Holyhell

If GSA is legit, then in order to come to the US to study, you need an F1 (student) visa. Before graduating or completing your program, you can apply for OPT well in advance, this is discussed with your international advisor at your university. Theres a time limit to apply for OPT and if you miss the deadline, then you're out of luck cos you missed your opportunity. OPT allows someone to find employment in their field of study e.g. studied nursing, employment only as a nurse. OPT is only good for 12 months and can extend for additional 17 months for a total of 29 months (extensions are only benefited by science, engineering, and math US degrees and if the employer takes part in e-verify). So in other words, I dont think a nurse would be eligible for renewel of an OPT after the 12 months is up. GSA states: "Participants are also eligible for multi-year employment opportunities with university-affiliated hospitals", on their website. To remain in US after OPT, an F1 student can adjust to H1B visa by applying via an employer that is exempt from the H1B cap (e.g institution of higher learning, non-profit organisation, government research facilities etc.) GSA seems to imply that they can do this. But it seems too good to be true, so Alexk49 may be right, it could be a scam.

Yeah, I know. Its really unbelievable. Its definitely a pickle. But I should probably give you a heads up about the ASN programs. They are also competitive but probably not as bad as the BSN programs. Initially, I was considering the accelerated 2nd degree BSN programs but the wait times, GPA requirements and seat limit was ridiculous. You'd feel like you're applying to med school, thats how rigorous the process was. I called around and finally took a chance on one ASN program and I was admitted without much fuss or delay. Definitely check the wait times for the school you plan to apply to. I totally skipped a local college that had a wait time of 2 years and instead applied to and got into a college that was in a different county. Definitely worth the drive :) I definitely agree with your prediction. Before it used to be all about not enough MSN educators but now it seems that the lack of funding is the prevailing issue. A news outlet not long ago was suggesting to those with employment issues to seek employment in one of the top 10 careers, one of which they listed as nursing. I thought it was sorta ridiculous because if there is a horde of people applying to nursing programs, the waiting list will be just as bad as retrogression for international nurses. Plus there would not be enough educators to accomadate the amount of students applying. In addition, with the lack of funding colleges are getting for their programs, its really a moot suggestion. I mean, nursing is a passion not a last resort!

http://include.nurse.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080908/FL02/109080114 I found this interesting article from this year. Its interesting to see how the various Central florida schools are not getting the funding they need to supply the state with much needed nurses. The writer made a good point, we need to increase capacity not decrease them. I think its weird that we need nurses here but they are cutting the needed supply that the schools can produce via funding and then also on the immigration front, international nurses cant help the shortage because of retrogression. I wonder how all this is gonna play out, especially for us Floridian nurses.

Thanks JanFRN. Waiting is not the issue and I understood from previous threads that there is a backlog due to understaffing and greater influx of applications flooding the colleges. I just wanted to make sure my case wasnt unique and if theres a problem on my end, I can quickly rectify it appropriately without creating further delays. Thanks Silverdragon102, your post was helpful. Gives me an idea where others stand and what I should expect myself.

Has anyone experienced this? I have one outstanding document. I called the sender and they said they sent it to the BON of my choice. I understand theres a backlog at the various BON's in Canada but has it taken anyone else this long for the BON to declare an outstanding document received? Or should I be concerned? I 've heard some say that it took them 6 months to be assessed but does that include wait times for the BON to input documents received in their computer?

Hey Moonlessnight, check this website out: http://geo.international.gc.ca/can-am/detroit/visas/inadmissible-en.asp It explains who is inadmissible to Canada. You should read it. Take care!

Well, I dont understand how you dont see that your statement may be inciting fear.

Hey Sunshine888, I sent my application to CARNA and got an email in 16 days with my Stakeholder number and password. Greg08 is right, check your email first and if its still not there, try calling them to see whats going on. Thanks Greg08. Yes I understand that taking the CRNE is going to be a challenge. I've been studying while I've been waiting to be assessed eligible. I've been looking around at cost of shipping but I dont know whats reliable or not. If you find out anything, please let me know too. Sunshine888, recheck your email from CH. It tells you all you need to know. Message me if you cant find it in the email. Oh, and I'm pretty sure that you HAVE to go through Mercan Recruit because CH uses them to process all North American IEN applicants.

ICE doesnt even have the manpower and resources to arrest and detain undocumented immigrants with a criminal history let alone find people on the internet. For those who want to see what Obama has planned for immigration, go to his website: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/immigration/ For those who want to see more accurate wait times for visas and where the US department of state stands with visa processing for qualified applications, go to the US department of State site, they have a Visa Bulletin board with up to date information: http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/bulletin/bulletin_4384.html Nurses are in the employment based category 3 (EB3). The December projection of visa processing is for applications with priority date of May 1st, 2005. Take care and good luck!

Just a heads up.... If you dont have valid status within the country and leave, you can trigger a 3 or 10 year bar depending on how long you overstayed in the country. So even if you dont get deported, you can still be barred for years when you leave. There may be a chance of obtaining a clear background check if you voluntary leave rather than getting deported. Therefore, "foreseeable future" may be longer than expected. "Section 212(a)(9)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act,... Known as "the 3/10-year bar," this provision bars from re-entry those who have accumulated more than six months of illegal presence. Illegal aliens with six to 12 months of unlawful presence are barred for three years; those here for more than a year illegally are barred for 10 years." http://www.cis.org/articles/2003/back1003.html

Thank you very much. You have been very gracious in answering my questions. I appreciate it. Yes I do have a drivers license. I have to exchange it within 90 days for a Canadian one. I was gonna fly in instead of driving up and take advantage of public transporation but since somone mentioned how cold it gets there waiting for public transportation and possible safety issues with walking, I decided to ship my car instead after landing.

Nevada Board of Nursing link: http://www.nursingboard.state.nv.us/

As long as you are registered in the philipines, you should be able to apply for registration in Canada. Its going to take a while tho to get assessed eligible. I sent my application on October 1 by FedEx and they received it on the 2nd and I'm still waiting:confused:

hey moonlessnight! hopefully you at least started the registration process before you were removed. if you havent, most things can be done via mail or internet. what you need to do is apply for registration in the state you got your education. it cant be a different state, so since you went to unlv, then you have to get registered in nevada. thats step one. of course to complete step one. i had a canadian friend who was freaking out b/c she thought she couldnt take the nclex because she didnt have a ssn#. anyways, long story short, you can register without a ssn#. i live in florida, so call your board of nursing (bon) in nevada to verify if this is the case there. once you get your authorization to test (att) then only can you take the nclex. the att is only valid for a weeks so you have to take the nclex within the time frame they provide or you will most likely have to apply all over again and pay more money. now, after you pass nclex, and get your license to practice you can then start applying for jobs in canada and after you get a job offer, they will assist you with a work visa. as long as you entered the united states with a visa (papers) or in other words entered with inspection, and stayed here for at least one year which i gather you have, then in most cases, canada will provide you with a visa. i'm not sure about cases where they deport someone, but i'm assuming since you qualify because you entered the us with papers but overstayed, there shouldnt be a reason why canada wouldnt allow you a visa at least. listen to above posts and seek canadian immigration attorney's advice first. i'm sure you know the steps to registration since you have a bsn in the states and they teach us the process. just keep in mind, that they may not require a ssn# to register. they didnt in florida and my canadian friend who didnt have a ssn# was able to register without problems. to reiterate, this was in florida so check your state requirements. even pearson vue the examination authority didnt need a ssn# from my friend so she was able to sit the exam. you just need a valid id like an unexpired drivers license or passport. make sure you sign your passport can they have turned away people for an unsigned passport. if there are testing sites in philippines, then there shouldnt be a problem really to sit the test as long as you have that att !!! the united states immigration system causes a lot of heartache and i know many people hightailing it out of here because they dont feel its worth it anymore. i know many people who are immigrating to places like uk, australia, new zealand, and yes canada because the path to obtaining visas are more assessible to people in skilled occupations. while i was in nursing school, all foreign nations i spoke with said they were planning a move to canada. i guess canada is reaping the benefits from the us failed immigration system. people from previous posts are right, once they put you into removal proceedings and then deport you, theres nothing you can do. if you had a pending i-485 or if someone made a mistake on your visa, then theres something to work with otherwise i dont see how you can fix it. but i'm not an attorney so this is something you have to research yourself and speak to a qualified individual. your best bet is to look to the future. try first to see if you can get registered in nevada. once thats done, you'll have more options available to you. just a reminder, you may not need a ssn#, check with your bon and the authorized testing company for the nclex. here in florida the authorized testing company for the nclex was pearson vue, i'm not sure if its the same for nevada. if you go to your board of nursing website and print an application for registration, you may see the details you need right there on their site and application form and instructions. but call to your bon to clarify. i hope this helped. i'm also trying to get registered in canada after obtaining my license and registration here in the united states. we are all god's children and its always sad when i hear cases like yours. best of luck to you and your family. i'll keep yall in my prayers.

hi lolita! janfrn is right. i am already licensed and registered here in usa. you cant apply for registration in canada unless you've already obtained registration in your own country first. since you are working lolita, i assume you are registered already in your home country. you can only get a work visa after a canadian employer has provided you with a job offer. but most wont even do that unless you are at least assessed eligible by their board of nursing first. while i've been waiting, i've been studying and researching hospitals and possible areas to live etc. and then coming on these message boards for clarification and insight from the experts! make well informed decisions because its never a good thing being stuck honoring a contract to a place you would never have picked in the first place if you had at least did a little digging on the basics! hey janfrn! i totally understand the backlog but i wonder why theres been such a huge influx recently? i guess i was still in shock over how rude the lady from carna was when i wrote that message! i mean, she sounded like she needed a vacation or a change of job cos i'm sure saying the same thing to every ien who calls has to be driving her crazy wow those day light hours are crazy! we have been getting dark here before six recently. but never at 3 or 4 in the afternoon!!!!!!! during nursing school, i had clinical rotations at this one hospital that had a lot of canadian nurses. b/c since then i was contemplating moving to work in canada, i would ask questions whenever the opportunity arose. anyways, my point is, i was always impressed with their knowledge and delivery of care. i mean, i had never seen or heard of a flexi-seal fms until this nurse showed me how to use it in the critical care unit. made me wonder why others werent using it, . she definitely left a great impression on me. well anyways, my heart is set on ab so hopefully it all works out. otherwise my friend in bc is gonna see a lot of me cos thats my second choice . i'm not favoring sk at all, even tho their cost of living is lower and housing affordability seems better of the 3. hey janfrn! how long does it take the hospital to orientate their ien's at the u? i've seen one hospital in bc that has a 10 week classroom time for ien's. is the u that developed in orienting their ien's and gn's? and during this time, the ien's get paid right? my recruiter for ch said that they require certain things, i cant remember exactly off the top of my head, i'll have to go back to the email to verify but it was my understanding that there will be a skill check list to be completed etc as part of deal. which is great b/c not only does it reassures me, it reassures the hospital of my ability. i'm looking to work in a step down icu unit like pcu or something similar and then work my way up to icu after i've build confidence and the knowledge. do you know if canadian rn certifications (eg. critical care, geriatrics are some examples) are recognized in the us and vise versa? would it be a good idea to start with simple certifications that would also help with knowledge (diabetes, htn) and after some experience in the field then work myself up to gaining that critical care certification (which isnt an easy task)? what would you suggest? over hear nurses earn more with certifications, is it the same in canada? thanks for taking the time to read my posts. i've always been accused of asking too many questions thanks anyhow! hope yall had a great weekend!:)

Hey! I bought the Lippincott. Has anyone used this and how well did it help you in regard to passing CRNE? This may be the only book I purchase before I come out to Canada and of course I will take into account what you've posted on here! Thanks by the way!

hey, thanks for the information. wow, and i was so loving the area near rah. too bad its so dangerous around there. fiona59: what are the shifts there? 6am-6pm or 6:30am-7:30pm or 7am-7pm? and what time does it get dark over there during summer and winter months? thanks for pointing out caritas to me. i was reading caritas collective agreement for misericordia and it says full time is 8 hours a day, is this correct? and that you can have 6 to 7 consecutive days of work? how often does this happen? seems kinda excessive to me. i glanced real quick through it so i may be misunderstanding. anyone know how good fh (bc) and vch (bc) is to ien's with regard to relocation assistance etc? vch has a good one but is it reimbursed after a year of completion only? the wording is kinda confusing. how about fh? hey fiona59: how soon did ch assist with opening accounts for the nurses? was it days or weeks? i could use a banks statement or even a paystub to get my drivers license. the tricky part is going to be determining what address i use on alot of my paperwork if i'll be using a temporary residence before settling down with a more permanent residence. i guess i'll figure it out when i get there. i applied to the following boards in bc, ab, and sk. the ab board is pretty good cos they set up an online account so you can keep track of paperwork as they come in to their office and see outstanding paperwork etc. i called the other day because they should have received my verification of licensure papers cos my board here said they sent it out on 10/28/08 and when i call day after remembrance day, they still didnt have it. apparently it takes about 10 business days to get there which is well over that time limit so it should be on someones desk ready to be inputed into the computer system. anyways, this lady was so rude! a simple question turned into her say something like, "is this phone not working or am i mumbling my words!" geez the nerve of the woman! :argue: i really couldnt hear certain words clearly and is it wrong to ask for clarification? anyways, they say that once they receive paperwork in the mail which she stated that they receive hundreds everyday from all of the world blah blah blah. anyways once its received, they input it but that takes about 2 weeks because they only have two people doing it! what the!?! rediculous! anyways, after thats done because of high inflow of registration applications, it takes like 3 to 4 months to assess someone! i guess in the greater scheme of things thats not too long compared to most other countries etc but i'm ready to get the ball rolling and start working! anyways, in sk, they send you a nice email with a pdf file with all the paperwork they have and whats outstanding. but wait! its deceiving because you think they are on top of their game but in reality they are not. i called several times. every time i was transferred to the same lady who never picks up her phone or even returns her messages! urgh! so i have no clue whats going on there. only god knows and srna. anyways, at bc they can only tell me that they received an application and cant tell me at all what they do or dont have cos apparently nothing is inputted into the computer system! the guy says everything should be in the computer in a few weeks, maybe by end of the month. originally they said it takes 6-8 weeks to be assessed once everything is in but i dont know, just to get paperwork in the computer has taken one and half months so its kinda grim on the expedience of everything. everything is up in the air while i twiddle my thumbs, try to study for crne and research potential places to work at, places to live, drivers license issues etc. maybe in the grander scheme of things it a good thing because i wont be running around feeling clueless before i leave or even get there. i have a friend from south africa whose migrating to australia and she's freaking out and she leaves first week of jan! she feels like she has no time to get her stuff together. luckily we went to school with this girl who was an exchange student from australia and she's moving close to where she currently lives so they've been communicating alot. hopefully by the end of the month i'll be able to see some progress. in the mean time yall be seeing a lot of questions from me! i know i'm already driving my family crazy with all the questions and second guessing . all i know is that everything else will fall into place. i just need to find a hospital that is a great teaching hospital that orientates their income gn's well and makes their nurses comfortable and confident when they step out on that unit.

hey, Well, I was thinking I'd set up a bank account there with a local bank. Is it difficult for an IEN on a work visa to obtain a bank account? I didnt realize that this may be an issue. I mean, I have a Bahamian friend who has an American account while she was on a student visa here in the US so I figured it shouldnt be that difficult to do the same in a financial institution in Canada because all I'd really require is a checking account to keep money in and then use to pay bills. I have a checking account here with wachovia but i rarely use it, and when i used my bank of america credit card to pay for the registration application i was charged exchange rate fees along with the the applicable fees for the application so if I have to use a US bank and then have to take money out to pay bills in canada, i dont want to be charged extra for something like that b/c it can really build up in the end. Let me know what the standard is for financial institutions on allowing IEN's on work visas to open up checking accounts please! thanks in advance JanFrn! I already emailed a few registries in alberta to find out what docs i would need and explained my situation, hopefully i hear from them soon or i'll have to call by the end of the week. cos i definitely dont want to get frostbite waiting for NO bus!!! yikes, that sounds horrible! Hopefully you got recovered fast globalRN! Well, the royal hospital on kingsway seems appealing to me so basically hows that area down there? I mean, can you walk out in that area at night or close to nightfall? What about near U of A hospital? Or any of the hospitals affiliated with capital health? Wow its snowing already? Theres some states here that have been hit early too but is that normal in alberta to start snowing in early november? Its cold here but you can still wear shorts. I wore a skirt and short sleeved top the other night when i went out with my friends so thats a big difference compared to what you're experience there:D Anyways, thanks everyone!

Thanks guys. I contacted the motor vehicle department of the alberta government and it seems that I can get a drivers license despite my situation. My major concern was having to get a learners license and having supervision while driving like a begininer. That would have been very inconvenient since I'll be traveling to Canada on my own and I wont have a licensed family member to help me out. I'm thanking God for being able to get a class 5 driving license when I get there! And you're right, Alberta uses registeries to renew or obtain drivers licenses and vehicle registrations etc. They have about 220 providers in alberta so you pretty much can find one with ease. I took into consideration postings from previous threads and on this thread and I realized there would be no way I could handle public transportation on a long term basis. I've never seen snow let alone know how cold it really can get so obtaining a drivers license is number one on my list after getting a job and place to live. Either way, I'm still gonna try to get a place as close to work as possible to save on gas and possibly walk during summer months (if possible ) My family and I were hoping for snow on our Christmas vacation to New York, but all we had was cold and wet! Anyways, can anyone tell me what type of paperwork they took to a registry in alberta to show proof of residency to obtain a drivers license? When I come out there, I'm most likely going to use temporary housing for about a month if not less before finding a more permanent residence. If this is the case, what types of paperwork in the meantime can I use to show residency besides a letter from employer and visa papers? such things mentioned were electricity bill, phone bill, and/or credit card bill but obviously these sort of things wont be available immediately or even soon after landing. I'm going to email a registry today to find out the details but if yall have suggestions or experience, please let me know. I'm trying to be prepared in every way possible before moving. This will be my first time moving away anywhere on my own let alone to a different country. My dad says i'm going overboard with stressing over the details but stressing over the details is a nursey attribute and i'm proud of it he says his only concern is that i'm safe, which is my next question. Does anyone know how safe central alberta is? I love this site, its such a wealth of information! Thanks again everyone!:bowingpur

Does anyone know how difficult is it to get around if you dont have a drivers license in canada? especially in alberta? Here its a two step process so we have to pass a written test to get a learners permit and then pass a drivers test to get a drivers license. cos it going to take time i'd rather just do the process when i get to canada. Does it work the same way in canada? I've read around on some canadian dmv sites but i'm still a little confused.

Thanks, you definitely explained it well. I get what outside competition process means and and I now understand pay rate when an IEN has not passed CRNE yet. I have a quick question. If an IEN is supposed to work full time, why would she CHOOSE to work less if she is on a visa that requires that she work full time to remain in status? Wouldnt that be a violation of her status? You referred to "the U" in a previous message. What are you refering to?

Thank you for explaining things to me! I wrote to the recruiter I've been corresponding with and she was great about answering my questions and she cleared it all up for me! Every question! Without yalls help, I wouldnt have known what direction to turn or what questions to ask! Thanks so much for taking the time and reading and responding to me, I appreciate it and I cant wait to be apart of the Canadian Health Care System!

Alot of people have been saying they used the mosby or saunders book to prepare and still felt like they didnt feel prepared enough for the october exam.... Did anyone use the Lippincott? And if you did, how did you feel after taking the exam? They only sell the lippincott where i'm from and the book is released tomorrow in stores and I plan to purchase it as soon as possible! Any comments guys?

They are supposed to help with relocation and reimbursements for individuals in health care. Sounds good in theory and very tempting but has anyone used them and if so what was your experience. Does anyone know if they are reputable? Has anyone been to Canadavisa.com? Is that a good site for immigration information? Its said on the canadavisa forum that a fresh graduate of a nursing program can go to canada and work as an LPN using temporary license etc. Is this true, does anyone know? This guy even said fresh grads can come in as immigrants and not on work visas. How true is that? Or is this just a scam?

"You can usually get up to 3 months accomodation sorted by the hospital here, in Calgary at least, that gives you a chance to get sorted & get a feel for the land. They will also pay your 1st months rent up to $2100 max, if you go the private route. your recruiter should provide you with info like that for where you're going so that you can make an informed decision. I suggest you get back on to him/her & get the answers you seek." Wow, THANKS RGN1 and JanFRN! That was so helpful! Well the recruiter from Capital Health forwarded me to Mercan Recruit because apparently they process all applications for employment from North American international candidates. The stuff i quoted above is what I seek. Accomadations is important to me and I've heard that they do that but when I asked the recruiter she forwarded me to the capital health site and canada health service site. I think i shouldnt have said she could refer me to resources to find the information but i'm gonna make it a point to recontact her and ask her about what you advised me to do. I'm gonna do it now actually! Oh and when you say they pay 1st months rent, does that mean finding accomadations is left up to the IEN? Oh and when you said "go the private route" what did you mean? JanFRN i apologize, i meant ICU, not CIU! But i get your point and thanks for the information because I really want to work in a specialty area! Tho i'm not apposed to Med/Surg if thats what it takes to start off with while I get certifications I need to get where I want. JanFRN, You stated that "4) anyone hired thus will be completely covered by the UNA collective agreement; 5) temporary permit holders will have their pay adjusted once they've passed the CRNE to the level their experience entitles them to" With point number 4, what does the it mean to be covered under the UNA collective agreement (meaning same as canadian nurses etc?) and with point 5, did you mean that as a temporary license holder, I will be entitled to GN pay as stated on the sticky right? Basically being hired outside the competition process means that as an IEN, I will be hired in shortage areas and not interrupt a Canadian nurses right to first pick in shifts and hours of employment etc. right? But because I'll be an IEN, I'll HAVE to get at least full time hours to fulfill work visa status, so i wouldnt have to worry about getting hours while i'm there! right?! Whew! I'm game!