UK RGN/RM looking to move to USA

Sunshine97 · Jan 23, 2008

Hello All, I'm a British (born in Africa) RGN/RM, 34, single with no dependants. Really want to move to USA and have just started looking into the process. I'm totally disheartened:o by what I've found out so far. Info is so varied, the worst being the 2 to 5 year waiting period to get visa. Am thinking of going to Saudi in the meanwhile. I'd appreciate any advice and info people can spare. Should I approach employers or go through an agency? I want a green card, is this the best or are other visas easier to get and then convert? Thanks for your input.

Hie

Time goes quick once you get the process started cause you have to run around getting your documentation and you will not even notice it. From what i know the Green card is the easy and best way to do it converting sounds too complicated from what i have gathered.

Good Luck

Silverdragon102, BSN · Jan 23, 2008

Hello All, I'm a British (born in Africa) RGN/RM, 34, single with no dependants. Really want to move to USA and have just started looking into the process. I'm totally disheartened:o by what I've found out so far. Info is so varied, the worst being the 2 to 5 year waiting period to get visa. Am thinking of going to Saudi in the meanwhile. I'd appreciate any advice and info people can spare. Should I approach employers or go through an agency? I want a green card, is this the best or are other visas easier to get and then convert? Thanks for your input.

Welcome to the site

Green card is the only option for nurses and can be done directly by applying to hospitals. What I would suggest first though is apply to BON (board of nursing) to the state you want to work in (we do not recommend Ca for initial licensure and plenty written in the International forum) pass NCLEX and then approach hospitals. I would suggest a good read in the International forum especially the thread called Primer to working in the US as it will tell you everything you need to know. We also have a good NCLEX forum for support/hints and tips for study and passing the exam and can be found under the student tab.

misswoosie · Jan 23, 2008

Hi

I am surprised! Does anyone in the line for employment based EB3 Green Card really know how long it will take to get the piece of paper, when retrogression will end? I think the answer is NO!

I am sorry but to say that the time goes quickly suggests a year or so, but including CGFNS, Visa Screen and NCLEX we have been in the process for 2 years know and just filed for Green Card 3 months ago.

Green card is not the only option for Nurses.

If the job is a specailist post and states that a Batchelors degree is essential, you have one (or equivalent) and the hospital is affiliated to a higher ed institution then you may very well qualify for H1B. Of course you will not find these jobs via the recruitment agencies and that is why they say green Card is the only option!

H1B has dual intent which means that you can appply for Green card whilst working with a H1B.

Any good attorney will tell you this.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Jan 23, 2008

Hi
I am surprised! Does anyone in the line for employment based EB3 Green Card really know how long it will take to get the piece of paper, when retrogression will end? I think the answer is NO!
I am sorry but to say that the time goes quickly suggests a year or so, but including CGFNS, Visa Screen and NCLEX we have been in the process for 2 years know and just filed for Green Card 3 months ago.
Green card is not the only option for Nurses.
If the job is a specailist post and states that a Batchelors degree is essential, you have one (or equivalent) and the hospital is affiliated to a higher ed institution then you may very well qualify for H1B. Of course you will not find these jobs via the recruitment agencies and that is why they say green Card is the only option!
H1B has dual intent which means that you can appply for Green card whilst working with a H1B.
Any good attorney will tell you this.

Not many hospitals will do H1b these days as costs a lot plus with issues of too many for not enough visas and more like a lottery. If you have a masters and can get a job in that capacity you can go for EB2

misswoosie · Jan 23, 2008

Yes. H1B is in short supply, but then so are Green Cards! My attorney had no qualms about applying for H1B for me initially, especially as it would have been exempt from the capped quota as the hospital was a not for profit organisation.

I just wish people wouldn't say that Green Card is the only option- because it is an untruth and a lot of people will have agencies telling them untruths if they can get a way with it.

As a moderator you should only tell people things that are fact, and the fact is that some nurses may qualify for H1B.

Unfortunately the jobs that require Masters Degrees aren't exactly common- I had enough of a problem finding a job that demanded a Batchelors degree.

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Jan 23, 2008

Misswoosie please read TOS regarding public dissagreements with the moderators

suzanne4, RN · Jan 24, 2008

Srry, but we have seen attorneys promise anything and the bottom line is that there are no hospitals that are sponsoring for the H1-B visa. We have seen it only with those that are non-hospital based, due to the restrictions made by the unions that most are covered under.

Attorneys get paid when they submit your petition, they could care less if it gets approved or not. And I have not seen one that has been approved with a hospital as the sponsor in more than three years due to the amount of paperwork that is involved. It takes a full time staff of three just to do the paperwork that needs to be submitted frequently to the US government.

There are no hospital jobs that require just the BSN as a starting degree if you are going to be at the bedside. We are telling people what we know to be a fact and what has been happening for the past few years here in the US.

So to turn the tables for you and ask you some questions about your petition? When was it submitted, and has it actually been approved for you as of yet?

H1-B visas have not been approved for the bedside nurse in more than three years, no matter what the attorney is telling you. Best of luck to you but I am still sticking by what I have posted all along, as well as what the others have stated here. You are welcome to your own opinions, and we are entitled to ours.

And my next question to you would be if you have been in the process for two years, why was the green card petitioning never started for you before?

suzanne4, RN · Jan 24, 2008

And just as a side note, any specialist position requires a Master's preparation as well as an additional license from the BON as a specialist. Clinical Nurse Specialists require the MSN. Bachelors' degree do not meet the requirement.

misswoosie · Jan 25, 2008

Srry, but we have seen attorneys promise anything and the bottom line is that there are no hospitals that are sponsoring for the H1-B visa. We have seen it only with those that are non-hospital based, due to the restrictions made by the unions that most are covered under.
Attorneys get paid when they submit your petition, they could care less if it gets approved or not. And I have not seen one that has been approved with a hospital as the sponsor in more than three years due to the amount of paperwork that is involved. It takes a full time staff of three just to do the paperwork that needs to be submitted frequently to the US government.
There are no hospital jobs that require just the BSN as a starting degree if you are going to be at the bedside. We are telling people what we know to be a fact and what has been happening for the past few years here in the US.
So to turn the tables for you and ask you some questions about your petition? When was it submitted, and has it actually been approved for you as of yet?
H1-B visas have not been approved for the bedside nurse in more than three years, no matter what the attorney is telling you. Best of luck to you but I am still sticking by what I have posted all along, as well as what the others have stated here. You are welcome to your own opinions, and we are entitled to ours.
And my next question to you would be if you have been in the process for two years, why was the green card petitioning never started for you before?

Suzanne

Sorry I didn't realise you had all the US immigration statistics and all the US hospital statistics available to you.

You do not need to be a CNS to be a specialist nurse-the post I had succesfully gained was as Stroke Co-ordinator and they asked for a Batchelors degree. At no point did I mention "bedside nursing"-not sure why everyone assumes that very experienced nurses have to go in at that level.

Funnily enough on another post the moderators are suggestng that someone who has never worked in this country, and indeed not worked at all for the past 2 years might be able to get a Band 6 post.

I am well aware of the requirements for nursing posts in the US - I have done my research thankfully.

Suzanne- I was sent a PM reminding me of the TOS of this site and not to argue with moderators.

Actually the TOS states lively debate is welcome and only mentions disagreements regarding "decisions" made by moderators. As you say these are opinions or facts -not moderator decisions.

One of the reasons it has taken so long is that I was given some less than helpful info on this forum, and CGFNS took 1 year to validate my credentials.They simply didn't send the forms to my school-despite 6 phone calls over 3 months. I got the OK to sit NCLEX last Feb

Then because of lack of available slots to sit NCLEX in London I sat in the US and passed in April. I then had to find a job.

in additon to that I had to find a good attorney -more difficult when you are not in the country- and the hospital are immigration naive- so they could not help out and then were slow when it came to the paperwork.

Hope that answers all your questions

Have a great day!

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2008

Seems there is nothing further to be gained form keeping this thread open. So I am closing thread