NCLEX in the Philippines.. Help!

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Hey guys can u help me? I dont know what state I should be taking my NCLEX.. I'm from the Philippines. I have no relatives in the US. Like you, I'm dreaming of a career and a life in US. I may have to wait for long time but I'm willing to. Can you help me on how to achieve it? Is it possible without a relative in the states? What State should I be taking my NCLEX. What should I do after taking it?

Your help is highly appreciated.. Thank you! :)

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Moved to Nurse Registration forum in the World Nursing section.

You should apply for a nursing license by examination in the state you wish to practice. Trying to find the "easiest" state is not the answer and will just cost you additional (non-refundable) fees for licensing and evaluations. There is a minimum 6 year wait for a visa due to retrogression. As there is a surplus of experienced and new graduate nurses in the US, very few employers are recruiting overseas for nurses (willing to pay the fees involved in sponsoring a non-US worker for a visa). Many states have already implemented the federal requirement that one must have a valid US social security number in order to gain a professional license (some states require the SSN before permitting you to sit for the NCLEX, other states will permit you to take the NCLEX but withold the license until a SSN can be provided).

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Thank you JustBeachyNurse for you reply.. :)

I'm planning to choose the NCLEX in the State of Florida.. What are my chances to finding an employer there to sponsor me? I already read the application form from the BON's website.. It says that I can take the exam but wont issue the license without the SSN. In two years the license will be expired.. would I be able to renew that license again?

Is there any crucial information I should know first about Florida before taking the NCLEX?

Do you recommend any state to start my application?

Thanks in advance :)

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Thank you JustBeachyNurse for you reply.. :)

I'm planning to choose the NCLEX in the State of Florida.. What are my chances to finding an employer there to sponsor me? I already read the application form from the BON's website.. It says that I can take the exam but wont issue the license without the SSN. In two years the license will be expired.. would I be able to renew that license again?

Is there any crucial information I should know first about Florida before taking the NCLEX?

Do you recommend any state to start my application?

Thanks in advance :)

If you are not issued a license until you submit a SSN then there is no license to renew in 2 years.

There is very high unemployment in Florida plus lower wages it is HIGHLYunlikely that you will find an employer to sponsor you for a visa, if there are even any available. There is a 6+ year wait due to retrogression and it is unlikely that any employer is going to put forth the $$ to sponsor a non citizen or permanent resident and then hold the job for them for 6 or more years, especially when there are many highly qualified nurses available locally.

The NCLEX. Is a national exam so the content is the same no matter where you sit for the exam or which board of nursing you apply to for a license.

Again, You should apply for licensing in the state in which you have a job offer or where wish to work. Then check the board of nursing website for the requirements for an internationally educated nurse for licensure by examination. Many states require a social security number as part of the application/licensing process. Soon they all will as this is a federal requirement, just not fully implemented in all states yet. There is a link to all US boards of nursing at the bottom of each page of this website.

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If you are not issued a license until you submit a SSN then there is no license to renew in 2 years.

There is very high unemployment in Florida plus lower wages it is HIGHLYunlikely that you will find an employer to sponsor you for a visa, if there are even any available. There is a 6+ year wait due to retrogression and it is unlikely that any employer is going to put forth the $$ to sponsor a non citizen or permanent resident and then hold the job for them for 6 or more years, especially when there are many highly qualified nurses available locally.

The NCLEX. Is a national exam so the content is the same no matter where you sit for the exam or which board of nursing you apply to for a license.

Again, You should apply for licensing in the state in which you have a job offer or where wish to work. Then check the board of nursing website for the requirements for an internationally educated nurse for licensure by examination. Many states require a social security number as part of the application/licensing process. Soon they all will as this is a federal requirement, just not fully implemented in all states yet. There is a link to all US boards of nursing at the bottom of each page of this website.

Thanks again for you reply JustBeachyNurse :)

I see.. How can I find a job offer? This is the problem I'm concerned about because I have no relatives from the states. No one can help me there.

Is there a way to find a job offer from the philippines? I've heard of recruitment agencies but the risk is too high.. Is there any other way? :confused:

Should I sit the NCLEX first in any state before finding a job offer or the other way around? :uhoh3:

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Specializes in Medical Surgical.

looking for a job offer is the tricky part. There are a lot nurses in the US who were laid off from work because of the recession. It would be more difficult to find a job offer because you are competing against US residents applying for jobs as well and there there are hundreds if not thousands in each state that are without work.

This will sound harsh, i'm not going to lie, but in reality a company would hire an applicant who is already a US citizen rather than going through all the trouble of sponsoring nurses outside the country. Don't get me wrong it would be great if nurses outside of the country were given a chance to work here, but even as a US citizen applying for the NCLEX is pretty hard just because I went to school in the Philippines. It seems that the nursing curriculum does not meet the standards of the US.

I 'm hoping that you do find your sponsor. It's a long journey ahead. You should read this article https://allnurses.com/nurse-registration/us-labor-market-779683.html It seems that Filipino nurses won't find a break to this until 2020.

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Hi! I, too, is planning/wanting to take the nclex. Can you please tell me what have you find out so far? Thank you.

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Hi! I think we're on the same boat. If you could find time to message me, please do. Hehe. 09168777471. Thanks!

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I saw your thread about how you processed your nclex exam and i got a bit confused in the fingerprinting part. Can you please help and enlighten me? I am planning to start the process this october and i want it to go smoothly as possible. Thank you

@NikkiAnneRivera

i got your message however, i am still restricted to send personal messages.

this is the number of Illinois State Police Department>>> 217-782-8556

-just call them via International Long Distance. you can avail of PLDT budget cards for international calls.

-request a Finger print card from them. the operator will be asking for your address in the Philippines where he can send the fingerprint cards via post mail.

-wait for the fingerprint cards to arrive in your mail. usually this takes 2-3weeks.

-when you receive the fingerprint cards, go to your local police station or NBI office to have your fingerprints taken.

-after your finger prints are taken, fill up the necessary info asked in the finger print cards and affix your signature.

-get a bank draft worth $50 dollars payable to Illinois State Police Department

-mail the finger print card together with the bank draft via FEDEX to the address of Illinois State Police Department

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Hi! Thank you so much. Is it okay if I occasionally message you to ask you about stuffs? Thanks again! :)

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