mariel7

Notes from a foreign-trained nurse: 1. I believe that America is a great country. As a professional nurse who's been patiently waiting for a visa for years now, I sometimes wish though that other countries like Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc had opened their doors earlier had I known that processing time in the US is this long. compared to others who also claim a need for nurses. But it's over the hill now as I had all but practically invested my time, money & efforts needted to reach US. 2. The main reason we want to leave our country is to elevate our standard of living and ANY country greater than ours is an alluring destination. However, we value the feeling that we are indeed welcome. I emphatize with FT-nurses-in-waiting when I get to read posts w/c are disheartening. 3. There are excellent US-trained nurses as there are excellent Foreign-trained nurses, and same way for the unskilled ones. I'd suppose though that FT-nurses who were offered jobs were properly selected by the employer hospitals and should some nurses be guilty of incompetence later on, it will be blown back to their faces and be shown the door. Like some, I don't go for stereotyping & making harsh generalizations. 4. Where we wanna go is a big personal decision. Forums help people interact & share and not to ridicule. I've seen AllNurses to be a big help to most readers but I have to agree that there were truly some posts w/c were degrading to the Filipinos, and if you are an experienced, skilled Filipino nurse, you can't help but be offended by the generally negative picture drawn by some posters & moderators. 5. We must admit that there are flaws and bad governance in the field of Phil nursing as the mass production of nurses had gone out of control. But I believe that foreign employers are smart enough to discern & separate the qualified from the non-q. Now instead of giving yourself a headache over the silly things happening here (& interjecting it to some posts each time you get a chance even though a poster's question is not related to it & magnifying it repeatedly), let our own people suffer the consequences. 6. When you choose America, you are bound by its laws & regulations, we have no right to complain but best to do is respect its policy on immigration-and wait it out---or not. It's always one's decision. 7. Filipinos were raised to be patient & hopeful & believing. Traits that may be useful or lead you to dreamland & destruction. We Filipinos should take it positively when we are urged to be "realistic". 8. Everything said should be in moderation. We must avoid being overly sensitive or too insensitive as someone is bound to get hurt aling the lines. Not what you say but how you say it, huh? May all nurses be gifted with the art & science of therapeutic communication- an apt nursing skill we must put to heart. -Peace and all the best!--mariel.

Hi to all waiting--fruity,agp_ph, leis23, jakey, neneng, bottomless appetite, topscot and the whole batch of pd 2005-2006 patient nurses!!! I also just called NVC AVR & still saying the same thing. Jigsaw, was your case completed/recently documentarily qualified already? Thanks!

Fruity, thanks for the quick reply! Since nothing's certain, let's just prepare everything again ( ds230s, pics, police clearances etc). We've gone this far & we shouldn't leave any lil bit of anything out to chance. On another note, I've heard about one Nurse w/ PD Nov2005 who had her interview last wk (she's Filipina in the midEast) & wasn't issued a visa bec. consul also asked for cgfns cert whilst we know Visa Screen is what's usu. asked for...you never really know.

Dear fruity & topscot, It's been 8 wks for both of you since case completion & as per NVC, they're supposed to give us update after such time. Have you tried giving them a ring? Or e-mail? What have they got to say? We're hoping that at least completed cases be forwarded to respective embassies (considering that the July VB stated that PDs will revert back to what it was in June come Oct). Thanks! -mariel-

Hi! My time to share... and hope again. PD: Dec 2005 Updated docs received by NVC: May 21, 2008 (yep, 3rd time) Case completed: May 29, 2008. So what do we all say? Best of luck to everyone!:wink2:

yeah fruity, i'm pretty sure your case is already complete. that's the same note we got last year right? congratulations!!

Thanks mutya. Hubby's clearance (certificate) actually got no expiration date & he was in Canada in the 90's & never came back. But it was released to us with a date last year (Aug 2006)for Packet3 attachment( we requested that in May). Dunno why they are asking for another one when DS230 clearly states where he was all these years. I only hope they will just ask for the new one dated this year if (AND IF) we'll get embassy interview bec we are just about to mail another request & maybe receive it 3 mos later (i hope earlier). Of course I do understand the US' need for thorough security check but also hoping it will be fair to us. Pls update me if they accepted your hubby's old one bec I might just also send the one copy left I have w/ me dated 2006 & hopefully just ask for an updated one during interview. Thanks a lot.

Hi Monroe. Yeah looks like we're on the same plate. I have read your posts before about you following-up w/ your agency & how irritated they were. Seems funny that time but not now anymore. Same experience I get from mine. Look where we are now. Anyway,no use pointing fingers bec for all we know, maybe there've been changes in NVC requirements like pssport copies again (though mine to expire still in 2010) or maybe it all depends on the NVC reviewer (yup-the human factor). Let's just give what they ask for. Never give up. And you know in my frustration the other night, while my family's all asleep & no idea how heavy I was feeling--I went to the bathroom, closed the door, & yelled it all out. Afterwards, I talked to myself & promised everything will still turn out fine. Will keep in touch.

I'm sorry about your Mom. Been through the same before. I was Daddy's girl & I lost him to cancer (lymphoma). Hang on, we are all here in this world (no matter what country) for a mission. Sometimes it's just too painful on the way there. Will pray for your Mom, as we all do for our patients. Despite the hardships, I'm glad I found forum friends here. Thanks so much.

Thanks fruity. You sound really warm & nice. You know what I'm most worried about now (because I have renewed copies of NBI already plus passport easy to photocopy) is that of my husband's police clearance from another country where he worked for a year. They're asking for it also (expiring this Aug) & when we requested that from that country last year, it took about 3 months before we were sent one. Now that would mean considerable delay for us. I know everyone here has so much in their own minds--I still wish you & everyone here the best of luck...

Oh & BTW our passports aren't even expiring til 2010 & NBI clearances good til Aug2007. Now i'm thinking that since official ds230 forms state it's expiring july 31, 2007, maybe by the time they receive my passport copy & police clearances,they would then ask again for ds230 for the 3rd time. What do i do? anyone knows if there's a new ds230 form out to be used after july 31, 2007? help!

finally got thru an operator & told me the needed docs (again): copy of passports, police/NBI clearances from me & dependents, You know I repeatedly asked my agency/lawyer if only ds230 updated was all that's asked for & they said yes,And guided by my research that nVC only wants docs that are asked & not to send anything else, I complied, Now why did they just ask last month for ds 230 when in fact they want more? When will this end, when when when

Good for you leis! My updated ds230 also received July 11 but got bad news today: NVC says i got incomplete/missing docs. Whoa! Had been previously case completed oct 2006 then they asked for updated biographic forms this june & i complied immediately----and now this! What could it be this time! i tried to talk to nvc operator but all are busy(called about 6x already since last night).I learned of the missing docs thru automated response sys. It just says a letter regarding missing docs was sent to lawyer on july 24, 2007. i feel so bad today & i wanna shake off this feeling!!! pd dec 2005

Lawrence I wonder in what stage of the process you are in now. Not a few have noted your positive views and gentle advices to others. Well I wish you the best & hope everything's good with you.

Thank you. I wish USCIS/NVC are made up of people as just as you.