Passed all exams and still nothing...

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hi guys! i just want to ask some help i need some suggestions or opinions on what i'm going to do next. cause im already close to losing hope to work as a nurse in the US.

I already passed the NLE, IELTS, NCLEX (state of cali) and fixed my Visa Screening Certificate. And it took me almost 3yrs to get all of these through hardwork and for not giving up on my dreams.

So on april 2008 I decided to go here in the US to look for employers who would petition me so I can work as a USRN. But to my amazement no hospital, home care, staffing, nursing homes, name it I check them all if they sponsor international nurses and all I heard is "we are not sponsoring right now due to retrogression" :banghead: I also tried asking some agencies but it seems like you're the one who should be chasing them and not the other way around. So I'm really in deep thought what to do now... go back to the philippines and try the impossible to get a decent nursing job, try other countries, or stay here and be a TNT (hehe)... please tell me what you think guys... :confused: Thanks!

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

There is now way at all to stay in the US, absolutely no way. Retrogression has been ongoing since 2006 October so you must have had an inkling before making your trip to the US. If you go out of status and are caught (which ICE are definitely on the go regarding this) then you are looking at anything from a 3 year ban. Evn if you find an employer there is no way you can adjust your visa to a work visa. Better to return home and either gain experience there or find another country to go and work. Currently you are looking at a few years before any changes may happen. Retrogression I doubt will ever go away due to the high demand from certain countries of which the Philippines are one

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Thread moved to the International Forum since it is specific to working in the US.

Working in the US is not an option now, nor will it be for quite some time, about five years or so to even have a chance at a green card.

sorry, but to even kid about remaining here illegally is not really funny as this site is visited by US Immigration officials all of the time. You wish to have ICE following you, then by all means, stay and expect to be picked up and deported. This is just not something to make a suggestion about.

Please have a safe trip back to your country and suggest that you take the time to do some reading here about what is going on. Sorry that it took you so long to get things done, but there are no longer any visas available.

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.

Reading on this site and watching the local employment situation suggests that there's NO SHORTAGE of American new graduates fighting for jobs. I would expect diminishing opportunities for foreign nurses, especially new grads.

Overstaying your visa is a real risky proposition. There seems to be a growing backlash against illegal immigrants and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon. The Federal government is responding to that sentiment. Probably not a good choice if you've got any long-term desires to be in the US.

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hello,

my sister in law is the same as you and she is working for almost four years now.

Finally, she grew tired. All the money spent on exams goes to waste and all you got is wait....

If you work as a nurse, why do you focus on a country that does not need you? Look for another country who values your experience and provide you decent pay.

If you remain there you only ruin the years you invested in studying and taking exams. All your efforts are wasted. Go home, work and search for opportunities in other places. If you are diligent enough, you will notice others offer good rates, better place and much more safe when it comes to security.

Goodluck!

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you better get out there before you exceed the days of your tourist visa to prevent derogatory record. better have experince abroad and when the door will open again then your ready to go. look for some states who can file for your I140 even if no visa so that when another visa avaible then your on another step.

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Specializes in Neuro-Surgery, Med-Surg, Home Health.

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"Passed all exams and still nothing..."

I am truly saddened by your plight and I can only imagine how you feel right now, but with all due respect please don't think that you are entitled to a U.S. visa simply because you are a nurse.

There are hundreds of thousands of nurses from all over the world who would want to come to the U.S. for a chance to work here where registered nurses are handsomely compensated for their hard and stressful work. Don't ruin your future chance of possibly working and staying legally here in the U.S. by overstaying past your legal departure date.

Our hospital, like many other U.S. hospitals, remains chronically understaffed with U.S. registered nurses and this has worsened recently when we removed our LVN's from our in-patient nursing care. Although retrogression remains in effect and may remain so for several more years, but there is always a chance in the future that foreign-educated nurses will once again be allowed to enter the U.S. for a chance to work in U.S. hospitals. The population of the U.S. is aging rapidly and therefore will need more medical and nursing care. At the same time many of the registered nurses of my generation will be retiring along with the rest of the baby boom generation. As much as I hate to admit it many of the "aging" nurses who started nursing in the early 1980's or earlier are retiring from their full time nursing jobs, some choose to work just part-time. These factors will result for more job opportunities for the registered nurses who are just entering the profession. Just be patient and do the right and legal way and you will someday be rewarded with a coveted U.S. nursing job.

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i agree with the message above there are lot of things to think, a lot of institution waiting for your care.

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.

I'd like to share with you just a little bit more perspective in order to help you understand what you're facing.

As you might have surmised there is growing pessimism in the US. There are many indicators that we are in a full-fledged recession (something that you can only tell after it's been happening for over 6 months), unemployment is rising, inflation is on the rise, and there's a general sense of insecurity among much of the population.

Add to that a lot of anger about outsourcing of jobs and the importation of foreign labor to work in some of the growth industries that remain.

I sense that there's a growing displeasure with foreign workers working in the US and with companies and countries to which former US jobs have been sent. When 'outsourcing' is addressed there's usually talk about retraining displaced American workers into new fields so that they can continue to be fully and adequately employed. Nursing is one of the few fields left. Given the mood of the country it's hard to imagine many politicians supporting a move to end retrogression.

Best wishes to you wherever you end up.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
you better get out there before you exceed the days of your tourist visa to prevent derogatory record. better have experince abroad and when the door will open again then your ready to go. look for some states who can file for your I140 even if no visa so that when another visa avaible then your on another step.

States have nothing to do with the filing of I140, that is all to do with the employer

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States have nothing to do with the filing of I140, that is all to do with the employer

i mean states that have employer who are wlling to petition.

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i mean states that have employer who are wlling to petition.

That still has nothing to do with it at all, as it is the federal government that issues the visas and there are not any. It does not matter if someone finds an employer at this time, when you are looking at five years plus for a chance at a visa, how do you know that they will have a need for you that far down the road, and that they will even be in business then.

Just not a good idea to try and start anything at this time. And with the number of new grads coming out the Philippines, it may be getting closer to ten years for a chance at a visa for the US to work.

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