Why U.S.?? when there are others...

arys1075 · Jun 8, 2007

Hi Barbie,

You are right! there are other countries waiting for your service. I worked in different countries like middle east, UK and now in USA. I am so glad that i experienced working in those countries before coming here in USA. Don't you know I prefer working in UK and middle east, workwise it is less stressful, you will earn the same money both in UK and USA.

UK have good benefits, free health system, long vacation leave and lots of sick leave. In USA you will live in the land of taxes and insurance especially if you have a family. You should make sure that you and your family are always healthy. Otherwise, it is pain in your pocket everytime you go to the doctor, you are lucky enough if you get a good health benefits from the company.

I think Australia and Canada are good choices for family also.

Here in USA, I have a files of insurance deductions in my payslip wherein middle east was no tax at all. Working in middle east was a lot of fun since I got plenty of filipino co-workers and I was really feel at home everytime I go to work. It is a tax free country and have good health care benifits.

You know everywhere you go, as long as you are hardworker you will not get hungry. In UK and USA you can work as long as you want to earn more money.

Why try any other countries around you....till you find the best place suitable for you. I know it is really hurting your pocket taking all the exams to go to USA. That's why some filipinos are going to other country which is easier to apply as a stepping stone to go to USA. Some will like it and forget going to USA. I think working abroad is all the same as long as you are satisfied and happy where you are not like me I never satisfied myself, but I take all opportunities come my way. As long as I live I will still try any places. I think it's an adventure of life. And I thank God for that. God bless you on your journey to nursing career....

jtanga · Jun 9, 2007

Try japan,Uk,saudi...etc.

suzanne4, RN · Jun 9, 2007

UK actually has a hiring freeze, so you can count that out of available countries; especially if you do not already have a license to work there, as well as a work permit for there.

Next question:

Why has it been three years? Three years from when you started preparing for exams? If so, average length of time is no more than 18 months from start to finish. Though have seen many get thru much earlier. If your processing was started anywhere close to three years ago, then there are issues with the employer and/or attorney that is being used. Not the fault of the US government that so many try to blame things on in this case. Visas were available until the end of October and even a few afterwards if in the final processing.

So please, do not blame it on us over here.

And if I remember correctly, you had issues with your first agency that you signed with. That is not one thing that the US did wrong or did not do fast enough. 100% to blame on the agency that you signed with. Nothing more.

RNHawaii34 · Jun 10, 2007

hello fellow phil. nurses...and maybe to other nationalities who read this...
i am just sooooo disapponted with my u.s quest....
i have exhausted all my efforts and money and time....just to bring my future to the u.s. of a....i am now wondering...why ? oh why?
come to think of it..maybe god has his way of telling me...i am not for the u.s. becausei have passed nclex, ielts, cgfns, have a visa screen and have received a requested ces... paid so hard for all these. my everyday prayers has always been a retro lift and a faster movement of papers...it has been three years now... i want to say this now...
there are a lot of countries, safer and much livable than u.s. that needs my services...can anyone else say ....the same thing too? lets go !!!! anyone there who agrees with me?? just let me be aware...thats all...

yes, there are many countries out there who might need good filipino nurses. maybe saudi arabia, dubai, etc. it seems like everybody wants to work in the usa....and the reason is that your life changes big time when you work and live here. i don't need to explain what, but i am sorry to say try not to be super frustrated and be consumed by it because you are not the only one who felt the same...things like immigration stuff doesn't work out in a snap. with the war in iraq, in my opinion, it seems like immigration is not the first priority of the goverment here. we already have problems like "illegal immigrants" wanting to be granted with u.s. visa, and there are millions of them here, and it seems like nothing is being done. i suggest apply some place and just wait until the visa freeze is over.

Barbie38 · Feb 15, 2009

Yes, I still want to work in the U.S of A. It is not the fault of the government but...the people who believed that qualified Filipino nurses can rely on them to be able to go to U.S. fast..if you have all the documents...etcetera...well..they just failed.

Now I am aiming to leave our country..but this time....I try to turn my eyes around to countries like Australia and Canada. It looks to me that my U.S. visa will be viewed on 2011. So...hmmmm.I think I ought to give other countries a chance to have my services. Agree?

Hushdawg · Feb 17, 2009

Saudi Arabia is still the largest employer of OFW in the world.

Nothing wrong with going there or Dubai on a contract while you are still shooting for the USA. Who knows, maybe you'll like it!

I strongly discourage Pinoy nurses going to Japan, they have some serious ethics problems there and no matter what you do they will never recognize you with the respect you deserve as an RN.

NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN · Feb 18, 2009

What makes people think that nursing jobs are available in the US? There is a hiring freeze in most hospitals through out the country. There are plenty of unemployed RNs in the states right now. There are NO JOBS AVAILABLE, in despite what people might read in the magazines. There are hiring freezes for the new grad programs. I don't care if you have a friend of a friend who's 2nd aunt was able to find a job. Those are few and far between, for your average Joe & Jane Blow it's not going to happen. I'm sorry if I'm sounding so negative, but that's just reality right now in the US, THERE ARE NO JOBS AVAILABLE FOR RN's... Why must people keep living in Fairy Land? I don't get it.

It's good that people are opting for other options to gain nursing experience while waiting for retrogression to lift. Keep up your skills so when your time comes to go to the US then at least you have experience as an RN. But just because you end up in the US doesn't mean you're going to find a job right away. There are too many unemployed nurses who are in line to find jobs.

Hushdawg · Feb 19, 2009

What makes people think that nursing jobs are available in the US?

The fact that US Hospitals are still coming to the Philippines to headhunt and hire.

The fact that US healtcare networks have increased number demands from staffing agencies operating here in the Philippines.

The fact that since hospitals are paying less for nurses, they are more willing to hire nurses which are already NCLEX passers and from outside the USA than hiring American-based nurses.

Hate it all you want, but these facts remain; if you want to have jobs go to Americans first you'll have to lobby the hospitals in the USA, not fuss at young men and women who want to be able to provide for their families just as much as anyone else does.

Barbie38 · Feb 19, 2009

You are right..............RIGHTO!!! I think my sis mentioned the recession might be dipping down to depression .............in U.S.

suzanne4, RN · Feb 19, 2009

The fact that US Hospitals are still coming to the Philippines to headhunt and hire.
The fact that US healtcare networks have increased number demands from staffing agencies operating here in the Philippines.
The fact that since hospitals are paying less for nurses, they are more willing to hire nurses which are already NCLEX passers and from outside the USA than hiring American-based nurses.
Hate it all you want, but these facts remain; if you want to have jobs go to Americans first you'll have to lobby the hospitals in the USA, not fuss at young men and women who want to be able to provide for their families just as much as anyone else does.

Sorry, but you are incorrect on this one and way off. Hospitals may be coming there but they do not provide the visas for the nurses. And even the big group in Florida that was bringing them over by the boat-load has announced that they have stopped the practice, for those that were coming over under the H1-B visa.

They can demand all that they want, and they probably put things into play months ago before they US economy tanked. Remember that they still need to prove that they are unable to hire an American, and that is most difficult to do at this time. And a hospital must pay the green card holder the same money that it pays to the American.

It really does not matter that someone wishes to provide for their family, so do all Americans. And when they are out of work, then why is it the responsibility of our government to pay for others from other countries to work here? That makes no sense at all. And remember that the Philippines does not permit a foreigner to sit for their licensing exam, even if they have grown up there and attended all of their schooling there. So why is the US required to take who ever wants to come here? There are already 500,000 unemployed RNs there, so why does one assume that they are automatically going to be able to come to the US? Just is not going to happen. Palina and simple. And for you to try to get someone's hopes up about it is just uncalled for. You are not in the US right now and are not seeing on a daily basis what is happening.

What about your job there, since I can assume that it is not as a nurse?

Sorry, but it does not work that way. And even Canada is tightening things now as well. Alberta is no longer going to be bringing over IENs either as of I believe the next month or two.

And the agencies have not increased their demands at all, actually the other way around. You may just be seeing more where you are, but that is most definitely not the norm. Remember that an agency also does not get paid until the nurse begins to work, and when one is looking at more than 7 years, you cannot tell me that there is in an increase; unless they are shady to begin with. And that tells me alot right away.

And then what about all of the anecdotal notes that I have been receiving as of late of the nurses that came over on the H1-B and were no grads and with no experience whatsoever. That is actually grounds to be deported in my book since they never had any experience and that is a requirement of the H1-B that one is a specialist. New grads most definitely are not and the errors that I am hearing about are just shameful.

Hushdawg · Feb 20, 2009

Sorry, but you are incorrect on this one and way off. Hospitals may be coming there but they do not provide the visas for the nurses. And even the big group in Florida that was bringing them over by the boat-load has announced that they have stopped the practice, for those that were coming over under the H1-B visa.

How can you say that I am incorrect and way off? The question was "Why do filipino nurses continue to think there are jobs here"

The answer is simple: Filipinos continue to think there are jobs in the USA because recruiters for hospitals in the USA are TELLING THEM that there are.

Of course Hospitals don't issue the visas and of course the hiring agencies are doing all sorts of odd and perhaps illegal things but the question was simply put as to why nurses over here think they can get work easily in the USA. That's the answer.

It really does not matter that someone wishes to provide for their family, so do all Americans. And when they are out of work, then why is it the responsibility of our government to pay for others from other countries to work here?

You are absolutely right and you will not get an argument from me out of that one. There is currently a bill in the House which will make Hospitals pay $15,000 to support nursing colleges in the USA for every foreign nurse that is hired. The goal is to help more Americans fill nursing jobs in the long term while overseas nurses fill positions in the short term. According to the documents from Department of Homeland Security the impending nurse shortage is considered a matter of national security. They claim that the USA needs 1.2 million new nurses by 2011 and that US Nursing schools can only provide 500,000 of these nurses. This is why there are bills being proposed in the House right now to both bring nurses in from outside the USA and reinforce the nursing institutions at home so that there is a short-term and long-term solution combined. My notes are at work but tomorrow or Monday I can give you the bill numbers so you can see the proposals yourself.

And remember that the Philippines does not permit a foreigner to sit for their licensing exam, even if they have grown up there and attended all of their schooling there. So why is the US required to take who ever wants to come here? There are already 500,000 unemployed RNs there, so why does one assume that they are automatically going to be able to come to the US? Just is not going to happen. Palina and simple. And for you to try to get someone's hopes up about it is just uncalled for. You are not in the US right now and are not seeing on a daily basis what is happening.
What about your job there, since I can assume that it is not as a nurse?

Hmm, well there are a few parts to this section:

1) I am not trying to get someone's hopes up irresponsibly, I am trying to present a balanced picture of the realities of how hard things are with a measure of hope for the future. I will never tell a nurse online or face to face that she can get a job in the USA within the next year because that will never happen even if all the bills in the house pass as fast as possible.

2) There are a lot of complexities with the Philippines and nursing licensure, an American-born filipino can actually work in the Philippines if he/she can prove certain things about his parents and establish a dual-citizenship.

3) I do see what is happening in the USA on a daily basis which is why I am working to try and find alternatives for nurses in other locations. I have family in the USA and I am very concerned for their ability to survive this economic crisis. I do not want retrogression to go away, but at the same time I see the numbers stating that nurses are needed in the USA in the near future.

4) I work with nurses on a daily basis. I help nurses achieve their personal and professional goals and I save them a lot of time and money in the process. I earn a very average wage for the Philippines so I am not taking advantage of anyone. I am not a recruiter, a headhunter, a placement agency or any of those things. Why does it matter what my job is? I am concerned about nurses and want to help people. Before taking this job I coordinated disaster relief for various areas around the world which included coordination and directing of medical emergency personnel. I love nurses and I want what is best for them whether they are American, Filipino or any other nationality. Isn't that enough?

Sorry, but it does not work that way. And even Canada is tightening things now as well. Alberta is no longer going to be bringing over IENs either as of I believe the next month or two.
And the agencies have not increased their demands at all, actually the other way around. You may just be seeing more where you are, but that is most definitely not the norm. Remember that an agency also does not get paid until the nurse begins to work, and when one is looking at more than 7 years, you cannot tell me that there is in an increase; unless they are shady to begin with. And that tells me alot right away.
And then what about all of the anecdotal notes that I have been receiving as of late of the nurses that came over on the H1-B and were no grads and with no experience whatsoever. That is actually grounds to be deported in my book since they never had any experience and that is a requirement of the H1-B that one is a specialist. New grads most definitely are not and the errors that I am hearing about are just shameful

You are absolutely right.

If you go to job fairs here in the Philippines there are dozens of recruiters and staffing firms convincing nurses that there are positions waiting. There is a lot of stuff that is left unsaid and omitted from the equation.

Nurses are being lied to and misled, there is an upcoming job fair next weekend and I have a personal assurance from the organizer that the recruiters are legitimate, but I will have to see for myself.

Please review my last post again, I think you misinterpreted it. I was not saying that positions are available and nurses can be hired; I was merely answering WHY nurses believe that jobs exist in the USA.

I maintain that the hospitals in the USA should be the ones held accountable for filling these nurses heads with vain promises and using illegitimate hiring practices through agencies here that cannot be held to the fire by US courts.

One WARNING I will give to Pinoy nurses: There is a trend now among some agencies to tell you that you can go to the USA to study and work. They will tell you that you can go in under a student visa and get a job to work full time while you study.

What they do NOT tell you is that co-op education is not working as an RN and that once your added education ends you have to return to the Philippines since your visa transition cannot happen under retrogression.

Additionally, Co-op jobs do not pay much at all so after you spend for your tuition and housing and stuff you won't have anything left over to send back home.

Getting a nursing degree in the USA as a foreign nurse does not make it any easier to get licensure or an immigrant/working visa in the USA.