Hi,

I am graduating with Bachelor's degree in nursing in May 2012. After graduation I was planning to work with OPT for one year and then apply for H1b. However, I just came to know that nursing degree does not fall into H1b-visa category. In this condition, I only have a option to go back to school for master. But I do not want to go back to school for masters right now.

Therefore, I was wondering if any body is aware of anything that I could do that would make me eligible for H1b visa or provide me the method to stay in US without F1 status. Any suggestions or information on this topic would be very much appreciated. Thanks!

 I think thats not true...
please check this link, this has listed Registered Nurse as H1B Profession.


http://www.h1bvisa.info/h1b_professions

Nepali-nurse, you are right. Nursing doesn't qualify for Labor. So truth is you can't file the H1b. You can't even extend your OPT even though you are from science background.

 Thank you for replying lathus and ihateamerica. 

@lanthus:  I read in USCIS website that registered nursing does not fall into H1b category. I am not sure how credible is your source. 

@ihateamerica: at this point I also hate america... :(

Well, I donno what else are my options.. I hope I will be able to find job at least during OPT. 

 Hi Nepali-nurse,
Here is my experience,
I also did BSN this year on May 2011 and got my RN license on july but didnt get any job for 3 months. Had 2 job interviews in hospitals but they didnt hire me coz I didnt have any experience as Nurse aid or CNA and one Transitional care unit didnt hire me coz of my OPT. So, end up working in home care and trust me they would treat you as second class citizen if you dont have any experience in home care. didnt liked it N gave up the job. So, got fraustated and end up doing pediatric home health N now working in nursing home as a supervisor as well. 

what I am trying to show from my personal experiences is, getting RN job is tougher than before. Most hospital doesn't do H1B. So, technically you have 1 year to work with any where you got job. I heard that nursing home will do H1B but i havent talked with my employer yet. But I am planing to ask after a month though. 
So, once you graduate N have RN license, you have 2 options to think off:
i. Is H1B important or experience?
--- If you need H1B, it is very difficult that hospital will do for you. But if you get job, its a best experience. If you think H1B is important, many nursing homes does N i have heard in texas they did. But trust me, nursing home job is like you are jeopardizing ur nursing license beacuse its crazy to work in nursing home and its not the good experience unless you get job in transitional care unit which is like a step down unit and mostly like med-surgical experiences. N remember, Nursing homes hire RN becz they have to have minimum 8 hr RN coverage 7days a week. 
ii getting Masters after ur OPT ?
--- getting masters is expensive. But i also prefer and suggest to do public health nursing or community health nursing or MBA which i believe is not that much expensive. I have a friend from kenya who did public health nursing (LVN) and worked 10 yrs in WHO. 

So, here is my suggestions:
i. finish ur undergrad N get ur RN license. 
ii. search job before u graduate, go to open house, apply for nurse residency program or nurse intern program which most medical hospital provide. or where hospitals where u have clinicals. 
iii. search jobs in nursing homes also specially transitional care unit.
iV work where you get the job and keep in mind: you are doing this becz u dont have any other options
V. Prepare for ur masters applications N tat the same time talk with ur employer especially DON (director of nursing) abt H1B. If s/he likes u, definately, s/he will do for you

finally, gud luck ahead.. Any questions, u r free to ask.. sorry abt my grammer N spelling..

 @thapar20

Thank you so much thapar20.  I cannot thank you enough for all your suggestions. I also went through a lot of international student nurse forums after realizing about H1b visa condition. Reading through forums I realized that it is going to be very hard for me to find job even during OPT like you said. H1B-visa is going to be different story.  The only way to go through this situation would be to apply job everywhere and hope that I would find job at least somewhere. I will also try to find job to do under CPT  this semester. And hopefully, if I find job during OPT, I will prepare for masters. Coincident or what, I was also planning to do masters in public health (but not in nursing). 

I have few more questions if you don't mind... I read in some international forums that if we do not mention about our visa status during interview or application process, it will be easier to get the job. But then, I wonder if the employer would know anyway and wouldn't it be ethical to start the job with a lie. What do you think and what did you do? Also, I am just curious which state are you in? Where did you complete your degree from? I would like to know  probable hospitals or places that would hire me if you can suggest any... Is there any way to contact you personally? 

Thank you so much once again. 

If anybody know of anybody who graduated with BSN-RN degree and worked during OPT, could you please provide information about how and where did they find the job?
I am sure all these information is going to help several people who are on the same boat like me. 

 One of my friends wife is also a nurse. she did her bsn from India and came to us to study MBA health care. She passed her RN exams and found out about the retrogration. she had to wait for her OPT. not finding any work, she found at last found work in Texas, somewhere...worked there for  six months.. the company had filed her H1b but it was rejecteted.. so she had no choice other then to study for her masters in nursing.. she was saying that its very expensive and very hard to get scholarships... she is now somewhere in NC or SC... she is doing MSN Adult health.... she didnt work for  year.. but after a year.. she applied for CPT and is working part time as she said that the school is strict in giving CPT... was telling me that its tough.. as you can work only 20 hrs per week in part time...but in hosptial you have to work two 12 hours shit =24 hrs per week.. so she is afraid if the school come to know.. she will be out of status...

so its very scary.. but i would like to suggest something.. there is a uni in North virgiania.. its UNVA. edu.. i know its been raidied by USCIS but they are still there.. and there are many indians and nepalese still....... they give CPT to the first year student ...you can join MBA health care and work i guess in hosptial... till you have made enough money... adn then shift to MSN.. just my though....

you guys know the best.. 

 Hi Nepali-nurse,
About me,
--I went to Buffalo, NY for my undergrad in Nursing and had a job interview where i had clinical. It was a good interview but didn't get any job coz didnt have any experience as CNA. But my school was tough N expensive.  I had a phone interview from michigan state (its a medical university) but forget the name. But, didnt hire me may be my english wasn't good enough I guess!!. I knew one of my frn's frn who worked in home health care (Indian owner) had H1B from there N they promised me that they will hire me N apply for H1B. So, i came here in texas but didnt get any job. currently I m in Dallas, Tx. 

About your question,
It is unethicial to ask about the status before they hire you and its unethical to fire somone beacuse of the status. If they fire you beacuse of OPT, you can sue them unless their company policy is not to hire foreginer. But, my case was different beacuse when i had interview in transitional care unit, the HR was aware of OPT from previous employee and asked me if i can work legally. Thats where i got problem. But, in usual case, HR is not supposed to ask your status in job interview and will not ask even. (for me only 1 had asked abt my status). Once you are hired, you have to show proof of work permit. The place where i m working now, they didnt even saw my opt card, they just made a copy, didnt ask my passport either N i was worried coz i just have 7 more months to work only. 
The probable hospital to hire you would be medical universities where they give provide training to new grads. But pls make sure you apply for nurse residency or RN intern position. N for new grad, the hospitals would hire twice a year. one is on july and another is feb. but the application date for july would be around May or before that and for Feb, the deadline would be nov or dec. So, you have to call hospital in HR number, ask if they hire new grads N if they do they will give u in which position to apply. it is becz there is specific positions for new grads N they will give u deadline. N pls remmeber, if you didnt pass NCLEX, you are gone!!! (Sorry, I could not get any suggestions in my time about job related and so had hard time getting job). These all were my experiences. I applied North dakota, NC, MI, TX, MA, NY, but didnt get any. its not me only, i have some US citizen who didnt get job for 1 year and started home health along with me. But i guess only problem with us is status. 

Here in texas, Methodist hospital, covenant hospital, cooks children hospital N there r a lot.
** N remember some hospital would make u do aggrement for certain years and thats where you would get problem and have to leave job. 
** Remember to file for H1B, the minimum requirement of the position have to be Bachelor and since Associate nursing is not different from BSN, the DON might have to change the requirement for the position to make BSN required. So, for hospitals which are not magnet recognised, that might be a problem as well and some DON may not be do that as well.
... Finally, i hope i have answered ur questions. But if you have any questions regarding nursing, post ur comment and i will answer as i can. But all i can give is u my personal experiences that might be helpful to you. N study well, N before giving NCLEX, post ur comment, i will send you some readings that would help you for ur NCLEX. 
...... Take care... 

hello Thapaarzo,
i am planning to seat in NCLEX, could u plz provide me additional readings tips that would help for NCLEX?

 Its not the tip but i have some contains that helps you to memorize the things for NCLEX. it helped all of us N hope it would help u guys also. This is my email id: thapar20@dyc.edu email me N i will send you. coz its more than 20 pages to print n so i cant post here in sajha...

 hey thapar20, 

just reading your post really seems that you are a really helpfull person ...... i truly appreciate it  from the bottom of my heart.....
helping other  nepalese nursing students even though i am not in that field, , answering  their questions.. .. its really very very thoughtfull of what you are doing to our fellow  nepalese students...greatly appreciate ... am sure all other will truly appreicate your efforts...

TEBOWING TO YOU.....

@ resolution2007

Thank you so much for the suggestions  resolution2007. I would try to find the job during the 3 months period as thapar20 said. If I don't then I would may have to do something like you suggested as a last option. Hopefully, I will be able to find the job. Thank you so much for all the information though :). 

@thapar20

Like you said, I think our only problem is status. In the summer of 2010, I had applied to summer externship program. First of all I had phone interview and they called me for in person interview. And i knew for my instructor that they had narrowed it down to two persons. The interview was very good. and my recommendations and gpa were also good. However, I did nt get it.. I think it was all because of my status as an international student. I applied to 4 other summer internships in  the summer of 2011 as well, but again made a mistake of letting everybody know about my status ahead. Therefore, I was rejected from all the places. I think I will be very mindful about mentioning my status unless I have to fill something out in paper or if they ask me specifically. 

As texasketa said, you seem to be very very nice and helpful person. I have no words to thank you.  I am sure your description of detailed personal experience and suggestions are definitely going to help many other nepalese nursing students.  I will be mindful to follow all your suggestions. Now I feel like I have some sense of direction about how to go with the things.  Thank you very much once again . I know you will be a great great nurse. and yea I will be emailing you. Jai Nepal 

Hello Nepali Nurse and Thapar20

My wife is a nurse and i will like to share some of her experience with you guys. If it can help or provide some insight that will be awesome.

1) She got the job offer from the hospital while working as an intern.

2) As far as i know, she neither told them nor they asked about the status.

3) When she was about to be done with OPT, she talked to her manager who in turn talk to HR.

4) HR direct her to the hospital attorney but the retrogression and other stuff come out and was unable to help.

5) Applied for  grad school. get accepted.

6) Her manager gave her couple months off, so that she could get CPT.

7) Collge gave her CPT for 20 hrs and she started working as a part time; problem was CPT used to be valid for  school days ie when the semester was over so was her OPT. She used to take months off from her job.

8) She did the same thing for couple semester and then she changed her work status to causal.

9) She applied and was accepted for GA position and tution was waived.

Now she is a resident but still working causal and going college. She got her residency from different means.

Also, i know there  are some colleges that has their own hospital where they categorized working at the hospital as an on campus job.  All International student can work on campus (20 hrs part time) job. I have a freind who work in a hospital as an RN who is studing MSN and the college categorized her work at the hospital as an on campus employment.

Thanks

 hi sagarmatha, 

what does a resident mean..... i heard only doctors do residency.. do you mean to say Resident=Green Card... at the last paragrahp you told that you had a firend  who is doing msn, ......if you could provide the name of the  university where your friend works and is doing MSN could greatly help other neplease nurses to join that university ... and who are  willing to pursue their job and at the same time doing thier masters. ..

Hello
Resolution 2007
When i was talking about being resident, i mean green card; sorry for the confusion.
My wife is studing MSN and the college she is going is Minnesota state University. They do or at least provide her CPT in first semester.

The university I was talking about is in Omaha Nebraska. One of my freind goes and work  there. I will get back to you shortly on the name of the university.

Thanks

 @sagarmatha 

I am surprised to know that they offer GA positions for MSN degree as well.. I always thought that we would have to pay for it. If you don't mind could please tell in what field is your wife doing her Masters in? Also, thank you so much for the suggestions. I will be considering those universities for masters. 

 Please can anyone give me name agencies, hospital, nursing home, home health or anything that will do h1b for nurses with BSN?? I a, willing to relocate anywhere in states and sign a bond for x years.. Please help me with name of some companies..

 @dreamsshard

I would have helped you if I had any clue about it. I am in the same boat as you. Graduated on May 2012; currently working but don't know what to do after OPT expires on May 2013. I don't think there is any way except for going back to school or finding other means to stay here. Let me know if you find out something...

Suggestion needed!!!! Is there any possbility to get H1b with BSN-RN degree?

Answer
Reading all the above post and hate towards america,There is a possibility of getting GC.
Before OPT expires, get married to GC holder or Citizen. Lots of unmarried are looking for one. With nurse degree your spouse will have financial support too. You don't need to worry about status.
Or if you apply in rural USA areas hospital like north dakota, south dakota, missori etc you might get.

Plan Z, go back and work in rural Nepal where Foreign funded hospitals are opening. and foreigners are treating people.