I was granted a 2 year renewable work permit under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). As a new graduate nurse looking for any position available, I got employed in a nursing agency. At the time I accepted the job, they offered me $30/hr (I live in NY) with a 1 year contract. A month or two after, I learned from my coworkers that the baseline wage for an agency nurse runs between $38-40/hr. My colleagues who are associate degree new grads like myself working in the same hospital are getting paid $40/hr. My agency said that they will provide sponsorship as long as I pay the $500+ fee and fill out the paperwork.
I know that as a non-immigrant that I don't have plenty of choices. What I do want to know is:
1) if there is anyone who is in a similar position as me, being underpaid due to status? If they are underpaying me due to my status or their intent to provide sponsorship, I would have appreciated it if they made me aware of that. I did ask them and their response was $30/hr was the standard pay for starting nurses (which is not true as mentioned above).
2) Has anyone been sponsored by an employer? How does the process work (fees, paperwork)? And are you then bound to work for them forever?
Please no negative comments. I appreciate your input. Thank you.
The US Department of Justice has published a document especially for helping DACA recipients understand their rights. It is titled, "Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Recipients:Learn About Your Right to Work!" and authored by the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-related Unfair Employment Practices. You can access this information and similar documents online; but the flyer also includes a hotline for the Office of Special Counsel where questions or concerns can be discussed anonymously.
Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
Telling you they are paying the going rate when they are paying you substantially less smells fishy to me, too. I would definitely check with the labour board in your state. Since you are agency, I take it you don't belong to a union? This smacks of exploitation.
JustBeachyNurse, LPN
13,957 Posts
A NY license is only valid to work in NY. Do you have work rights?