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International Nursing Jobs

 Your Options in the United States

General Information
HealthStaff's Selection Criteria
WorldWide HealthStaff Associates Ltd. in the United Kindom
Achieving Nursing Licensure
Employers and Job Offers
The Immigration Process
Living and Working in the United States
Working With Another Agency
Our No Fee Commitment

General Information

American health care employers are facing an ever-growing shortage of health professionals. Driven by a number of factors, principal of which is the aging of the US workforce, shortages of nurses are now commonplace in American hospitals and clinics. In an attempt to compensate for enduring staff shortages, employers have had to use the existing health care workforce more intensively by relying on overtime and agency staffing. More recently American health care employers are incorporating a international recruitment strategy into their overall staffing plans.

There are approximately 1,890,000 nurses currently practicing in US. While no exact number has been established for the actual number of nurses currently required, there is a consensus that the current shortage is 110,000 - 125,000 nurses. An array of studies analyzing the issues and trends affecting supply and demand for nurses in the US, indicate that the shortage will increase.

As a Registered Nurse with current nursing experience, you may have the background and skills that are currently in great demand by American health care employers.

HealthStaff's Selection Criteria

We are recruiting Registered Nurses from around the world for Registered Nursing positions in many locations in across the US.

To be eligible for consideration, all candidates must possess:

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Degree, or 3 year general nursing diploma from a recognized educational program.
• A minimum of one year current work experience, preferably in a hospital setting.
• Current licensure as a registered nurse in your home country.
• A clear criminal record.
• Good health, as a mandatory physical examination is required for immigration purposes.

As part of the initial evaluation of your eligibility, we will arrange for a personal or telephone interview and require you to complete a skills analysis worksheet.

WorldWide HealthStaff Associates Ltd.

We have been assisting nurses in the Philippines, United Kingdom, India and several other countries pursue their goal of living in working in the US since 1998. To date we have assisted hundreds of internationally educated nurses in achieving American nursing licensure, secure full-time nursing employment in the US and obtain permanent residency including immediate family members.

We have established a permanent, professionally staffed offices in Manila and Cebu through an exclusive agreement with HPRC Training and Accreditation Assistance Centre (HRPC) of Manila. The HealthStaff - HRPC team combines to provide you with a comprehensive service package second to none.

HealthStaff also has a permanent, professionally staffed offices in Canada, United Kingdom and the United States and partnerships with leading recruiters in many other countries.

We have established our own professionally staffed office in London. Our London office is conveniently located at:

308 Boundary House
Boston Road
London, W7 2QE
Telephone: 0208 434 378
Email: info@healthstaff.org

We are one of very few North American based recruitment firms to have made a commitment to have an ongoing presence and capacity to work directly with candidates in the UK. We are not only here today, we will be here throughout the entire recruitment and immigration processes providing advice and support.

Achieving Nursing Licensure

Foreign educated nurses wishing to immigrate to the United States must pass three standardized tests required by US immigration. These are the:

• Certificate of Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) or the NCLEX;
• The International English Language Testing Systems (IELTS) Exam - Academic Version or
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Test of Spoken English (TSE)
Please note that the CGFNS or NCLEX exam are required before an Immigrant Visa application can be submitted, however the English language tests can be completed while the Immigrant Visa is in process. Foreign educated nurses working in the United Kingdom (UK) can take the CGFNS, IELTS - Academic Exam, or TOEFL and TSE exams in the UK.

NCLEX Exam is Coming to London
The National State Boards of Nursing in the U.S. have recently announced that as of January 2005, the NCLEX Exam will be available in London , England .

This is a significant development for international nurses working in the UK as they will no longer have to travel to the U.S. to write the NCLEX Exam.

The NCLEX Exam will be available to both CGFNS passers and those who do not have a CGFNS certificate.

WorldWide HealthStaff Associates Ltd. (HealthStaff) arranges full-time registered nursing jobs in the United States for nurses working in the United Kingdom. We have established a positive reputation for providing professional and honest advice and assistance to nurses. Our commitment is that we will never charge any fees whatsoever for our services to nurses for whom we have to secured employment with a U.S. employer. This includes nurse licensure and processing the immigration applications of the nurse and their family.

The HealthStaff Advantage
HealthStaff represents only employers who are committed to providing each nurse with an attractive financial assistance package including free airfare and accommodations for sixty days upon arrival in the U.S. Our employers will reimburse you for all exam costs, and will pay all immigration related fees on behalf of the nurse
.
Registering for the NCLEX Exam
Foreign educated nurses wishing to immigrate to the United States must pass at least two standardized tests required by US immigration.

These are the:
• Certificate of Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) or the NCLEX
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Test of Spoken English (TSE), or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam.

CGFNS Certificate Holders Contact our London office today to schedule an in-person consultation. HealthStaff will also assist you in securing a job offer with a U.S. employer if have not already done so. HealthStaff can assist you through each step of the nursing licensure and immigration processes including registering for the NCLEX Exam

Non CGFNS Certificate Holders Nurses may apply to write the NCLEX exam for California , Florida , New York or Ohio . The costs related to applying to write the NCLEX exam are as follows:

• All amounts are stated in U.S. dollars.
• n/a = not applicable
• * Ohio requires applicants to write the TSE exam. A score of 45 is required.

HealthStaff recommends that nurses register to write the NCLEX exam with the Ohio State Board as they currently have the shortest application processing times. Should nurses prefer to work in another State, their Ohio license can always be transferred to a State of their choosing. You will need to download and complete the following:

1. CGFNS Credentials Review - http://www.cgfns.org/cgfns/downloads/CES_Application.pdf
- Please note to check off the Full Course by Course Report

2. TSE Language Test - http://www.ets.org/tse/learners/registEmployers.html

HealthStaff will assist the nurse to complete each of the above requirements including by providing the necessary application forms, instructions, coordination and follow-up of all applications.
Please forward your completed CES Full Course by Course Report application along with payment to our London office noted above. The bank draft should be made payable to the Commission of Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools in the amount of US$265.00.

NCLEX Informational Sessions
If you would like more information regarding the new developments with NCLEX, please attend one of our NCLEX group sessions that will be held at our London office on the following days:
• Tuesday, July 13, 2004 – 3:30PM to 5:30PM
• Thursday, July 15, 2004 – 6:00PM to 8:00PM
• Sunday, July 18, 2004 – 10:00AM to 12:00PM

Please e-mail our office at info@healthstaff.org to advise which informational session you would like to attend. Kindly inform us if any of your colleagues are interested.

NCLEX Review Program
HealthStaff is pleased to announce that we will be offering a NCLEX Review Program in the UK starting in October 2004.

The HealthStaff NCLEX Review Program will consist of an initial diagnostic exam, the results of which will be used to formulate a personalized study plan for each nurse. Upon completion of the study plan, each nurse will have the opportunity to complete a second sample exam to evaluate their overall readiness to write the NCLEX Exam.

The final details of the NCLEX Review Program will be announced shortly. Please contact HealthStaff today and ask that your name be placed on the NCLEX Review Waiting List. In this way you will be among the first to be informed of this exciting new....

Employers and Job Offers

HealthStaff recruits nurses for direct placement with American health care employers. We are not a staffing agency and we do not place

Registered nurses are employed in acute care hospitals, long term care facilities, community clinics and home health care organizations.

American law and existing collective agreements in place with employers and unions require employers to offer every foreign educated applicant the same pay and benefits offered to American applicants with comparable
Employers will provide financial assistance to help offset some of the costs related to relocation, immigration and or professional licensure in. The exact terms and conditions of such assistance vary with each employer. Contact HealthStaff today for complete details.

Employers require that foreign educated applicants make a commitment to work for them for a period of two years. Upon the completion of the initial two-year term, each nurse has the option of remaining with the employer or pursuing employment elsewhere.

The Immigration Process

Registered nurses are eligible to apply for permanent residency in the US. As such, applicants are able to have their immediate family

Permanent residents of the US have virtually all of the rights and responsibilities of an American citizen. Access to publicly funded health care, education and other social services is afforded to permanent residents in accordance with regulations established by the federal and state governments.

The length of time it takes to process your immigration application will be approximately twelve months. The actual length of time involved depends on a number of factors including:

• The skill and expertise of the recruitment firm. HealthStaff has the experience to ensure each step of the application process is managed in an efficient and effective manner.

• The cooperation of the applicant in completing the necessary forms and the CGFNS and the required English language exams. Delays in completing these tests can significantly add to the overall processing time. Our staff will assist you in registering and preparing for these exams.

• The state is which your employer is located. US immigration applications are processed at one of four regional processing centers. Each processing Center is responsible for certain applications originating from certain states. The processing times at each Center vary somewhat and do affect the overall length of time required to complete the process.

WorldWide HealthStaff Associates Ltd. works closely with each applicant in the preparation, submission and tracking of immigration applications. Our experienced staff works with leading U.S. immigration attorneys and is able to answer questions and to provide accurate and realistic information. Applicants will not require the services of an immigration attorney, as WorldWide HealthStaff Associates Ltd. facilitates the immigration process from the initial application to issuance of the visa.

Living and Working in the United States

The United States has been welcoming immigrants from around the world for more than 200 years.

The United States has the third largest landmass of any country in the world. It is a country of vast geography, multicultural population, abundant natural resources in a clean environment and accessible health and social services. The US economy generally leads the world in productivity and innovation resulting in an unprecedented overall standard of living.

As a prospective immigrant to the United States you will have many questions as you evaluate your options. While there are vast amounts of information that can be gathered from many sources, few people have the time to seek out and evaluate the information accurately. As an international company, we would be happy to share our information and experiences that have been gained over a lifetime.

Working With Another Agency

With the significant increase in recruitment by US employers, nurses are being presented with many options and apparently ever more attractive job offers. Many times these offers include promises of "We Will Get You to the US in 6 months", "No Fees" or "Thousands of Dollars of Services for Free". While some of these offers are genuine, increasingly, agencies and employers are resorting to making offers that are not all that they appear to be.

Do you have any of the following concerns with your existing US job offer or immigration application:

• Has your US Immigration application been outstanding for more than 12 months and you have no idea when it may be approved?

• Has it been more than 3 months since you have heard from your employer or the agency with which you are working?

• Were you asked or coerced into signing agreements that were not fully explained to you or that you did not understand at the time you signed them?

• Were you initially promised no fees and now you are being asked to pay fees?

• Were you promised financial assistance only to find that it isn't being provided?

If you have these or any other concerns with your US job offer or immigration application, we may be able to help you.

WorldWide HealthStaff Associates Ltd. and HRPC Training & Accreditation Assistance Centre have an established track record of providing nurses with honest and realistic assistance in pursuing their dream of living and working in the United States. We understand and respect the significant impact that a successful and unsuccessful immigration application has on a nurse and their family members. Our commitment is to be reliable, honest and ethical treatment of nurses wishing to work abroad.

We would be pleased to provide you with a confidential, no cost, no obligation consultation regarding the status of your application.

Our experienced staff may be able to help you:

• Expedite your existing application.

• Get answers from your employer or agency.

• Legally terminate agreements with unscrupulous agents and employers.

You can contact us in complete confidence today.
Mr. Wilfredo DelaVega
Telephone: 632-724-8601
E-Mail: williedv@hrpc.com.ph

North America
Mr. Ronald Hoppe
Telephone: 204-958-7023
E-Mail: rhoppe@healthstaff.org

Our No Fee Commitment

We understand that you have choices in selecting a recruiting organization to help you pursue your goals and dreams of achieving professional licensure and permanent residency abroad.

WorldWide HealthStaff Associates Ltd. does not charge any fees whatsoever, at any time for the placement and immigration processing services we provide.

Our clients who contract our services to assist them in meeting their staffing needs pay our fees in full.