To all foreign nurses in the US, will you retire in US or go back to your homeland?

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Sep 26, 2008

With the looming depression and current financial crisis that we are experiencing, I want to ask those foreign nurses who are currently working in the US. Do you plan to retire in the US or go back to your home land?
As for me, will just save enough and wait for my kids to finish their college and I'm 90% certain that I will go back to the Philippines and retire. The value of my retirement saving is more in the Philippines than here in the US. Plus, there's nothing like home:wink2:
Hope to hear from you guys...would also like to hear from those nurses who intends to work in the US. Do you plan to retire here or go back to your homeland???

I came to the US on a working visa in the 90's. At the time, my goal was to get further nursing experience, get permanent resident status, earn a graduate degree and stop right there. I also thought of returning to the Philippines at a semi-retirement age and possibly teach in a nursing program there. But things have changed for me. I went forward and got my US citizenship and got my present life intertwined with this country. I now see myself spending the rest of my life in the US. Sure, I visit the Philippines every now and then but it's hard for me to picture myself living there and it's only been 13 years since I left. The Philippines will always have a place in my heart but my home is America now.

jonRNMD · Sep 26, 2008

With the looming depression and current financial crisis that we are experiencing, I want to ask those foreign nurses who are currently working in the US.

Even if there is gonna be a depression (although im pretty sure we would NOT have one if a bailout happens) I am NOT gonna retire in the Philippines. I have only been here in the US for 2 years as a legal resident but like pinoyNP, my present life is already intertwined here in the US. my wife just gave birth one month ago and I know that we would be raising our children here in the US. they in turn would raise their children here in the US. I dont think my children would live with me and my wife in Manila. we are not US citizens (we would be applying soon) yet but our home will be here in the US for the next 30 years at least. we would probably visit Manila a few months every year but most likely spend most of our time here in the US after we retire.

one more thing,I get pretty angry whenever somebody trashes or puts America down.

suzanne4, RN · Sep 27, 2008

Even if there is gonna be a depression (although im pretty sure we would NOT have one if a bailout happens) I am NOT gonna retire in the Philippines. I have only been here in the US for 2 years as a legal resident but like pinoyNP, my present life is already intertwined here in the US. my wife just gave birth one month ago and I know that we would be raising our children here in the US. they in turn would raise their children here in the US. I dont think my children would live with me and my wife in Manila. we are not US citizens (we would be applying soon) yet but our home will be here in the US for the next 30 years at least. we would probably visit Manila a few months every year but most likely spend most of our time here in the US after we retire.
one more thing,I get pretty angry whenever somebody trashes or puts America down.

Congratulations on the baby, please send my pictures.

dhel28 · Sep 27, 2008

Even if there is gonna be a depression (although im pretty sure we would NOT have one if a bailout happens) I am NOT gonna retire in the Philippines. I have only been here in the US for 2 years as a legal resident but like pinoyNP, my present life is already intertwined here in the US. my wife just gave birth one month ago and I know that we would be raising our children here in the US. they in turn would raise their children here in the US. I dont think my children would live with me and my wife in Manila. we are not US citizens (we would be applying soon) yet but our home will be here in the US for the next 30 years at least. we would probably visit Manila a few months every year but most likely spend most of our time here in the US after we retire.
one more thing,I get pretty angry whenever somebody trashes or puts America down.

Am glad everything went well for you...I remember during the days that we are starting here in the US.

suzanne4, RN · Sep 27, 2008

And I remember quite well for both of you as well.

So happy to see how far both of you have come.

It really means alot to me.

And please do not stay away from here, or at least keep in touch. Miss you.

allnurses Guide · Sep 28, 2008

Nothing to do with the economy, but I'll probably go back to Australia eventually; all my family are there. Who knows what will happen though. For now, my work life is in the US, as I can't do the kind of work I'm doing now at home.

dhel28 · Sep 28, 2008

And I remember quite well for both of you as well.
So happy to see how far both of you have come.
It really means alot to me.
And please do not stay away from here, or at least keep in touch. Miss you.

No, promises this time but I'll keep in touch. Im not working in ICCU anymore, got burnt out. Working in PACU and loving it, although part time. Looking for a full time position in PACU but it's getting tougher during this days.

Miss you too, angel. Hope to see you soon.

rn4ever? · Dec 10, 2008

I'll cross the bridge when I get there. It's too early to tell. I am now a US Citizen but there's more than 30 years before I reach that retirement age. But I'm open to options and choices.

redranger · Dec 12, 2008

For Me: My wife is from Philippines and she is soon to be a "RN Nurse", still going thru all the AOS/BON/NCLEX/ATT stuff.

I was born and raisied in USA, and love it with all my heart and will defend her to the end.

But we have talked and hopefully we can move on to Philippines in 10 years and live over there.

We hope my assets I have now and my wifes future assets will be enough to sustain us in PI. Of course I will try to open some type of business in PI, because I enjoy making money.

The value of my US Dollar is worth so much more in PI.

pampangakid · Dec 13, 2008

For me I will soon go back to my native land-The Philippines, because I've talked to some Filipino nurses in the US and they said the money that you'll be getting from Social Security as a pensioner would cost only $3000 a month, and for me I don't think this is sufficient enough to pay for my cost of living in the US if I stay here for my retirement and not working, I would rather spend it in the Philippines and live there for the rest of my retirement age..

redranger · Dec 13, 2008

Here is another thing to realize about the USA.

We have about 20 million illegal aliens in USA, and they will work cheap for numerous reason, one of them is because they can't get a real Social Security Number.

In the town I live in we have mass numbers on Illegal Aliens, and Dallas is a Sanctuary City where Illegal Aliens are protected from the law and can't be deported, and their are many Sanctuary Cities in USA.

These 20 millions Illegals will soon have children, and since most illegals tend to be from Catholic Countries they have many children.

So our work force in the next 20 to 50 years is going to have an abudance of legal workers, and the labor rate will start to decline dramatically.

So the USA will not be the "Land of Honey" and "Land Of Opportunity" in a few more years, unless massive changes to Illegal Aliens in USA is done.