PT/OT CASES TO BE RE-OPENED BY USCIS 07/17/09

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to SCOTT:

i mean no offense but pls make sure your message is grammatically correct!! it is a big shame that you have a masters degree and yet you are grammatically challenged! am i making any sense here?

to DANILO:

you will never ever reach america until you are able to write and probably read english correctly. take an extra effort to learn the english language. shame shame shame

To okray2009:

Touche!

correct usage of the english language is of paramount importance in delivering a safe nursing practice. it is imperative for a nurse wishing to migrate in an english speaking country to master the language. filipinos are well into it however, many still needs a lot of learning to do.

for those of you winching and moaning and groaning about the u.s immigration system, pls learn the language as you wait for your priority dates to become current. in this way, you will be competent and less danger to yourself and the public at large.

i hope danilo and scott can read this and really get moving. thanks

to okray2009:

touche again.

labi na gyud kaming mga bisaya. pag ka labtik mo english bay!

to okray2009:

Hmm, really? and you thought your smart? Ha ha ha.

okray…

it's great that you have good command of English…

but don't be too smug…

just be thankful that you got it better than others…

to okray2009

i am traveling not just america but different parts of the world,

this is the benefit of having a big business,

as a tourist visa i can visit my classmate in canada , uk , and usa.

are you satisfied.

God bless to you.

sometimes you must look at the mirror and check your wallet before you say something to others.

I cannot believe that some people actually try to be punitive and incredibly xenophobic on a blog like this. I understand that many Filipinos feel frustration because of the backlog and they try to reflect it on people from other countries. Come on guys, it is a darn blog, not an essay. He made his point and people understand what he means, which is what matters. To cuyas and ates, there are nurses from other countries besides the Filipines who wish to work in the US. Instead on focusing on absurd grammatical mistakes, why we don't focus on this backlog that is going for years now. Would it come to an end?

Why don't we start with your English refinement; it is spelled offense, not offence.

Cheers!

Most of the time people will commit typo errors and there are lots of causes about spelling mistakes and etc. So once again guys don't be conscious about your grammar. I wish we are living in ancient times where there are no grammar rules to be concern of, because we just communicate using ooooohss, grunts, and ahhhs. WTF.

Okray2009 wants your attention and praises because maybe of insecurity related to retrogression secondary to Visa unavailability.

to all bloggers,

while waiting for the retrogression to be lifted, take up an english course to upgrade your english proficiency. practice your spoken english and graciously accept comments to further enhance your learning process. its not a bad idea isn't it.

its bloody cold here in the southern hemisphere and its absolutely gorgeous here. come and join me!

cheers to everyone!

hmmm MERCREDI'S english is all good! very good indeed!!!! i like it!

carry on mercredi!

To Okray,

Why dont you share your expertise in teaching the English language to countries where they need it badly, go to Afghanistan and Iraq, they need you there, instead of wasting your time blogging here..

hi sandhya

My paper got denied before, dont wait for anything like go for appeal for your case…just apply again.

To all bloggers,

let us be
a peace loving bloggers

read the HOLLY BIBLE and HOLLY KORAN

read and understand and apply to our daily living

we are

PROFESSIONAL , if some one say something SATANIC and insulting to our race , religion , and the like

just pray for them.

GOD bless to all have peace.

hello fellow bloggers, i reach out to those RNs who are in specialty areas with experience (the more years the better) ICU, PICU, NICU, dialysis, L&D, OR etc etc. My immigration lawyer says that there are 20,000 available H1B visas for the taking, if you are interested please email her at attybella@socal.rr.com. She can make arrangements for a webcam interview with her potential employers and if approved can get you here in the US for work by October, 2009. Good luck!

Sorry website is
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
make sure to contact president obama

i am really, desperate to go, i've been waiting for 3yrs now, my priority date is oct 2006,I-140 approved april 2007, visa fee paid 2008…i'm hopeless..i've been here in the united kingdom for 7.5 years…i don't want to stay here 'til death…is there anything i can do? like having h1b visa instead of having immigrant

to glen:
ur lucky ur in the united kingdom earning euros, at least in some way u wer able to provide needs of ur family unlike us wer stucked here in the philippines due to retrogression.

Those who are waiting to lift retrogression, why you people not contacting barack obama, anybody can contact him from anywhere in the world, even you can write letters to him, tell him if he don't want to import nurses from countries like India, China and Philippines, ask him why still US is conducting Exams like CGFNS, NCLEX outside USA and taking money from poor people,tell him we are qualified to work in America and have already undergone many exams like CGFNS, NCLEX and IELTS. Please make him aware of this situation and ask him to help pass legislation to release unused Visas
His Site is http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

In an H1B Visa, going to America is foolishness if you have a Nursing Job in MiddleEast or UK.
Now, the Conditions are very bad in America due to recession, H1B Visa, they won't pay well and your spouse won't be able to work and you have to pay more taxes other than EB3 Immigrant moreover travel restrictions, medical cost and children schooling etc.

to okray ,

i am a nurse working in middle east ,i have so many collegues from philippines ,some of them are good ,able to manage english , but not all ,speaking very nicely and escaping from work is also their smartness , don't think you are something special, whatever it is english is not our native language , we are speaking other 4 languages easily, any of englsh people or others can handle our languages .

when you will live in english country for some years ,automatically you will learn their accent

to Glen:

If you are in conundrum whether to get an H1b visa and you are concern with your EB3 that might be affected, go ahead, get the H1B. filling for H1B does not affect your eb3, in fact it will be to your advantage. Since after 3 years holding H1B, you can AOS to EB3, if it becomes current. But consult your lawyer. I think 3 years from now when the SENSRA or the super emergency nursing supply relief act of 2012 will become into law then you are ahead of us. They say; misery loves company, But i guess, we are more miserable than you are ( i just assumed that because you said you are desperate to go to the US in your blog). so dont be us, grab that opportunity!

remember that a bird in hand is worth a thousand in the bush.

i dont understand about travel restrictions, probably if you will go to other countries or cruise to Alaska, yes, but you have British citizenship, then that is not a problem. I understand your situation in UK, everything is expensive and here you dont have to ride a ferry to go to France or Holland to buy things. Groceries is not that expensive, if you know how to budget and you can cook yourself, $150 a month budget for yourself and maybe another $150 for your family is more than enough and if you are thrift like me, I wait after 9 pm before I go to Walmart so that i can have their 50% discount on bread and dairy products. and half day of your work is enough to pay your monthly amortization for your hyundai suv, that is; if you like hyundai? And buy your meat and frozen pizza at Cosco. it is not pound that you are earning but I can assure you, your dollar will go a long long way but i assumed you know that already, you just need more opinions of which is the better option.

Get it! Goodluck, while we whine in our miserable situation.

@ Glen,

you can file for an h1b while u have eb3 pending.it's called dual intent.first you must meet the guidelines required by the USCIS to qualify for an h1b,most specifically,a specialty occupation.

Note: Some registered nurses who have advanced practice certifications, management skills, or practice in a nursing specialty area may be able to enter the U.S. on the H1B Visa.

Three Categories Possibly Qualifying for H1B

1) Certain types of RNs may meet these requisite qualifications for the H1B visa. The first category of nurses who generally will be approved is the certified advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) category.
# clinical nurse specialists (CNSs)

# certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNAs)

# certified nurse-midwives (CNMs)

# certified nurse practitioners (NPs) fall within this category.

If an APRN position requires the employee to be certified in that practice, the nurse must possess an RN, at least a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and some additional, graduate-level education. CNSs include Acute Care, Adult, Critical Care, Gerontological, Family, Hospice, Palliative Care, Neonatal, Pediatric, Psychiatric and Mental Health-Adult, Psychiatric and Mental Health-Child, and Women's Health nurses. NPs include Acute Care, Adult, Family, Gerontological, Pediatric, Psychiatric & Mental Health, Neonatal, and Women's Health nurses.

2) The second category of nurses who may qualify for the H1B are those in administrative positions requiring graduate degrees in fields such as nursing or health administration.

3) A final, more subjective group that may receive H1B approval includes those who have a nursing specialty such as critical care and peri-operative nurses, or who have passed examinations based on clinical experience in school health, occupational health, rehabilitation nursing, emergency room nursing, critical care, operating room, oncology, and pediatrics, but who are not APRNs. In these cases, the petitioner must show that the nature of the particular position is so specialized and complex that one would normally expect the person performing the duties to have attained a bachelor's (or higher) degree, or its equivalent.

***I hope this helps.If you fall under those category then you may find a sponsor that may be willing to file an h1b on ur behalf.

On a personal note,I am also an RN with eb3 pending.I had my credentials evaluated to see if I qualify for H1B and thank God I do.I was filed on April and got my approval by June.

RNs may find it difficult to obtain H1B visa but if you do qualify then there shouldnt be any problem.H1B can be extended for upto 6 years,but you can probably opt for an adjustment of status once it become current.I suggest you find an atty/sponsor to credentials/evaluate your qualifications to start with.When approved you can relocate in the US in 4-5mos.Goodluck!

thank you very much for all your explanations, i think i do qualified for H1B, I have my BSN degree, though I only have 12 years experience in operating room settings. I usually do general and vascular surgeries.

my agency is base in London, and they just only do eb3 for nurses to US. If i gonna apply again to get H1B thru another agency and find a hospital for me to petition do you think it's not gonna be complicated? Obviously, i already got the hospital who sponsored me on my greencard.

hello violet, what i know is edistaffbuilders.com but that's for canada, my 2 classmates from San Beda nursing are there in canada now and the agency paid for everything. They just took the nursing exam for Saskatchewan (a province in Canada) and they passed. It's not a working visa there but a canadian immigrant visa. After working there for 2 yrs you are now eligible to apply for canadian immigrant visa, makes me think I'm in the wrong country. I have been here in the US since June 2006 and still no greencard. I might be here working as an RN on the strength of my EAD and an approved I-140 but still no greencard due to retrogression and therefore there is still this possibility that I might, by some unfortunate turn of events, be sent home once Obama's government says "we don't need foreign nurses anymore". If you want, email my immigration lawyer attybella@socal.rr.com she's Filipina and will soon have a seminar there in Manila and Cebu to talk about H1B. The only thing with H1B you must have a specialty like ICU, OR, dialysis, etc. Good luck I hope I'm able to help you. God bless!

Hi DGD: maybe you want my unsolicited opinion but maybe not.

The Canadian Consular Office in San Francisco, maybe they can help.Just google it and I assumed your in CA.

I have an acquaintance whom I met while taking the IELTS in San Francisco last year, he is on Employment Authority Document as well. He later learned that he can not AOS because, he filed his I-539 and I-140 concurrently but that he can not adjust so (no visascreen during the filling), he contacted the Canadian Embassy because they advertised in the San Francisco Chronicle about people who would like to Canada in his situation (I think, I saw the advertisement and it was really enticing people like you to go to Canada, maybe they should have put a caption on it: dont be stupid working in this country, if your papers is in dis array go to Canada…) He is in Canada together with his families.

And just recently the USCIS estimated that maybe around 15,000 individuals that can not AOS.

And now the wall street journal just published an article about the seeming easing and even the ending of the nursing shortage because of the recession.

Just a thought but maybe not necessarily.

How is your I-539?

Phil. Pres. Arroyo will meet US Pres. Obama…

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr. asked President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to get from Obama "a reasonable yearly quota of the estimated 1 million nurses that the US would reportedly need by 2021."

link: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/168429/Pimentel-gives-Arroyo-wish-list-in-meeting-with-Obama

hello blake,

I am so sorry my blog has caused such an uproar on your emotions but there are truths to what you have said like feeling frustrated but i will have to contradict you on calling or labeling me as a liar. I may have done some little white lies when I was a little girl but not a truly big LIAR to the point of misleading anyone or get someone in trouble. The only thing you have to know about America is that they too can change their tune, song, rules whenever and however they choose so that is the reason why I am still frustrated. True, there is a travel document but for a price of $340 valid for 1 year and events have happened in my life that well, have made me decide not to use it. I am making a decent living right now but do you know that feeling of being incomplete? Meaning your documents are not all there and anything can still change? That is what I am feeling. If I made you feel like I'm just griping while making a decent living I am truly sorry. I am so sorry I have caused such an upheaval in your emotions I hope you're alright now and please accept my heartfelt apology. From now on I will be more careful with my feelings but whether you believe me or not I really just want to help people realize their dreams whether they end up in the US, Canada, Middle East, Australia, New Zealand, London, or Ireland. Whatever little information I know or some good news that I run into I will make sure to share it. Please don't be angry too much my intentions have always been for everyone's benefit. I am not angry at you but thankful that you told me that I can illicit such a powerful reaction from my blog that in the future I should be careful of.

Good luck to you also and may your plans come to fruition soon, God bless.

PS thank you for your reassurance that my EAD will just keep on being renewed, it's up for renewal on 2010. Hope we can be blog friends? Peace.

hi violet,

Oh in that case then go with your gut feeling. It might get confusing as you said but at least you have options to think about. I think I would be in the same situation too, do I switch now if there is an opportunity or just wait it out like you said. Anyway, good luck, God knows what's in our hearts.

To ar01ger: The reason people get discouraged is because of unfounded rumors that get repeated over and over that people eventually believe them as true. I'm a therapist on an H1B visa, as most of the people from my class are who came here. The blog above has so many fallacies, it's so hard to believe that in a time that internet is at the tip of our fingers and calling halfway across the globe is as cheap as coffee, a person can still be so misinformed as to spread erroneous gospel like this.

First fallacy: you'll be paying more taxes if you're on an H1B. WRONG. You pay the same as any immigrant or citizen, BASED on your TAX BRACKET. You may actually pay less because your spouse (if on an H4) can't work, so you can claim her as a dependent. Most of my classmates have non-therapist spouses, and so far, everyone's more than fine. I was even able to get a second H1B sponsor to do per diem work in another facility. Pure per diem. I can go when I need hours for extra money and refuse if I don't want to. They paid for all the paperwork. They pay $10-15/hr more than my full-time rate, as they don't pay for medical benefits as I'm fully benefited from my full-time gig.

And trust me, on a therapist's salary, you will be ALRIGHT FINANCIALLY (believe me, I'm in California, probably one of the most expensive states to live in). Even if your spouse does not work. Unless you buy two BMWs and start being a regular shopper at Neimann Marcus. Pay range is "usually" $28-45/hr. I say "usually" because you can always bargain. If you're good at bargaining, you are looking at 40+/hr on your second year (if your employer follows all DOL laws and mandates, so the secret is to find a good, legal employer). According to DOL, even if you're on an H1B, you're entitled to the same pay rate as a citizen or immigrant therapist if you have the same work experience and educational attainment. It's a form of discrimination if they use the reason that since you're on an H1B, then they can't raise your rate. But your employer is not responsible to inform you of this, so it is your responsibility to know your rights.

Second fallacy: travel restrictions. PARTLY WRONG. I say "partly", because, as long as your H1B is valid, then you can come and go as you please provided you have valid employment at the time you travel. If your H1B expires, you can still travel, although YOU HAVE TO GO TO A US EMBASSY outside of the US (in your home country or in the country you're traveling to) to get re-stamped for an H1B, so YOU HAVE TO INFORM your employer before you travel if your H1B is expiring. Most if not all the time, if all the paperwork is in order, you will always get re-stamped. The worst case scenario is the consul will ask you to return with more documentation (which your employer can always provide). So AGAIN, get a good employer, as I mentioned above. The only time you can't travel or you can travel only in extreme situations (death in the family, your own wedding), is when you have filed for adjustment of status already. As mentioned, you can always apply for a parole visa in these extreme situations.

Third fallacy: Medical cost is higher/more restricted. WRONG. It is your employer's responsibility to provide you with some form of healthcare benefit. You will of course have a monthly share in it, and there is no guarantee about the ratio for sharing the expense. But most healthcare companies provide good healthcare benefits. So AGAIN, get a good employer. AND AGAIN, you will be paying the same amount as your citizen or immigrant co-workers, nothing extra because you're on H1B. Again, that is discrimination.

Fourth fallacy: Children's schooling is restricted. WRONG. You can send your child to school in the district you belong to or to a private school. Your kids are entitled to the same education as citizens and immigrants. Even illegals are entitled to schooling here.

So in a day of internet and IP phones and twitter and blogs and global law offices, you are RESPONSIBLE in getting the right information. DO NOT BE MISINFORMED.

To DGD:

Blake is just passionate.

With regards to your situation, I dont think that you have the same path as with the person that I blogged about. He used I-539 with I-140 and I dont even understand that, because, it should be I-140 and I-485. And for a while, he did not get his GC yet, and then he got this notice that his AOS has not been approved. And the thing was, I know somebody from NV, filed for AOS last June 2007, got their GC last November 2008. so maybe I thought, you have the same situation as with the former.Well, immigration matters is more complicated than Burns. So, anyway, maybe your GC is on the way and I hope that you will get it soon. Pakain naman pag dumating na, kahit sa blue moon lang.

To Chyme: i am about to blog about our anecdotal and vagarious situations.And i think, its really a big joke to us but men, its really disappointing and to be honest really get the best out of us. First, they say that, nursing shortage will be severe by 2010, then 2014 and yes recently, a lot of people and organizations are saying that the nursing shortage will be severe by 2020 or 2021.

Then by the year 2018, they will say or announce to the whole world again that they will be expecting a severe nursing shortage by 2030 or 2040. Maybe somebody is playing with us? It might be a conspiracy that these people will benefit if they will say these things and left us holding the bag? I dont know about you guys, but try to analyze these things. Maybe a lot of people are getting richer, buying yachts, mansions and big deposit in swiss accounts because they benefit to these speculations and when the time comes they will just announce or move another 4 or 10 years about the expected nursing shortage?

The next question, what do we do about this situation?

One blogger said that we should write Obama. Well, he is the President that just called the Cambridge Police stupid because his professor friend has been arrested by the former. He is more bias than i thought and a he is a big friend of the ANA. Goodluck on that.

Seriously, we have to find a solution to this situation of ours. And please to those about to take NCLEX-RN, about to file a petition, try to hold on to your money and maybe a better options is waiting for you and not United States of America. What is happening right now, is, somebody is acting like madoff and then what, you left in the cold, crying, frustrated, feel cheated and the worst thing you can not go to anybody to complain.

Think about that? But this time we just dont to think, we need to act! Any concrete suggestions?

I dont know why I have 2 entries instead of just one.

Dear Hammond Law Grop,

Is there any news on newly introduced Bill HR 2536 ? What is the current status of this Bill ? Any hope of passing it in near future ? Please reply !

Does the Health Reform Bill mentioned in this news item has anything for the Immigration of Nurses, I mean the retrogression of EB3 category
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/04/no-summer-recess-from-overhaul-debate/comments/