RN from a foreign country

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Specializes in OR/PACU.

I am an RN from the Philippines, can u give me some advice on how to start my career. I am looking for opportunities working in the US...

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I am an RN from the Philippines, can u give me some advice on how to start my career. I am looking for opportunities working in the US...

first you must pass the nclex and ielts exam. you can do such by having yourself engaged in a review center or if it permits, have your own self review. it will all starts there. and if you're done with this, everything would follow according to your pace. just stay on focus in whatever purpose you have in mind. lay all your plans so that you will be able to be on track on what is happening.

goodluck on whatever path you may opt to take in the future. just be sure that you will always put your feet on the ground no matter what life will give. and always thank God for all the blessing He may impart to you.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

:welcome:

Moved to the International forum, please read the red banner in the Philippine forum.

First I would suggest you read the sticky Primer to working in the US. You need to decide where in the US you want to live and look at their website on foreign nurse requirements. If you need CES report from CGFNS would recommend you get the full course. Do not pick California as initial application for licensure for RN in the US and there is a sticky called California for initial licensure which explains why. Once you have completed licensure requirements and pass NCLEX then you can start looking for an employer and be aware if retrogression is still in situ then you will be affected

I strongly suggest a good read in this forum

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You have to pass the NCLEX first, then your IELTS. After you have passed the 2 exams, sign-upw/ an agency. Choose between immigrant visa, or working visa. The former takes longer time due to retrogression, the latter on the other hand takes only 6-8 months to process. While your US employment is being processed, get as much training as you can or hospital experience. Be warned, though, of illegal recruiters. I always tell my candidates to back-off as soon as their agent asked for cash. Most agencies have ZERO-cash out policy in deploying nurses to the U.S. Goodluck!

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
You have to pass the NCLEX first, then your IELTS. After you have passed the 2 exams, sign-upw/ an agency. Choose between immigrant visa, or working visa. The former takes longer time due to retrogression, the latter on the other hand takes only 6-8 months to process. While your US employment is being processed, get as much training as you can or hospital experience. Be warned, though, of illegal recruiters. I always tell my candidates to back-off as soon as their agent asked for cash. Most agencies have ZERO-cash out policy in deploying nurses to the U.S. Goodluck!

Sorry but I do disagree with you. You do not need to sign up with an agency. Much has been written on H1C and H1B and reasons why not to go this route and many nurses do not meet H1B requirements. Also I doubt there are many agencies that have a Zero cash out policy and have seen many writing about the large cancellation fees they have to give from many agencies. I do agree on getting nursing experience

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once you passed your NCLEX and english profeciency exam, newspaper usually publish employer from the US hospital to com here for direct hiring dont go for the marketing startegy of the agency here.

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I am an RN from the Philippines, can u give me some advice on how to start my career. I am looking for opportunities working in the US...

Visa will take 7 years unless retrogession ends.

do your NCLEX first to be eligible to apply to the US for a job.

Best wishes

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
hello

here is how to get to the usa as a nurse.

the entire process takes at least 20 months – if fast track visas for nurses are available.

6-8 months is time taken for preparing for nclex-rn and board of nursing approvals.

12 months is the time taken for visa processing.

right now there are no special fast track visas for nurses and the visa wait is 7 years.

fast track visa quota may be released in 2009 – after the us elections.

so you can give nclex-rn and wait for a visa quota for nurses to open up and then find an employer in the usa who will sponsor your visa.

step wise:

1. get your nursing degree and license in your home country.

2. get a job as a nurse in a hospital - as the legal requirement of the us visa issuing authority is that you need to be employed as a nurse at least 6 months before you get your visa – so if you don’t have a job as a nurse – you will not get your visa.

3. work experience is also needed by an employer and helps you get your job.

4. english fluency: i hope that you are fluent in english and can pass ielts with a score of 7.0 – if you are fluent, then give this test later, as it is valid for only 2 years. if you are not fluent in english – then practice english fluency by signing up with a good teaching school and practicing english everyday. cost is about 200 $

5. nclex-rn: register with the board of nursing for issue of license in the us and sign up for the nclex-rn examination. prepare for the examination and give it. the exam center is in manila. the cost of exam is about 350 $ and the board’s licensing cost will be 200 $.

6. once you have passed nclex-rn and got a license from a board – you can now work in the us from the licensing point of view – but you still need to get permission from us immigration and a job.

7. next step is to find a job – with a hospital or with an agency, which does placements in hospitals. get a job offer. sign a contract. think and read well before you sign. most contracts have a 2-3 year offer; with a penalty clause if you leave them before the 2 or 3 years.

8. file for visa: after you have a job – the hospital or agency will file for your visa. you will need to get visa screen done and have a valid english score (ielts of 7 in spoken and 6.5 in academic). the agency or hospital will not file for a visa now – as the wait is 7-9 years. they will wait till 2009 – when a nursing quota is expected to reopen and they will file then. you need to get your documents ready by then. (i.e. nclex pass and state board registration etc).

9. after your visa is processed – you give an interview in the us consulate in your home country, give them a medical report and a police clearance certificate and then you can go to the usa.

another route to go to the us is to get married to a us national or a green card holder and go there as a wife. this way you beat the visa issue.

but you will still have to pass nclex-rn and and then you can practice there as a registered nurse.

if you need any more information – email or pm me.

best wishes

vivek

it is not a legal requirement to have nurse experience for visa, many nurses have received visa with no experience. but with the delays would be advisable to gain experience

unless married to greencard holder before they receive their greencard it can take a few years before you can join them in the us

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You have to pass the NCLEX first, then your IELTS. After you have passed the 2 exams, sign-upw/ an agency. Choose between immigrant visa, or working visa. The former takes longer time due to retrogression, the latter on the other hand takes only 6-8 months to process. While your US employment is being processed, get as much training as you can or hospital experience. Be warned, though, of illegal recruiters. I always tell my candidates to back-off as soon as their agent asked for cash. Most agencies have ZERO-cash out policy in deploying nurses to the U.S. Goodluck!

The H1-B visa has not existed in more than 3 years for those that will be petitioned by hospitals or nursing homes for bedside care. The H1-C is only available in 15 facilities throughout the entire US and only for the reason that they are short-staffed and not enough American nurses would consider working there. And usually because of location, so think safety.

Right now, anyone is looking at minimum of two years before even getting a chance to work in the US, and with the large number of applicants already in the process, there is no longer any guarantee that passing of the exam and getting an employer will get you to the US.

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The H1-B visa has not existed in more than 3 years for those that will be petitioned by hospitals or nursing homes for bedside care. The H1-C is only available in 15 facilities throughout the entire US and only for the reason that they are short-staffed and not enough American nurses would consider working there. And usually because of location, so think safety.

Right now, anyone is looking at minimum of two years before even getting a chance to work in the US, and with the large number of applicants already in the process, there is no longer any guarantee that passing of the exam and getting an employer will get you to the US.

That is why I was saddened by all of the things that I've read here. I thought after passing all the exams, I will finally get to the US :o I appreciate all your feeddbacks, at least at this early stage, I can plan what to do while waiting for the retrogression. Thank you so much ;)

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Specializes in OR/PACU.

tnx for all the reply and all the advices, at least now I know what i need to do and what to expect. I am now working on my nclex application, my dilemma now is what state is the best state to apply for my nclex exam.

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The H1-B visa has not existed in more than 3 years for those that will be petitioned by hospitals or nursing homes for bedside care. The H1-C is only available in 15 facilities throughout the entire US and only for the reason that they are short-staffed and not enough American nurses would consider working there. And usually because of location, so think safety.

Right now, anyone is looking at minimum of two years before even getting a chance to work in the US, and with the large number of applicants already in the process, there is no longer any guarantee that passing of the exam and getting an employer will get you to the US.

Suzanne

Go you have the list of the 15 facilities offering H1-C? Can you post it here or email it to me with any more information on the H1C route.

Thanks

Vivek

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