undocumented immigrant wants to be a nurse

Nurses General Nursing

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Ok. I'm currently a nursing student who will be graduating in December from a 2 year program. The problem is that I'm currently in this country illegally have been for 10+ years. Like many in my situation, I was brought by my parents to this country at an early age and I've been told that currently there is nothing i can do to help my situation. I know that at the end of the nursing program i won't be able to take the NCLEX and work as a nurse :o but i figure there is something than I can do, seeing that there is such a need for nurses in this country. ANYONE know where i can get help? Who i can contact to help my situation? I already talked to the director of nursing from my school and he didn't offer much help, so i'm hoping someone out there can point me in the right direction. Thank you.

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
There are many students in nursing schools in the US that do not have legal papers to be in the US. And funny thing is that many are actually in NYC schools. They are not asked anything about citizenship on many applications.

That IS wrong on so many levels.

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There are many students in nursing schools in the US that do not have legal papers to be in the US. And funny thing is that many are actually in NYC schools. They are not asked anything about citizenship on many applications.

Nursing programs here in metro NY don't let just anybody in. And as far as I'm aware, all of them are requiring a social security number and some type of government identification or immigration papers from students as a part of the admissions process. How many foreign students do you personally know of that are in NY nursing schools without legal papers? I'm also curious to know the names of these colleges. I don't know where in NY you are but at my school and many of the other area college apps that I've seen they ask for both SSN and citizenship information. If you can't produce evidence of both when you apply they won't process your application. I know this because I've seen it happen to a friend of mine who is a foreign student who temporarily lost his student status and was trying to get back into school without current immigration paperwork. Every college he went to told him the same thing: no admission unless the immigration stuff is in full compliance. He had to wait out an entire semester before he got the approval from immigration, and the whole time he was worried that he wasn't going to get it because he thought they would find out that he had been working illegally while he was out of school.

The OP is asking for opinions on what she can do to legalize her status, and from what has already been posted I gather that she has already been to immigration lawyers who promised that they could fix the situation but were not able to. There's nothing at all that's easy or simple about immigration, especially since the 9/11 incident. Unfortunately for the OP, she has no choice but to try again with a reputable immigration attorney and see what happens. If she got this far in California with no papers, then quite possibly she can get a lot further if she hooks up with the right attorney. My advice to the OP is: no matter what anyone says, don't give up!

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Specializes in NICU.

For those of you wondering how i got into school....

California

Under a state law approved in 2001, the California Community Colleges and the California State University System can consider unauthorized alien students for in-state tuition if they attend a California high school for at least three years, graduate from a California high school, and sign an affidavit pledging to apply for permanent residency as soon as they are eligible. The law also extends to the University of California pursuant to an affirmative vote of its regents, which occurred in January 20026.

Legislation has recently been filed to expand the scope of this law to include financial aid. Assembly Bill 153 would require the California State University Board of Trustees and the California Community College Board of Governors to make financial aid programs administered by the state of California available to non-resident students who qualify for in-state tuition “to the full extent permitted by federal law.”

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.
There are many students in nursing schools in the US that do not have legal papers to be in the US. And funny thing is that many are actually in NYC schools. They are not asked anything about citizenship on many applications.

And down South, they made me undergo a credit check, criminal background check and fingerprinting?????

Geesh

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Specializes in Public Health, DEI.
And down South, they made me undergo a credit check, criminal background check and fingerprinting?????

Geesh

I can't imagine that legitimate schools, who these days pretty much have their pick of legal applicants, would take the risk of admitting illegal students. Perhaps the accusation otherwise is based on perception rather than documentation.

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And down South, they made me undergo a credit check, criminal background check and fingerprinting?????

Geesh

Don't be so quick to blame the school.

A credit check will uncover credit problems, not immigration status. A criminal background will come back "NO RECORD" if you've never been arrested. Fingerprinting (even if sent to the FBI) will come back clean if you have never been fingerprinted by any government agency.

Determining immigration status is very tricky. If the undocumented person never gets in trouble, has a legal SSN and pays taxes, they will on paper (for all intents and purposes) appear as any US citizen or Residents.

If they entered the country before 9/11 it is even more tricky. No fingerprinting or biometric test were done at ports of entry before then.

Agape

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Specializes in M/S, OB, Ortho, ICU, Diabetes, QA/PI.
For those of you wondering how i got into school....

California

Under a state law approved in 2001, the California Community Colleges and the California State University System can consider unauthorized alien students for in-state tuition if they attend a California high school for at least three years, graduate from a California high school, and sign an affidavit pledging to apply for permanent residency as soon as they are eligible. The law also extends to the University of California pursuant to an affirmative vote of its regents, which occurred in January 20026.

Legislation has recently been filed to expand the scope of this law to include financial aid. Assembly Bill 153 would require the California State University Board of Trustees and the California Community College Board of Governors to make financial aid programs administered by the state of California available to non-resident students who qualify for in-state tuition "to the full extent permitted by federal law."

ok - you got into school legitimately in your state - fair enough - if you lived there for as long as you say, you met all the criteria but did you know when you signed the affidavit that you were maybe never going to be eligible to apply for permanent residency? or did you sign, not knowing but hoping for the best?

does California have laws saying if you got into school using this criteria, you should also be allowed to work in your field of study without a permanent resident alien card (on the basis of that affidavit you signed) - it doesn't matter to me - I'm just curious - and maybe a little envious considering I had to jump through many hoops, pay hundreds of dollars and be asked some pretty personal questions to be allowed to get a green card when I came here on a legitimate student visa and I actually married a citizen and they charged him lots of money and asked him personal questions to qualify as my sponsor

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MamaTheNurse, I feel your pain.

Huladancer is still going to shell out quite a bit of money to clear this up, IF it ever gets cleared up. There will be NO getting around using an exceptionally good immigration attorney. That is going to cost her.

She is also going to have to file the same forms that all immigrants have to file to immigrate to the U.S. Actually, if her case goes anywhere, she will have to file even more forms than most immigrants since she is in the country without permission. Her lawyer will have to answer those questions first and that will cost her.

As far as the personal questions, well USCIS (formerly INS) is 'gonna want to know how she got her and what the devil she has been doing every single moment she has been here.

The truth eventually comes back to bite us all in the tookus...

:p

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A lot of times good law schools will offer free clinics to the non paying public. this way a student lawyer can study your case. I think there are even a few NGO's to aid in these situations as well - refugee rights or some such. Mostly to protect against unfair labor or landlords. Try and "google" it and see what pops up. Maybe they can give you some solid advice.

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Unfortunately, i do not have an answer/solution. I have heard of this exemption request. It's called, i think, AB540. Let us know what happens...would hate to see a hard worker fail because of politics...

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Unfortunately, i do not have an answer/solution. I have heard of this exemption request. It's called, i think, AB540. Let us know what happens...would hate to see a hard worker fail because of politics...

AB540 is the Dream Act , right?

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AB540 is the Dream Act , right?

Not sure...but it sure does sound like it. This is a really tough issue to handle. I understand those who would like stricter/tougher laws and enforcement of immigration, but a big part of me always sees the exceptions like that of this fellow nursing student. I cannot, with good conscience take a clear cut stand.

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