Relocating to Florida - Kaplan course for prep

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I've been a nurse for 7 years on and off. This is my plan to relocate to the US but I need some help.

I own a home here. I initially was considering working in US but I was told you have to claim U.S. taxes and Canadian which will kill you! It's either one or the other. Any comments?

If I go to live in US how do I eventually become a U.S. citizen? I heard I'm going to lose my Canadian Pension Plan! Any comments?

I don't always want to be bound by a contract (ie. owe the hospital 2 years of work), what do I do if I eventually want to do something else besides nursing?

I've finally decided after seeing good reviews to take the Kaplan in-class course for the NCLEX in which also gives you four months access to the online course. Has anyone taken it?

Is American nursing harder than Canadian Nursing?

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That's alot of questions! :)

Well, I'll take a stab at some of these...

- we found that nursing in the US was easier than Canada. There's alot more help in the US, and depending on your specialty, probably better ratios. Also, the politics in Canada are gross compared to the US. You can't always depend on there being a union in the States though, it just depends on where you are.

- as far as the NCLEX goes, I didn't study, so I can't really help you out there.

- when I went down to the US, I gave up my Canadian residency, and paid US taxes.

- to become a citizen, the Coles Notes version of this is to of course have your credentialing done, and then find yourself a sponsor for a Green Card and ultimately citizenship. Of course it's alot more complicated than that, but I'm guessing that since you have your eye on Florida, finding a sponsor shouldn't be a problem. A lot of facilities and agencies do make you commit for a year or two though (although it isn't necessary), so be prepared. I might have a idea or two for you - you can PM me if you're interested. I found credentialing to be a pretty straight forward process, and it didn't take too long. Green cards and citizenship are a different story though, from what I've been told.

- if you're going to leave Canada, you're going to lose your pension. That is my understanding. Opinions on it? Nothing good. :)

- if you're working in the US as a nurse, that's all you can do until you get a green card or citizenship. I guess you could always do something else on the list of acceptable employment.

Definitely do your homework before jumping into this.

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Thanks for responding! Still I have more questions! I'll email u

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Really? A lot of my colleagues are afraid to go to the US because they say it's so hard. And that's also what I hear when they come back.

I can't imagine why. I never found that at all, and I worked in many facilities. That's just my opinion, I guess.

Are u saying the politics in the US is not as bad as Canada?

There is definitely politics in the US - it's everywhere - but I am comparing it to where I am now and what other nurses have told me in other Canadian locations. IMO, the Union crap and Canadian nursing politics are much, much worse than any I have seen in the US.

Wow! You didn't study? Did u take it right after Canadian Nursing schooling?

I took it about 2 months after I was done school, quite a few years ago. IMO, nursing is nursing, and very similar between the 2 countries.

Not sure how this works since I own a home here and one day would like a house in Florida. I know lots of people who are paying US taxes but not Canadian when they return (illegally of course).

I'm not sure that I'm understanding what you're saying. We didn't pay Canadian tazes when we returned, and that was legal, but we gave up residency when we left, and reclaimed it when we came back. I think that is the key. To give up residency, you're not supposed to have any "ties" here. ie a house. If you're unsure, call Revenue Canada (or whatever they're called now!). Be sure of what you need to do.

I have a lot of relatives in Florida...but I think your talking about work sponsorship right?...I don't think relatives can sponsor unless it's very close relations

To my knowledge, relatives can sponsor you, but I'm not sure if there are guidelines on how close a relative they need to be. Yes, I was refering to an employer sponsoring you. Sometimes the Immigration people at the border have lots of info, even on citizenship. You might want to give them a call. Or better yet, speak to an immigration attorney in the US. You can call immigration in the US, but I have spoken to plenty of people who did not get accurate inof, and every time you talk to anyone different you can get a different answer, regardless of where you ask. Personally, I would find a good attorney.

Really? That's all I hear about is the 1-2 year commitment!

In the past, I have had companies offer to sponsor me with zero commitment. They said that technically you don't need to commit, and for the most part it's a way for a hospital to recoup costs (which aren't always that much) or just to lock you in because they need the staff.

Would love to hear!

Just pm me and let me know what you'd all like to hear about, and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

When u say nothing good does that mean losing your pension is not good or the pension anyway is not good?

That just means that I have nothing good to say about losing your pension. :) We're going through some pretty big decisions right now too, and the give and take is hard.

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Specializes in ICU,ER,FLIGHT RN.PSYCH.

I Was Fortunate To Obtain A Florida Licence By Have A Canadian Licence Back In 1992. I Recently Had To Take The Nclex So I Could Get My Michigan Licence. I Bought The Feuer Nclex Cds. Studied And Took Their Pretest. Past The Nclex After The Min. Amount Of Questions.expensive..yes But Worth Every Penny. Hope That Helps. Keep Me Posted. Kevin

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