you would not be one to be at risk because you don't use drugs, think again. One nurse that I know personally gave a medication a university hospital where drug studies are the norm. He was to give a medication to declot a central line that he had never heard of and that was not listed in any formulary or PDR. He asked the Pharmacist for some literature on it but was told that it was so new that there wasn't any. He asked his charge nurse who said to go ahead and give it since the pharmacist and the doctor had both given the go ahead. He gave it. The patient died. The medication was VIOKASE which is to be used (as we all NOW know) to open up clogged G-tubes. Neither the pharmacist nor the charge nurse suffered any repercussions. The nurse , however, was immediately fired and turned into the Arizona State Board who put his license on probation for one year. But don't take my word for it. Call the Az. State Board and ask them to send you a copy of their latest newsletter which lists all disciplinary action toward nurses. You will be amazed at the the infractions that one can be disciplined for and it is NEVER REMOVED FROM YOUR RECORD. Also, even if you are investigated wrongfully for something that was found to be an erroneous accusation, (as happened with me) a PCP I went to see for a severe knee injury decided I was a drug seeking, drug abusing RN because I told him that the only pain medication I can tolerate is Percocet. After he turned me into the state board and they found no irregularities in the number or amount of narcotics I had dispensed in any of the jobs I had worked in the past 10 years, after it was noted that I had never gone to any ER for anything ever, after it was found that I had had exactly ONE NARCOTIC PRESCRIBED FOR ME IN THE PAST 12 YEARS AND THAT WAS AFTER MY HYSTERECTOMY IN 1995, the state Board gave me what they call "a letter of concern" which means that they did not have any evidence but they were still concerned (whatever that means). That information is given to all prospective employers and I am unable to get work. Besides, Arizona is one of the states with the highest cost of living and the worst pay for every occupation. They also were listed as one of the 3 worst states in which to bring up children, they have one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates, and while the crime rate in the rest of the US has actually declined, in Arizona it has increased. My statistics can be verified. Please do so before you make the mistake of your life like I did. Go to Utah, Texas, or Colorado. They are just as beautiful and a much less scarier place to work and live.

suzanne4, RN · Dec 11, 2004

I worked in AZ for 14 years, left for about 10, and am back there working again right now, only this time as a traveler. Loving every minute of it. The weather is a balmy mid 70's today and very sunny, working in a major trauma center here right in the middle of town, and actually living in the middle of town for the first time ever and things are good.

People are friendly and my Spanish is coming back quite nicely.

OGP just seems to take forever to get things done. Think that they do things one step at a time, rather than submitting everything at once.

scotjan · Dec 12, 2004

I worked in AZ for 14 years, left for about 10, and am back there working again right now, only this time as a traveler. Loving every minute of it. The weather is a balmy mid 70's today and very sunny, working in a major trauma center here right in the middle of town, and actually living in the middle of town for the first time ever and things are good.
People are friendly and my Spanish is coming back quite nicely.
OGP just seems to take forever to get things done. Think that they do things one step at a time, rather than submitting everything at once.

:balloons: Hi Suzanne4,

Since last using this site I have got phase 1 approval through. That took all of 30 days! Amazing, isn't it. Now faced with a million forms to fill just before Christmas, brilliant timing.

Anyway, glad to hear you love Phoenix. I lived there for 6 months in 1997, and wonder if it will be the same now.I hope to work on labour and delivery somewhere. Do you know if there are many labour/ delivery units in the area? I did not work last time I was there, so that will all be new.

Hope the Fiesta Mall is still the same though!Christmas in the sun must be an experience too.

suzanne4, RN · Dec 13, 2004

It was actually 80 degrees yesterday, and will be almost as warm tomorrow and very sunny....................even for the rest of the week.

Almost every hospital has labor and delviery units, one place that is a favorite of many of the nurses around here actually is Maricopa Medical Center, the county hospital. Great place to work and with great benefits compared to many of the other places. Major teaching hospital in the area for all types of healthcare students. Very progressive in many things.

It all depends on where you will be living. Are you being petitioned thru an agency or with your husband thru his work?

Many of the malls are changing names and many more are opening. My favorites are the gourmet supermakets as I am always cooking and trying out new ideas.

scotjan · Dec 14, 2004

:balloons: Thanks for info.

I am very jealous of your weather. Its dull,dark and 9 degrees centigrade here.

I am going to USA with OGP. They were the agency I knew most about in the UK.

I will be travelling alone and am nervous but excited at the prospect.

Currently I am compiling a USA style C.V. and making the final choice of state.

Phoenix is the only place I know so hopefully there will be a labour and delivery position available somewhere in Phoenix.

suzanne4, RN · Dec 15, 2004

:balloons: Thanks for info.
I am very jealous of your weather. Its dull,dark and 9 degrees centigrade here.
I am going to USA with OGP. They were the agency I knew most about in the UK.
I will be travelling alone and am nervous but excited at the prospect.
Currently I am compiling a USA style C.V. and making the final choice of state.
Phoenix is the only place I know so hopefully there will be a labour and delivery position available somewhere in Phoenix.

There are a ton of positions here, it will depend on which hospitals that OGP has under contract at the time..................

Belinda-wales, RN · Dec 15, 2004

I am coming out uncontracted as my husband is comming with inter staff/ banner health I am currently a rgn/ midwife in the uk and would be looking for labour and delivery or birthing unit any tips would be great.

suzanne4, RN · Dec 15, 2004

Which area will you be living in? The Phoenix area is huge. Again, it depends if you would like a teaching hopsital or not.

Which hospital will your husband actually be at? They have hospitals all over the valey? Then I can give you some names.