recommend a state/county/city/agency, willing to relocate

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I know it's already tough nowadays for American (and American-educated) nurses to find jobs in the us. And I know it will be a lot tougher for me (foreign nurse) but I'm still hopeful. I am licensed in MA and will be going back there on the 31st of Dec. I had short period last Nov to job hunt. Jobs were there, I was enthusiastically entertained and even considered for an immediate start at a nursing facility (even if I didn't have any work experience) but it's the work sponsorship I having trouble with. I have even considered states like Vermont, NH, Maine and, now, even Texas (due to the recommendations of other members here). So, if anybody can recommend any state/county/city/agency (Alabama-Wyoming) please do let me know. :)thanks

Note: willing to relocate simply meant from MA to another state, not from a third world country to US.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

What sort of work/immigrant visa are you looking at? H1b is a specialist visa so no experience will make it hard to get one. Immigrant visa well that is under retrogression and I doubt at the moment employers are willing to wait 5 years for you to arrive.

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Definitely, niot under EB3. I'm completely aware of its current status.

The only option is H1B. This visa which most of my friends were able to get. They don't have advance degrees or extensive experiences. But they were able to do it (with the help of some people they know of course). Some did adjustment of status, other did even consular processing. Two of my friends were even hired and had a managerial title on their H1B papers, they were just 22 y/o yet they were approved for h1b by the consular officer.

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If you don't have experience then the H1b visa isn't an option. Be hopeful all you want but reality is that hospitals are laying off experienced nurses all over the country. So most aren't willing to spend the money on international nurses when they're laying off their current experienced staff. Go with plan B and focus on another country that is in demand for new nurses and are willing to train. It doesn't matter what others were able to do that didn't qualify. Those who are under the H1b visa are being investigated and also deported/band for falsifying documents. Some were able to slip through the cracks, but they will eventually be caught and face the brutal consequences. Talk to your friends who were able to do it and ask them for the names & contact information of the agencies/companies etc that are breaking the law so you can put yourself through the risk if that's the route you want to go.

Recommendation here is to find a job in your own country and gain experience while waiting for a visa. Or find another country that's willing to spend the money to sponsor an international nurse. If there are no jobs back home, there certainly wont be any waiting for you here either. Good Luck in your search.

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visa category

h-1b specialty occupations

general requirements

the job must meet one of the following criteria to qualify as a specialty occupation:

  • bachelor’s or higher degree or its equivalent is normally the minimum entry requirement for the position
  • the degree requirement for the job is common to the industry or the job is so complex or unique that it can be performed only by an individual with a degree
  • the employer normally requires a degree or its equivalent for the position
  • the nature of the specific duties is so specialized and complex that the knowledge required to perform the duties is usually associated with the attainment of a bachelor’s or higher degree.*

for you to qualify to accept a job offer in a specialty occupation you must meet one of the following criteria:

  • have completed a u.s. bachelor’s or higher degree required by the specific specialty occupation from an accredited college or university
  • hold a foreign degree that is the equivalent to a u.s. bachelor’s or higher degree in the specialty occupation
  • hold an unrestricted state license, registration, or certification which authorizes you to fully practice the specialty occupation and be engaged in that specialty in the state of intended employment
  • have education, training, or progressively responsible experience in the specialty that is equivalent to the completion of such a degree, and have recognition of expertise in the specialty through progressively responsible positions directly related to the specialty.**

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=73566811264a3210vgnvcm100000b92ca60arcrd&vgnextchannel=73566811264a3210vgnvcm100000b92ca60arcrd

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In nursing a BSN ISN'T a requirement for an entry level position so therefore it doesn't meet the specialty requirement. The minimum requirement is an associates & some do hold diplomas in nursing.

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"if you don't have experience then the h1b visa isn't an option" uscis doesn't say this. experience requirements are imposed by the facility.

so yes, nursecubanitarn2b , i am hopeful because even with a short time of job hunting -less than 15 days, last november. i found open positions, even with almost no experience i was considered in a number of facilities -hospitals and nursing facilities in ma. one is even trying to figure out how to find a way to help me asap. i just want to discover other options. but i won't resort to anything illegal. :)

my plans: attend a reentry program at a teaching hospital in greater boston, i feel this program will serve as my orientation and this will help me gain recommendations, then participate in their nursing specialty programs which the hospital also offers, then volunteer in the same hospital in order to gain more experience.

so,

bachelor's degree: check!

license: check!

experience: check, check, check! (soon!)

:)yes, i am hopeful.

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A lot of hospitals in Boston prefer their RN to be BSN. :)

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.

Boston hospitals do require a BSN for staff nursing positions. Also, others such as Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania have similar requirements. This BSN requirement trend is actually catching on in other parts of the country only because there's a larger pool of RN applicants now and hospitals can pick and choose what qualifications they like in a staff nurse candidate. But the Boston area in particular is one of the most saturated markets as far as RN's and other healthcare professionals. If you could find a job there, good for you because what I'm hearing is that new grad BSN's are having a hard time finding a hospital job in that location.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

I find it interesting you are talking about MA when you look at the MA state forum there are many that post that trained all over especially Boston that are struggling to find work as a new grad in Boston

Also see experienced nurses struggling to find work in Boston

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Generally a BSN isn't considered a specialty position. If you're in a specialized field such as Midwife or Nurse Anesthesiologist then that would qualify. Other non nursing positions as in Aerospace, Electrical, Computer Engineering would also be considered a specialty field.

I also heard that Stanford Medical out here in Palo Alto are also looking @ BSN graduates vs the ADN. But with the amount of applicants that they have they don't need to waste money to import when they have many qualified applicants locally to choose from. In this economy its difficult for ALL nurses to find a job. You may need to look into a plan B and follow that path as another option. Good Luck

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