philippine rn here in states

nightmare, RN · May 10, 2008

Thread moved to International for more informed information

Silverdragon102, BSN · May 10, 2008

Hi and welcome

You are not going to be able to convert your tourist to a work permit before your time is up, no way at all. The US has had retrogression since Oct 2006 and there are lots of nurses already waiting in their own home countries. Plus average time for licensure processing is 4 months plus and if applying to NY then average is over 8 months processing. Even if you could go the AOS route you need VSC in hand and you can't get that until you have completed licensure requirements and passed NCLEX and that can take a few months also to get. I doubt there will be a window allowing AOS for a few years. All you can do is start the process and return home whilst waiting and get a job and gain exerience as looking at approx 5 years currently or look for another country. Have you passed local boards? If not then you may have problems as most other countries require local license

You are not working on your NCLEX papers but licensure to be a RN in the US of which NCLEX is part of that process

elkpark · May 10, 2008

Welcome to allnurses! :balloons: I hope you'll find the site useful and interesting.

Immigration policies and practices in the US have changed dramatically in recent years. There is also currently a huge backlog of applications, particularly from people in your country, and the demand is much greater than the supply. There are no visas readily available to allow nurses to work in the US, and no way at this time to adjust your tourist visa while you're here.

Unless you already have a legal means of working in the US, you are looking at a wait of several years to have a chance of coming to the US to work, and even then it will be a chance, not a sure thing.

There is lots of information on the International Nursing forum for foreign-trained nurses wanting to work in the US. I suggest you have a look at some of the threads already here, particularly those having to do with the current US retrogression. Here are links to a few:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f75/start-here-primer-all-wish-work-us-160143.html

https://allnurses.com/forums/f75/licensure-immigration-other-related-items-301858.html

https://allnurses.com/forums/f75/relief-retrogression-hope-300512.html

lawrence01 · May 10, 2008

Also, the CVS process for NY is infamous for having no predictable time-line.

You will be lucky if the whole process will be finished in less than 6 mos. Very seldom that it takes less than 6 mos for documents coming from PI and there are times that it can take up to 12-14 mos. The usual or ave. time is 8 mos. from the CVS up to when NY actually grants the eligibility to take NCLEX.

If you are already in the US now and you haven't started anything yet, the probability of you exhausting the 6 mos. is very high even before you get your eligibility. Someone going to the US on tourist visa and only starting the application process there is also one of the common mistakes there is as well. We see it happen all the time.

You can go ahead and start the application process there but do not expect that everything will be done within 6 mos.

FYI: NY and NJ has been asking additional documents such as copies of passports and other documents of legal status before they give the actual licenses.

jonRNMD · May 11, 2008

the biggest hurdle you have here is the unavailability of immigrant visas.....no relief is in sight for the next few months.....ive had acquiantances fly here to NY trying to do the same thing only to realize that there is a retrogression in place.....they not only wasted time but wasted money as well as they dont have a choice but to go back to Manila after both of them failed the NCLEX.....im not really sure what stage of the NCLEX application you are right now but i wish you the best of luck.....

Daly City RN · May 12, 2008

hi everyone! I have just joined this forum a few minutes ago and I found this very informative.
Im an unexperienced registered nurse in the PI who has been blessed by God to be issued a tourist visa in the US. Now that I am here I am currently working on my NCLEX papers and with the reviews. I prefer to work in the state of New York since my mom is there also but could somebody please tell me the processing time for new york and the available jobs that I can get to convert my B2 to a green card or immigrant visa? I would really appreciate your answers since i am trying to complete all of these before i run out of time in my allotted 6 months stay here. Experienced being in this situation anybody?:) thanks a lot in advance:)God bless:nuke:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

kathy_meow: First of all...I love your name!!!

I'm sorry to inform you that you came to the U.S. a few years too late. About a couple of years ago the medical center in San Francisco where I'm working hired several Filipino MD-RN's who came to the U.S. on tourist visas and they were able to adjust theirs to work visas.

Regrettably, with retrogression your chance of getting a work visa is infinitesimal.

I advice you not to over-stay in the U.S. You could be deported and be barred from returning to the U.S. anywhere from 3 to 10 years.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

cosmokid · Jun 10, 2008

i have a question:

i am a fresh graduate of BSN course in manila. luckily, i was granted a tourist visa. is there anyway that i can convert my tourist visa into working visa in the states? ofcourse that would be passing all the examinations like NCLEX. and would it be better if i take the nclex exam in the states rather than take it here in manila phil.? i really need help. i dont know what to do

Silverdragon102, BSN · Jun 10, 2008

i have a question:
i am a fresh graduate of BSN course in manila. luckily, i was granted a tourist visa. is there anyway that i can convert my tourist visa into working visa in the states? ofcourse that would be passing all the examinations like NCLEX. and would it be better if i take the nclex exam in the states rather than take it here in manila phil.? i really need help. i dont know what to do

Nope, there is no way that you can do it the way you are asking. There has been retrogression since Oct 06 and many many nurses are waiting. Trying to find a way round it and jump the queue is just not fair on everyone else. The better thing to do is start the process and gain experience as a nurse either in your own country or in another country. Currently you are looking at years before visas may be available due to the high demand from your country

suzanne4, RN · Jun 10, 2008

No visas available and therefore no way to remain in the US.

And you are wishing to just take cuts in front of everyone else that is actually waiting and has their exams even completed. That is not a good thing to even be considering at this time, it is like taking cuts in line in the market because you are in a hurry to get done before the others.

And also suspect that you have the tourist visa because of your family and not because you applied for it.

Please reconsider coming to the US with the tourist visa with the idea of remaining here, you are not going to be able to do so.

And do suggest that you take the time to do some reading on this forum and find out about the retrogression and your expected five year wait for a chance at a green card.

And if a fresh graduate, then suspect that you have not written and passed the NLE, and many states now are going back to requiring it. If you are going to need to get experience, how do you plan to do that without that?