US citizen or stay as immigrant

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I am an immigrant here in US but want to go to the Philippines to take my BSN. Right now, i can file for my US citizenship now, but i am just wondering which is better -to take my BSN in the Philippines as immigrant, which means i would still be a Filipino citizen. Or file my US citizenship now and take my BSN in the Philippines as US citizen? Your response will really help me make my decision. I plan to go back to the PHilippines by June next year.

Study abroad is a reasonable reason to leave the US as a PR. However, I would speak with an immigration attorney if I were you - you may need to get a SB1 returning resident visa. The time out of country is not the only criteria whether you lose your PR - it's a matter of intent. You should continue to maintain a presence in the US - file taxes as required, keep a bank account, basically show that you intend to return to the US.

http://madrid.usembassy.gov/cons/immigrenreturning.html

If I were you, I'd think it's a no-brainer. I'd get the citizenship and then you can come and go as you please.

I still have the intention of returning back to the US after i take my BSN from the Philippines. And i also intend to maintain my bank accounts, file taxes and all that.. I just want to go back to study but still intends to come back to US to work and live here.

I am thinking of just getting a student visa -the form of such i believe i can download from the uscis website.. not needing an immigration attorney.

btw, i believe the link you gave is for spain embassy?

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Specializes in CTICU.

You seem confused. Where are you going to get a student visa from? A US student visa is for non-immigrants to study in the US. If you're already a permanent resident, then that is your visa (immigrant visa). You will probably need the SB1 returning resident visa if you're going to be out of the US for >12 months as it shows intent to return to your US residency. The link describes the visa. From uscis.gov:

Maintaining Permanent Residence

Maintaining Permanent Residence You may lose your permanent residence status if you commit an act that makes you removable from the United States under the law in section 237 of the Immigration and Nationality Act. If you commit such an act, you may be brought before the immigration courts to determine your right to remain a Permanent Resident.

You may be found to have abandoned your permanent resident status if you:

  • Move to another country intending to live there permanently.
  • Remain outside of the US for more than one year without obtaining a reentry permit or returning resident visa. However in determining whether your status has been abandoned any length of absence from the US may be considered, even if it is less than one year.
  • Remain outside of the US for more than two years after issuance of a reentry permit without obtaining a returning resident visa. However in determining whether your status has been abandoned any length of absence from the US may be considered, even if it is less than one year.
  • Fail to file income tax returns while living outside of the US for any period.
  • Declare yourself a “nonimmigrant” on your tax returns.

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i am probably confused. Lol. When i said student visa, i was actually talking about the reentry permit --which would allow me to stay outside US for two years, but not affecting my permanent residency.

thank you for the clarification.

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With your LVN and Bachelors degree, you could become a RN in a very short time and return to school and get you MSN in a Bridge program here in the USA. A shorter time to get your BSN in the Philippines.

Plus with you LVN you could still work part time. And getting a license in the US would not be difficult if you are educated in the USA.

You choose to be a permanent resident here, why would you leave to get education elsewhere?

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With your LVN and Bachelors degree, you could become a RN in a very short time and return to school and get you MSN in a Bridge program here in the USA. A shorter time to get your BSN in the Philippines.

Plus with you LVN you could still work part time. And getting a license in the US would not be difficult if you are educated in the USA.

You choose to be a permanent resident here, why would you leave to get education elsewhere?

because ive been looking around for schools here in US (california) and the waiting list is ridiculous! Even with the pre-reqs for nursing. And so confusing how to get the subjects too. The private schools are just so expensive here too (i.e. West Coast is $68k --can you believe it?) Also i have been scammed by a private school and now i am just so skeptical about going to school here.

I just thought it would be easier, faster, and cheaper (:yeah:) in the Philippines!

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
thank u so much silverdragon!

2 scenarios:

(1)so it means that if i go back to the philippines as a permanent resident cardholder --i will still need to take the philippine nursing/local board exam. and like what u said, i will be classed as a foreign trained nurse and has to meet site requirement --does this mean i still need to take the cgfns or anything like that to be eligible to come back to us for the nclex-rn? depends on what the bon/brn required for foreign trained nurse but yes essentially if the brn/bon do their own assessment then you need to arrange your complete transcripts to go to them. if they require ces from cgfns then you have to go through them. would also recommend you get full course by course in case you want to do further education in the us. if cgfns exam is required then you have to do that. all depends on the bon/brn

(2)but if i go back to the philippines as a us citizen, i will be treated there as a "foreign" student? but i will not be permitted to take the philippine local boards, right? so, can i be eligible to take the nclex-rn here in us without a local license? only if you have given up your original passport and citizenship. if you keep your original passport and have dual citizenship ie keep both philippine and us passports then you still have to do the local license if the state requires local license. if you do give up original citizenship then you have to get a official letter stating you do not meet the philippine requirements and can not sit local license from the prc. have seen some philippine members post they have both so therefore have to take local license

:bugeyes:

i have answered your questions in blue

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As a practicing LVN your learning needs will be different than a BSN nurse. Sometimes what looks easy is not really easy. I am referring to the challenges you will have being a foreign graduate.

While it is possible to sit for the NCLEX today, things are changing in the USA who knows what it will be like in 5 years when you finish the program.

It seems like you have the American Dream, permanent residency, a nursing position and now you want to leave and learn nursing in a foreign country.

Why not go on vacation and check out the schools and see how the Philippine nursing schools will prepare for practice in the USA? How seasoned are the instructors? What type of equipment will you be learning on? What is the NLE passing rate? Remember you'll have to take two nursing exams to practice in California, the NLE and the NCLEX.

While it may seem easier to get into school in the Philippines, it may not be easier in the long run.

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thank u silverdragon! I am still torn between going back to the Philippine as PR or USC, but your response really helps a lot.

Although right now, i am leaning towards going back as PR, just so i can take the local boards just in case the NCLEX-RN/ Cali BON would require local license for those foreign grads.. though i might still need to take CGFNS.

:bugeyes: as you can see, i am still confused. lol

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Why not go on vacation and check out the schools and see how the Philippine nursing schools will prepare for practice in the USA? How seasoned are the instructors? What type of equipment will you be learning on? What is the NLE passing rate?

That is exactly what i am going to do. I plan to go on vacation by March and look for schools. Though i am thinking of looking into schools in the provinces and the schools' reputation, and of course if the school caters to second coursers like me. :typing

Remember you'll have to take two nursing exams to practice in California, the NLE and the NCLEX.

And yes, i have that in mind too.. that i need to take the NLE if i go back as a permanent resident.. and then take the NCLEX once i go back to US

:wink2:thank u so much alexk49

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I would like to practice here in the USA (Maybe after having my BSN from the Philippines?)..

i tried inquiring in a lot of schools -and knowing that i have 0 pre reqs done, it is so hard to get into community colleges, and so expensive to go to private schools. Plus i have also been scammed before by cheap private school.

And since i already have a BA degree from the Philippines, and i am already a LVN here, i feel like going back to the Philippines will be easier, faster (?) and cheaper for me.

What do you think?:uhoh21:

Not sure if you are aware that the BSN there has increased to five years. If you are a dual citizen, or even just a citizen of the Philippines, then writing the NLE exam is not going to be exempted for you. It is required now for several states before they will permit you to sit for the NCLEX exam and we expect many more to follow suit since almost every other country requires the local license.

And do be aware that your training here for the LPN will not usually give you much in the way of credits over there since the LPN program is not actually accepted by the government there for licensure even though there are a few schools there.

And we are seeing a tightening of employers hiring when one has trained out of the country to begin with. I would seriously reconsider what you wish to do and take the time to do some reading on the Philippine Forum as to what is happening there right now in terms of schooling and clinicals.

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Look how many foreign grads your current employer hires. As Suzanne mentioned, 5 years is a long time to go to school, read the posts here many second coursers have had difficulty with the BON ( so you may not have any short cuts in the Philippines).

And you may put your permanent residence here in the USA as an issue if you don't apply for citizenship.

I would make a list and when you are on vacation in March check out each issue.

A. Quality of education, how much nursing experience will your instructors have.

B. When you took the NCLEX-PN did you pass easy on the first time, I would caution you if you didn't pass the NCLEX-PN without difficulty, since this is a predictor as how you will do on NCLEX-RN.

C. How much are you really going to save ( travel, time waiting to qualify for the boards, transportation, etc), you should as a LVN be able to fast track to a RN program in the US.

Good luck with your decision.

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Just to clear out some stuff:

1. If you acquire your US citizenship now, you CAN still be considered a Filipino, as long as you do the necessary paperwork and pay the appropriate taxes (http://www.lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2003/ra_9225_2003.html) HENCE

2. You CAN take the Phil Licensure Exams, so that wont be an issue for you IF EVER your BON requires it in the future.

The real issue is:

1. The quality of Nursing Education (Esp the schools that allow second coursers) have really gone downhill. Most of the schools that have a good passing score only accept first-coursers

2. Passing the NCLEX exam is much easier if you study in the States, because that's what you are trained for and prepared for in Nursing school.

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