D.Bajamonde

I'm currently having that problem. The PRC will allow me to take the Philippine board exam BUT it takes a lot of paper work. Also, the Philippine government will NOT give you a nursing license because you're NOT a Filipino citizen. Unless, you have a dual citizenship.

I love the country, the people, the environment. I hate the government, with a passion. They misrepresent the people in so many ways. Most of them have forgotten what the words "public servant" means... This is just another idiotic move that the Philippine government has done. As, I said before, I understand why thousands of Filipinos try to leave the Philippines each year.

Does your classmate have a dual citizenship in the Philippines? Or just a U.S. citizenship? Also, will he be able to obtain his Philippine nursing license?

P.S. Please list what states do NOT issue licenses unless you have permanent residency or a U.S. citizenship. To my knowledge this is NOT true. Every state allows a foreign graduate to take the NCLEX as long as they have obtained a degree from an accredited U.S. nursing school and a social security number.

You say that this type of policy is similar in the Philippines and the U.S.A. but the fact is it's NOT. Obtaining a social security number in the United States is much easier than gaining your citizenship! Foreign students who attend schools in the U.S.A. aren't complaining about such things because they have been legally issued a social security number upon arrival within the U.S. precisely because they have a "study visa" in the U.S. In the Philippines on the other hand, they do NOT issue a social security number after a person has been approved for "student visa" status. But even worse, they go so far as to make it a law that you must be a citizen of the Philippines in order to take the nursing licensure exam, when in the U.S., all you need is a social security number. So, is this discrimination, YES it is. Simply because, the U.S. does NOT discriminate a person's citizenship when applying for the NCLEX-RN exam. BUT, the Philippines does the opposite, they discriminate your nationality!

Hi everyone, I'm a newly graduated nursing student and a U.S. citizen who studied in the Philippines. My home state is Illinois but they will not allow me to return and practice as a nurse unless I have a license from the country I was educated in. The Philippines will not give me a license because I'm not a Filipino citizen. So, my next step is to go to Montana and work there as a nurse for a few years. While working, I plan to take up my master's degree to further my education but also in the hopes that such a degree will make me eligible to be licensed in Illinois and I can finally go back home. Does anyone know if this is possible?

May I also add, You can find the rules and regulations on the Philippine BON website but you need to go searching for them... Also, when I was confronted with my current situation I asked several well established Filipino lawyers to look at the law of the Philippines and all of them interpreted the law to be in my favor but, as it turns out, it is not.

Ok, I see your point but, it would have been more helpful if the Philippine government did the job that they were tasked to do and warn me about the situation which I was getting into. I consulted with my school in the Philippines and the Bureau of Immigration of the Philippines but neither organization warned me of the fact that I would not be eligible for licensure. At least, when you go looking at a board of nursing site established by a U.S. BON then the requirements, regulations and restrictions are already listed there for all to see BUT when it comes to the Philippines you have to waste your time, effort and money for four years just for them to tell you that you're not eligible to take the test and be licensed. By the way, I've asked the Philippine PRC if I could take the nursing licensure exam and they said, "only one foreigner has taken it in the past and it required him to go through lots of paperwork, approval forms, and interviews." It's not exactly a walk in the park... P.S. If you're a Filipina/o and are now working abroad from your home country, then I understand why you left...

PLEASE, DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME & MONEY ON THE PHILIPPINES!!! The PRC & BON of the Philippines discriminates against all foreigners who would like to take the nursing board exam. If you're a U.S. born citizen and cannot avail of a dual citizenship in the Philippines then please, do NOT waste your energy on that country! Due to such a law a U.S. born citizen can NOT practice as a nurse in their home state, if that state requires a license from the country that you were educated in.

I've been trying to get this message out to other discussions but this website doesn't allow me to use the same message over and over again because it is detected as a "form of spam" although, it was not my intention for it to have been "spam". I just wanted to inform my fellow Americans about the dangers of going to the Philippines for nursing. I just recently finished my nursing education in the Philippines. I'm a U.S. citizen hailing from the state of Illinois. The Department of Professional Regulation of the state of Illinois will not allow me to take the Illinois nursing board exam because I do not have a license from the Philippines. This is due to the fact that the law of the Philippines discriminates against foreign citizens from taking the Nursing Licensure Exam. The PRC & the BON of the Philippines are responsible for such laws which is sad to say because the Philippines should be a place of opportunity and equality but, the longer I stay in the Philippines the more I realize that it is a country that doesn't believe in these values and promotes INEQUALITY & INOPPORTUNITY. Now, I'm left to search for a different state where I can take the NCLEX and practice as a nurse and I must continue to be financially supported by my parents even to the point of asking them to pay for my board and lodging, etc. I'm very upset with the Philippine government and its officials. I hope that my fellow Americans will not make the same mistake that I have!

ALL U.S. CITIZENS BEWARE! Please, DO NOT take up NURSING education in the Philippines! If you are a U.S. citizen the PRC & BON will DISCRIMINATE AGAINST YOU! And, you can NOT take the board exam. Therefore, you can NOT practice in the U.S. if your state requires a license from the country you were educated in. PLEASE, DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME & MONEY ON THE PHILIPPINES!