undocumented immigrant wants to be a nurse

Nordic Sun · Mar 8, 2005

I have worked for Immigration Canada. You do not have to be sponsored by an employer or to be a refugee to immigrate to Canada. It's so much easier to immigrate to Canada than to the US. You can apply on your own with family or a promise of a job (even though that helps). That is why I was telling her that this could be an option.

sunnyjohn · Mar 8, 2005

Nordic Sun is right. It is easier to legally immigrate to Canada than to the U.S. You do not have to be an assylum seeker or fleeing persecution. You must prove that you will not be a drain on Canadian social services. Canada welcomes skilled worker who are willing to work, pay taxes and contribute to building a stronger Canada.

Canada needs nurses too!

There are many websites that will give you preliminary info.

One thing, huladancer may want to stay in the US to be close to her family.

Please call a GOOD immigration attorney before you do anything.

Agape

:rolleyes:

Da Monk · Mar 8, 2005

Dear Huladancer,

Why have you waited until now to decide to do something about your situation? If you came to the US before the age of majority, why have you waited until now? I assume you are protecting your illegal immigrant family and yourself from deportation. It is unbelievable to me that you were able to get into a nursing program without a social security number. Is the program publically supported? Are you receiving an education at the expense of citizens who pay taxes? Do you and your family pay taxes? Have you kept an American citizen from obtaining a spot in your program, which is the right of a citizen, but not a right that you legally enjoy? One of the underlying tenets of the nursing profession is that the nurse be ethical. You are living and studying in an unethical situation at best. And I am appalled at the posters who encourage you to make use of the law to erase your previous transgressions (if your post is truthful, I'm betting it is a plea for advice as to how to stay in the US-is someone threatening to turn you in?).

suzanne4, RN · Mar 8, 2005

I know of quite a few nursing students that are on expired visas in the US, that expired many years ago................and the funny thing is that they are in schools in the NYC area. For some reason, the community colleges there are not checking immigration credentials...........not sure why.

As long as the person originally enterred the country legally, then there is usually a way to get things straightened out. However if they enterred illegally, then there is a much bigger problem.

Most of these students came to the US as small children with their families, and just stayed, not something that they did on their own.

Fiona59 · Mar 8, 2005

Canada has a huge backlog of refugees that they are trying to deport (and recently have started to do so). "Hi, please let me be a refugee because the nasty US won't let me as an illegal alien write the NCLEX", yup that would go over big!!

Immigration is never that easy without a sponsor. She is not a qualified nurse, appears to have no family in the country, and her family has a history of entering countries illegally. We don't even know which country the family is originally from. So, where would she immigrate without the US immigration service deciding maybe it was time for them to deal with the problem and deport the entire family? How many points do you think Immigration Canada would give her? Plus theres the fees to pay..

Why don't you just suggest that she marry someone to obtain a marriage visa? But even that can take over a year...

Nurse Ratched, RN · Mar 8, 2005

Your profile states that you are 25 - 7 years past the age of majority (you stated your parents brought you here as a minor.) All I can do is as others did - advise you to speak to an immigration attorney. It's long overdue.

MamaTheNurse, BSN, RN · Mar 8, 2005

I am from Canada, married to a US citizen and I have a green card - I have a BSN and MSN from American schools and have never worked anywhere but the US - and every job I have ever had in this country has asked "are you a US citizen" and when I say no, I have to produce my green card and a photocopy is taken for my employment file, so, even if you find a way to write the NCLEX and get a license (do you have a social security number?), are you willing to commit fraud by answering "yes" to the citizenship question? (which I'm sure employers in California ask that considering the undocumented immigrant issues in that state - they all ask in my state and I live in Michigan)

if I were in your shoes, I would take my advice (and the advice of almost every other person who has responded to your original post) and get to an immigration lawyer as fast as I could!!

BTW, do you own a house? if so, how did you get a mortgage? in Michigan, they ask that same citizenship question on mortgage apps - I have had to show my green card everytime we have either bought a house or even re-financed our mortgage....maybe it's different in California....

good luck!!!

~Kitty~ · Mar 8, 2005

I also wonder how you got into school. Maybe the school is not on the level. Are you sure you are not giving your money to a fraudulent program?

eltrip · Mar 8, 2005

Huladancer, it is high time that you made the effort to rectify your situation. You've waited 8 years longer than you should have. Find an immigration lawyer ASAP! The cost is a worthwhile investment in your future.

Ditto what Da Monk said about your nursing program.

roxannekkb · Mar 8, 2005

As others have noted, there is something a bit "off" about your dilemma, Huladancer. According to the profile, you are 25 years old so have been living as an adult in the US for 7 years, illegally. Sorry, can't blame your parents for that. Why have you waited until now to deal with this? And I cannot figure out how you got into nursing school in the first place. What have you been doing for the past 7 years? Working illegally?

Your only option is really to see an immigration lawyer as soon as possible. It will cost you some money but at this point, you really have no choice. You can't use the excuse that you were brought here as a minor, because you have continued to stay on, and not rectify your situation as an adult.

sunnyjohn · Mar 8, 2005

Huladancer did not say once that she/he does not have a legal Social Security Number or other documents.

Before a change in U.S. Immigration laws in 1996, an immigrant (even those here illegally) could apply for a SSN#. All they had to do was show a foreign passport, birth certificate, or other documentation proving identity to a local office of the Social Security Administration. Most of our government agencies in the U.S. are/were not "linked". There was no "master system" that linked them with the FBI or USCIS (formerly INS). There was no fear of being turned by applying.

Many persons who would visit the US frequently on legal tourist visas applied for SSN# in order to get driver's licenses; legal driver's licenses issued by a state DMV. These folks were given SS cards that were clearly marked "NOT ABLE TO WORK". They would use them to conduct legal business in the US while they were here on vacation (Buying goods, obtaining a driver's license, arraigning for credit lines and international shipment of goods.)

As SSN#'s never "expire" the only thing that makes them different from other SSN cardholders was the "NOT ABLE TO WORK" mark. Obtained through an application to the Social Security Administraion, it is perfectly legal ID issued by a U.S. Government Agency. It could be used to attend school.

It is quite possible that during theses interim years huladancer obtained many legal documents in the US. You would be surprised how many illegal immigrants do have these legal documents. They used the same "loopholes" to obtain documents as non-immigrants did. Yes, many illegal immigrants use phony documents, but many of them have these real documents.

Folks, the truth is, before 9/11 they were not that difficult to get.

I am in NO way advocating illegal immigration. No sirs. I am simple stating the facts.

Nor am I advocating illegal immigration to Canada. True, while Canada is starting to deport it's own illegal immigrants it is EASIER for a person with post-secondary training in a career in high demand to LEGALLY immigrate to Canada. No, not being able to take the NCLEX would not qualify as a hardship for asylum, but her nursing degree might easily qualify her for LEGAL immigration as a skilled worker or healthcare worker. Self-sponsorship to Canada IS possible. This information is available on official websites of the Government of Canada.

Illegal immigration is a problem for all developed countries.

Get a good immigration attorney huladancer. You will need one. It will be hard, but do this LEGALLY.

Agape.

huladancer, ADN, BSN, MSN · Mar 9, 2005

Well, my situtation is a bit more complex that what i originally wrote. I have tried to do something about my situation and it was an immigration lawyer who told me that at this point there is not much i can do to help my situation. I seeked helped before i graduated high school and well, let's just say that lawyers can make a bunch of false promises. I graduated from a four year university with bachelor's and then enrolled into the nursing program. The one thing I've learned, is to never lie about my situation. Even before i applied to the nursing program, i called and asked. The nursing program told me that if the school (a junior college) accepted me then i could apply to any of the program the school has... so i did. I got in and I pay for my education, get no public assistance, and yes my family does pay taxes. Like my others, I've earned my right to get into the program. I took the pre-requisites, got good grades, and got accepted and I study my butt off to get good grades and stay in the program. And it's comments like your that only make me study harder. Thank you!