I am sure that many of you do not want to hear this. But it is the actual truth. There still is no special schedule for nurses, and the Schedule A is not included in the Visa Bulletin.
That the dates are current for the month of July does not state that it is over. There is a huge number of applicants waiting for the green card, in addition to nurses, and they have been waiting as well. Remember that most that came to the US under the H1-B visa, are also included with the EB-3 caseload. And many of their attorneys are much faster at getting things done. Example: When the window opened for petitions to be submitted in April for the October 2007 H1-B visas, there were more than a 150,000 submitted in less than one day. And they were gone.
Not trying to burst any bubble, but trying to be honest on this. There are only so many visas available per year, never unlimited number. And this Bulletin does not go into effect until July 1, 2007. And those dates are only for that month and if you notice there is also mention that if the visas get used up that are there, then the dates will not remain in effect all month.
For those of you that got stopped in the processing just before your interview, this will be very beneficial for you. If your DS-230 has been approved and accepted, then this can be beneficial to you. For those that are just starting the process, remember you at the mercy of your agency and attorney and how fast that they will do things. We have seen multiple posts over the years of mistakes made with petitions that delayed things for quite a period of time. There is also a considerable raise in immigration fees going into affect at the end of July that will delay things for some people as the agencies are going to be holding back on paying of fees.
Those that have been paying their own way will find that they may get thru faster.
So please, do not make final plans to leave for the US until you actually have an interview date given to you. We saw what happened last fall to quite a few of you here.
Until there is another Schedule in place for nurses, the retrogression will not be over. Just an open window in the scheme of things, but definitely not over. Look at what happened even last month when the dates were moved up for the PD, you did not see a significant movement of anything. When money is needed to be paid by the agencies, everything drops to a crawl.
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
:uhoh3:Whoa! First off, greetings everyone! First time on Allnurses. I'm a student nurse in New York and I'm onto my senior year this Fall. I'm working on my BSN and had high hopes of specializing in Oncology/HIV AIDS nursing in the graduate level after a few years of work experience. My dream is to finish my PhD and become a nurse educator.
The retrogression now really breaks my heart and now that dream of mine to work and continue to study here is possible but a challenge. I read through a lot of the threads here about the retrogression and I understand what is going on. Reading these threads, I realize that I'm quite different since most nurses who want to work in the US graduated from their own country. And most are from China, India, Philippines, etc. I understand that they would take 5+ years t get the green card.
I need your advice in the situation I'm in right now. Since there is no way that one can get a green card in a short time. What are my options to delay the time to wait for retrogression to be over, and to have an opportunity to remain in the US for work experience.
As a F1 student I don't think that 1 year OPT would help a lot since hospital hires nurses with more years of experiences and even if I select a hospital/employer that would petition I-140 or the green card for me, it will be a long wait. I will be doing my CPT this summer at Columbia and that is an externship. I doubt that they would even consider employing an int' student.
From the information I have stated above, that is only what I know for now and I'm not sure there is still a lot to be learned about immigration and working here in US.
I have a few questions that probably benefit everyone who are in my situation.
1. I'm a senior graduating very soon and since its the retrogression, and I only have one year of OPT, what do you think I should do? Should I look for an employer that petitions' international student to work in their hospital/organization. Even if I would to find an employer that can do this for me, I know that I would have to wait for a looooong time for the green card to come around. What can I do in the 1 year OPT period to secure my work and to continue to gain experience here in the US?
2. I know that there are a certain green card quota/allotment for certain countries. I'm from Malaysia. Would this factor help me in getting a green card earlier if the green card comes available again sometime next year or in the future? Will make any difference? How many years do you think the waiting will be?
3. BSN-RN is under the EB-3 category. Now I was thinking on taking my masters degree instead of going off straight to work with the OPT. Even if I obtain a MSN in Oncology NP, will this make a difference in this situation?
4. I'm graduating in May 2009. This means that I have to be on a look out for companies that employs international students. I will be taking my NCLEX-RN exams in Summer of 09. I'm a bit confused with Visa Screen and other requirements. What are the other document I need to file or exams I have to take before I graduate from college?
Thanks and lloook forward to your replies :typing
Welcome to the site
To stay in the US currently with retrogression you need to maintain your student status, now things may have changed by the time you graduate in 2009 and you will still need visa screen certificate once you pass NCLEX as you will still need to go through the same process as foreign nurses the only difference is you did your training in the US. This thread may help answer your questions https://allnurses.com/forums/f75/international-nursing-students-us-119024-83.html
My I-140 was submitted in october 2007, please someone explain to me when my priority date would be and how long it would take for it to be approved. Also, what happens after approval?
Thanks in advance
Since I'm an international student working on my BSN and I'm graduating soon, will petitioning for I-140 affect me? Is this I-140 (same as petitioning for a green card). If I'm still in my last year of college and to find an employer to petition for me, what are the documents or forms must I submit besides an NCLEX-RN pass result, Visa Screen, SSN#. Can anyone clarify why is I-140 important?
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Since I'm an international student working on my BSN and I'm graduating soon, will petitioning for I-140 affect me? Is this I-140 (same as petitioning for a green card). If I'm still in my last year of college and to find an employer to petition for me, what are the documents or forms must I submit besides an NCLEX-RN pass result, Visa Screen, SSN#. Can anyone clarify why is I-140 important?
I140 is for your greencard but will not allow you to work at the moment with retrogression you can not file 485 which will allow you to work whilst waiting. You do not need a SSN to submit paperwork
To stay in the US currently with retrogression you need to maintain your student status, now things may have changed by the time you graduate in 2009 and you will still need visa screen certificate once you pass NCLEX as you will still need to go through the same process as foreign nurses the only difference is you did your training in the US. This thread may help answer your questions https://allnurses.com/forums/f75/international-nursing-students-us-119024-83.html
Thanks Silver Dragon for that reply, but the link you sent to me does not answer my questions specifically because most of the students on the thread are LPN and not BSNs since length of studies is different along with the requirements. About maintaining my student status, this is not what I intend to do and is not one of my priorities. I would like to work for a couple of years to gain experience in the specialty I would like to work in so that I could be on my way to a masters program. The problem is that the OPT period is too short for me. Is it even possible that hospitlas now petition for H1 visas for nurses. I read some threads and there were some filipino nurses who got hired on H1C visas. Ca anyone clarify this?
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Thanks Silver Dragon for that reply, but the link you sent to me does not answer my questions specifically because most of the students on the thread are LPN and not BSNs since length of studies is different along with the requirements. About maintaining my student status, this is not what I intend to do and is not one of my priorities. I would like to work for a couple of years to gain experience in the specialty I would like to work in so that I could be on my way to a masters program. The problem is that the OPT period is too short for me. Is it even possible that hospitlas now petition for H1 visas for nurses. I read some threads and there were some filipino nurses who got hired on H1C visas. Ca anyone clarify this?
Only approx 15 hospitals in the US have H1C status and that usually is because there are some issues in local areas ie high crime rate and unable to maintain staff plus it is up for review in 2010 and may not be renewed. For H1b you as a newly qualified nurse will not meet criteria and again not many hospitals file for H1b, those that do you have to meet criteria and unless they are affiliated to a University and exempt quotas then you go into the pot like every other profession for H1B and no guarantee that you get one. I suggest you have a good read in this forum and try the search facility using keywords.
Unfortunately at the moment to stay in the US you will have to maintain student status. As I mention things may change by the time you qualify and I think you will find that the thread I post does answer some of your questions
We have seen PD dates move forward for some countries but be aware that one must have a completed file when there PD date is current to have a chance at a green card. There are many that have dates older, but they do not have completed files and that is why the government moved the dates forward for some countries, but that does not mean that it will last at that date, or move forward once again.
Supply still far exceeds demand and that is what causes a retrogression.
We have seen PD dates move forward for some countries but be aware that one must have a completed file when there PD date is current to have a chance at a green card. There are many that have dates older, but they do not have completed files and that is why the government moved the dates forward for some countries, but that does not mean that it will last at that date, or move forward once again.
Supply still far exceeds demand and that is what causes a retrogression.
Suzanne,
Thanks for your replies, I think Im getting to know about the situation a little bit better. Do you know the patterns and how/why the government would move forward priority dates for certain countries. I'm also not really clear about PDs. Correct me if I'm wrong but when some people say like PD: March 2006 For EB-3, what does that mean? Does it mean that nurse who got their employers to file the I-140 beFORE March 2006, they will get a chance to be issued the green card, does this qualify for other immigrants like family petitions as well?
In your own opinion, what do you think that the government should do to counter this retrgression problem? Will this increase the shortage of nurses in the US? What can be done when the new office take place? How much supply are we looking at that exceeds the demand? And will this become even worse when the government doesnt do anything about it?
I libke this discussion board, Have a nice day people!
Only approx 15 hospitals in the US have H1C status and that usually is because there are some issues in local areas ie high crime rate and unable to maintain staff plus it is up for review in 2010 and may not be renewed. For H1b you as a newly qualified nurse will not meet criteria and again not many hospitals file for H1b, those that do you have to meet criteria and unless they are affiliated to a University and exempt quotas then you go into the pot like every other profession for H1B and no guarantee that you get one. I suggest you have a good read in this forum and try the search facility using keywords.
Unfortunately at the moment to stay in the US you will have to maintain student status. As I mention things may change by the time you qualify and I think you will find that the thread I post does answer some of your questions
Silverdragon,
Many thanks to your prompt replies. I have some Q's! How is H1Cs different form H1B's? Do you think its a good idea to be issues a H1C rather than filing for a I140? Why do hospitals do not choose to file H1-B's and goes with green card instead? And where are these hospitlas u said that currently files this H1C?
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Silverdragon,
Many thanks to your prompt replies. I have some Q's! How is H1Cs different form H1B's? Do you think its a good idea to be issues a H1C rather than filing for a I140? Why do hospitals do not choose to file H1-B's and goes with green card instead? And where are these hospitlas u said that currently files this H1C?
H1C is only for temp work and only approx 15 hospitals have the status to use it plus I believe allocation is only approx 500 a year. H1C is not something we recommend so if you want to know where they are you will have to do your own search. H1B is very expensive for hospitals and generally H1B visas are allocated on a first come and a lottery as demand out weighs the amount of visas allocated and most you have to file in April but can't work until Oct with no way to stay in the US whilst waiting. Some hospitals do file H1B but there are requirements and newly qualified nurses generally do not meet requirements. Also many hospitals were abusing foreign nurses by paying less than USC and if you lost your job very hard to stay in the US, where as the Green card offers protection but also allows spouse to work where H1B doesn't.
Thanks for your replies, I think Im getting to know about the situation a little bit better. Do you know the patterns and how/why the government would move forward priority dates for certain countries. I'm also not really clear about PDs. Correct me if I'm wrong but when some people say like PD: March 2006 For EB-3, what does that mean? Does it mean that nurse who got their employers to file the I-140 beFORE March 2006, they will get a chance to be issued the green card, does this qualify for other immigrants like family petitions as well?
In your own opinion, what do you think that the government should do to counter this retrgression problem? Will this increase the shortage of nurses in the US? What can be done when the new office take place? How much supply are we looking at that exceeds the demand? And will this become even worse when the government doesnt do anything about it?
I libke this discussion board, Have a nice day people!
Who said that retrogression is a "problem" that needs to be "countered" by the government? Also, please be aware that there is not really a nursing shortage in the US. There is plenty of information about that on this board. Some employers like to use that myth as a justification for importing foreign nurses, which helps keep salaries and benefits for US nurses down. I'm sure you would not be happy if that were being done to the nurses in your country ...
There is not one thing that the government needs to do here in terms of the retrogression. It comes down to the fact that there are many more applicants for the green card than there are visas issued per year. And we do not expect the number of visas to increase, there is no reason for that at all.
The majority of hospitals do not use the H1-B visa for many reasons. Biggest one is that unions do not like temorary workers, they want to see them with a green card. And that is why the fast-tracking for the RNs came into being about four years ago. And you need to know that there is no guarantee that if one comes to the US to train, that they can remain here afterwards. There are more applicants now for the green card than there were in the past, and the fact that there were more than 800,000 I-485 petitions submitted last summer when there were no visas available but the government got pushed into accepting them, and the fact that there are only 140,000 total green cards with the EB-3 category per year world wide and the 800,000 does not include those that have been waiting under the CP processing. So you can see, if you can do the math, that there is no way that things are going to change. If you get the BSN, then there are many other countries that you may go to for a job. But for the US to make a change to its policy so that you can remain here, is just not the thing to be saying or even thinking. You are a guest in this country, and even if you were a guest in someone's home, you would not expect them to make changes just so that you could stay there longer.
Yes, I've read that there is no shortage of registered nurses in the U.S., but since so many U.S.-licensed registered nurses have left the profession, there is actually a shortage of "actively working" registered nurses in the U.S.
Our hospital frequently cannot find enough RN's to adequately staff all the units in our hospital. I know this for sure because I give report to the nursing supervisor on duty every time I'm assigned as the unit charge nurse. Frequent discussion with the nursing supervisor on duty, as any charge nurses would attest, is the problem of inadequate nurses available to work.
Silverdragon102, BSN
1 Article; 39,477 Posts
Welcome to the site
To stay in the US currently with retrogression you need to maintain your student status, now things may have changed by the time you graduate in 2009 and you will still need visa screen certificate once you pass NCLEX as you will still need to go through the same process as foreign nurses the only difference is you did your training in the US. This thread may help answer your questions https://allnurses.com/forums/f75/international-nursing-students-us-119024-83.html