Support the Sentosa 27 Campaign

It is always our priority here at the Filipino Nurses 2 US to provide relevant and helpful information to our fellow Filipino nurses both in the Philippines and abroad. We try to protect our readers from the personal interests of many agencies whose motives are for their own benefit only. We stand to be proud Filipino nurses in the dignity and courage we carry in ourselves. In this regard, we extend our support to the 26 Filipino Registered Nurses and 1 Physical Therapist in their fight against the Sentosa Recruitment Agency (Read about recruitment scams here). The Justice for Sentosa 27 is an online campaign in support of the Sentosa 27. You can sign the online petition to show your support as well.

Recruitment Tips from the POEA

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) is a government agency that registers and regulates recruitment agencies for Overseas Filipino Workers. They have much experience dealing with the various problems that arise with the recruitment process and the following are some suggestions they have issued to help avoid problems:

• Work with only those recruitment agencies who are licensed by the POEA.
• Make sure that the person you are dealing with is an authorized representative of an agency.
• Use only the official, registered address for the agency to conduct business.
• Do not pay more than the allowed placement fee, which can not exceed one month salary (additional processing and documentation fees are allowed beyond this).
• Do not pay any placement fee until you have a valid contract and make sure you receive an official receipt.
• Avoid ads or brochures asking you to send a processing payment to a Post Office Box.
• Do not attempt to get a job through a training center fixer, or travel agent.
• Do not accept a tourist visa.

Of course the POEA has a financial incentive to keep workers in their system since they collect fees from the registered recruiters, but their advice is still sound and should be considered before you begin your job search.

Tips to get a job in the US

The typical US employer will look for a well created resume.  Since most of them are unable to meet with the applicants during the selection process, your resume will tell everything about why they should hire you.  Therefore, it is a must to try to sell yourself to them with your resume.

The language and style of your resume are the keys to a successful international job seekers in the US.  Here are the tips to best market yourself to a typical US employer:

• Follow a US style resume.  American resumes detail your education, employment history, and achievements as in your curriculum vitae, but in American English spelling and grammar.  You might want to check the American terminologies used in the profession you are applying for as well.  Your initial goal is at least for the employer to take time to read your resume.  Remember they would not spend their time reading a resume that they can't understand, as they have lots of resumes to read each day.  Even  if you are a highly-qualified applicant, you will miss the chance to be selected if you can not represent yourself in a well-crafted resume.  You have a greater chance of getting hired once the employer reads your resume.
• The American employers give points to your accomplishments.  Your accomplishments will boost your resume's credibility.  This is your chance to boast all of your accomplishments that you think will make you a more competitive candidate.  Remember that it is best to always give a good first impression.  In the US, your prior successes really count.  They would love to see specific statistics related to your work accomplishments in your resume.  However, you must only write what is true, and not just for the purpose of boasting and having something to write about your accomplishments.
• Your second goal would be to make the employer keep on reading your resume.  Keep your resume concise and straight to the point.  An American resume should not be more than two pages long and easy to read.  Make sure you do not repeat any information you have stated already.  If you have had the same jobs with different employers, try to rephrase the descriptions, or at least try to find a new word to describe your tasks.  You want to make your resume interesting.  For Americans, time is gold, they will read your resume if they find it interesting, otherwise they will not waste their time.
• Always attach a cover letter to your resume.  A great cover letter is a one page, soft or friendly introduction to your resume. This should highlight your professional skills and outline how you can contribute to the success of the organization you are applying to.  The introduction must be brief, but persuasive and to the point and not boring. The cover letter is your selling tool.  Sometimes, a very good cover letter will get you hired right away with only verifying your resume quickly.  In most cases, a good cover letter will automatically give you a better chance of having your resume read and considered.
• Lastly, even if you are writing an American-style resume, stay Filipino.  Be yourself.  Keep in mind that the reason why Americans prefer Filipino nurses is because of our values and culture.  You don't want to overdo your resume by focusing on boasting your achievements, but rather show that you are a "real" person who can deliver the skills and talent that you wrote in your resume.  Your resume may be good, but they are looking for a person who will be a good fit for the job. By being a Filipino nurse, that must be you they are looking for.

To be successful in the US, you must know the know-how to compete head-to-head successfully with other international applicants. 

Important Questions to ask the Recruitment Agency, Part 2

Yesterday I covered some of the important questions to ask any recruitment agency before you consider trusting your future to them. The list continues below:

6.  Will I get a sign up bonus?

The recruitment agency usually gets the sign up bonus alloted for the qualified applicant.  This maybe already in the agreement between the employer and the recruitment agency, but there are still some agencies who give the sign up bonus to the applicant so it doesn't hurt to ask.

7.  Where is the location of the work?

The city or state where you will be working at will give you an idea on how to prepare for relocating and adjusting to that area, also read up for the cost of living for that area. Costs vary widely in the US and a salary that would make you wealthy in one city might just bee enough to get by in another (For example the median home price in Amarillo, Texas is $120,000, in Anaheim, California it is $705,000).

8.  What are the benefits provided?

The benefits are stated in the contract.  Make sure that the salary you will receive is stated in the contract.  Also look for how long you will be under contract with the employer.  The common benefits that should be included in the contract are:  paid vacation leave, maternity/paternity leave, health/medical insurance, relocation allowance or housing allowance for the first three months, paid utilities for the first three months, paid inbound airplane ticket, airport pickup and transfer, orientation, training, reimbursement of visa application fees, CGFNS and NCLEX exams.

9.  Will there be a relocation allowance or housing benefit?

The employer should provide a relocation allowance or housing benefit for the first three months upon arrival in the US. 

10.  Will my application expenses be reimbursed?

The visa application fees, medical fees and CGFNS exam fee are supposed to be shouldered by the employer, but often times they just reimburse it to you upon arrival in the US.

11.  Who will pay for the airfare?

The employer should provide you an inbound airplane ticket.

12.  Will I meet my employer?

The employer will assign a person to pick you up at the airport and provide you a transfer to your new apartment or house.  You don't usually meet your employer, but you can communicate with them through their personnels.

13.  Do I get to keep my passport?

You should make sure that you get to keep your passport with you.  There are some employers who will want to tie you up with them for the duration of the contract by keeping your passport.  In this case, even if your rights are violated by the employer, it will be difficult for you to leave them.  Your passport is your personal identification and is your property, so no one should be keeping your passport except yourself.

There are many more questions you can ask the recruitment agency before you commit to their service, but these are some of the most important and the ones you must know the answers to before you commit to any contract.  This will help you take precautions in applying for a job in the US through a recruitment agency. 

Important Questions to ask the Recruitment Agency, Part 1

One of the means in applying for a job in the US is going through a recruitment agency. The recruitment agencies have a database of employers and applicants.  They try to match the qualifications of the applicants to the employers requirements and specifications for hiring.  In this way, the recruitment agency plays an important role for the applicants to get hired.  However,  the recruitment agencies sometimes take this as an opportunity to take advantage of the applicants.  Even if the applicant is qualified for the job, the recruitment agency can manipulate the hiring process depending to their own interest.  Since there is always the danger that the agency you are using is one of the bad ones it is important that before engaging into a contract you take the time to ask a few questions that will protect your interest as an applicant. Here are some important questions to ask up front:

1.  What is the position I will be applying for?

The position you will be applying for will determine your qualifications for the work.

2.  What is the setting of the work area?

The setting of the work area will give you an idea whether you will be working in a hospital setting, doctor's office, school clinic, nursing home or care home.

3.  Who is going to sponsor the visa application?

The employer sponsors your visa application.  With this information, you can tell whether your recruitment agency is legitimate or not.

4.  Is there a contract?

The employer should provide you a contract.  The contract contains the benefits and the terms of employment. You should make sure your rights as an employee are protected under the contract.

5.  What is the salary range?

The recruitment agency usually takes cut of your salary.  It is very common and not in itself a warning sign, especially if you are not shelling out any cash in the application process.  However, you should make sure that the wage you will be receiving is not to low for the amount of work you will be doing and the living expenses you will have at that location, because that will be the salary you will receive until you are done with the contract.

Check back tomorrow for the remainder of this list of important questions anyone should know the answer to before they consider using a recruitment agency.

If you Failed the Board Exam

  Philippine License for Nurses is not a requirement to get registered in all states.  and New Mexico are the two states who do not require local registration.  Regardless if you did not pass the board exam or you did not take the board exam, you can still become a nurse in the US.  The only requirement in registering as a nurse in the US is having a BSN degree from a recognized institution in the Philippines and taking the NCLEX exam. 

The CGFNS exam is only for visa screening if you are applying to become a nurse in the US from the Philippines.  This is a requirement only by the US embassy and not by the State Board of Nursing. You can either take the NCLEX exam at any international testing centers with Pearson Vue or testing centers in the US, if you have a US visa already. 

If you are registering in the state where you are not going to work, you can always ask to be endorsed to the state where you will be working at.  First, you have to apply for registration by examination in the state that doesn't require local registration.  Second, you will apply for registration by endorsement to the state where you wish to work at. 

Being unlicensed in the Philippines does not limit your chances to become a nurse in the US.  This is a very good option for those who have a US visa already, and do not want to wait in a long immigration process.  Once you are in the US many employers will be willing to sponsor your work permit as soon as you passed the NCLEX exam.  Instead of waiting in the Philippines for 2 years to get an immigrant visa, you can be working in the US already as a nurse.  And later on, you can apply to become an immigrant with your work permit as well. 

Nursing shortage in the US

The United States continue to experience a nursing shortage .  In April of this year, they have projected a shortage of 118,000 registered nurses nationwide and up to now they are struggling to fill the vacant positions.  Americans alone can not meet the rising demand for nursing care.  This fact means that more foreign nurses are needed in the US, in which Filipino Nurses are the most popular.

In 2003, the US started adding 20,000 to 65,000 working visas available for foreign professionals per year  including Filipino Nurses.   On the other hand, there are at least 140,000 immigrant visas available for employment-based petitions  annually.  These visas are distributed among countries who send skilled workers or professionals to the US.  And yet, the problem in nursing shortage remains unresolved.

As nurses fill up the positions in the US, other nurses retire from work and others choose to leave the nursing profession.  And the US is struggling to expand the nursing enrollees nationwide.   Americans are not taking nursing jobs despite an intensive advertising campaign as well as incentives such as a sign up bonuses and higher salaries. With this trend in nursing in the US,  Americans have no reason to stop hiring outside their country.  Here is where the opportunity for Filipino Nurses comes in.

More and more nurses are projected to be needed in the US until 2020.  If the Philippines continues to produce highly qualified nurses we will remain the number one in demand supplier for the health care system in the US.

Direct Hire versus Recruitment Agency

When coming to the US for work as a nurse you have two primary options to consider. The first is Direct Hire, which means you apply right with the employer. The second option is to use a Recruitment Agency. The agency will put your resume into a database and attempt to match you up with prospective employers for a fee. We discussed the possible dangers of using a Recruitment Agency in a previous article . Below I will discuss some points to consider for each of these two options.

Direct Hiring:

1. You can apply directly to the employer in the US.  Often times, you can find employers who accept direct applications online or by referrals.
2. Employers have affiliate institutions in the Philippines where you will have to undergo training for a minimum of 6 months.  This training is paid for by the employer.  Examples of training required are skills in Dialysis, Telemetry, and other special areas.
3. You will prepare your papers on your own like CGFNS credentialing and exam, certification, and other documentation necessary for the application.
4. You will need to do the necessary follow ups with the employer regarding the application process at the USCIS.
5. The employer will file the petition at the USCIS.  The employer pays for filing the petition.
6. Once the petition is filed at the USCIS, you are responsible in tracking the status with the Service Center until it reaches the embassy. 
7. You have to make sure that the employer provides you with the contract before your interview is scheduled.
8. Necessary coordination and communication with the employer is important.
9. Usually, you will have to shoulder all the expenses on your own until you get your visa.
10. The employer will provide you with the airplane ticket.
11. All other expenses incurred during the application process like CGFNS, medical exam, visa application fees, and the like are reimbursable upon arrival in the US.  You may need to provide the payment receipts.
12. The employer will usually arrange airport pick up and will allocate a 3 months paid housing and allowance once in the US.
13. If you are lucky enough, the employer gives you a sign up bonus of up to $5,000. 

Recruitment Agency:

1. There are several recruitment agencies in the Philippines.  You might want to go to Metro Manila for a more established agency.  You have to verify if that agency is registered with the POEA.
2. Most agencies require a minimum of two years experience, but others accept those who don't have experience especially if you were a doctor who became a nurse.
3. When you submit your resume to the agency, they will put that in their applicants data bank.  It is where employers can browse over thousands of applicants.  If the employer likes your resume, then the agency will supply them with your data.  This is what you call the selection process, so it is very important that you create a quality resume.
4. Sometimes when the agency thinks that you are very qualified, they will recommend you to the employer right away, without going through the selection process.
5. Once selected, the agency takes care of all the necessary paperworks and the communication with the employer. 
6. Sometimes, the agency prepares for your CGFNS also.
7. The agency is responsible for tracking the application status at the USCIS level, where the employer filed the petition.
8. The contract is prepared between you and the agency.  There is a separate contract between the agency and the employer.
9. All you need to do is wait for your medical exam and visa appointment schedule.
10. The agency will provide you with all the necessary documents for your interview.
11. Sometimes, the agency pays for the CGFNS, medical exam and visa application fees, but most of the time, the applicant shoulders it.
12. Most of the time, the employer provides you with the airplane ticket and reimburses the fees incurred for CGFNS, medical exam and visa application fees, provided you give them the payment receipts.
13. The employer will arrange an airport pickup and a paid accommodation with allowance upon arrival.  The accommodation and allowance varies from 1 month to 3 months.
14. Usually, the Recruitment Agency will take the sign up bonus as part of their payment.

You should look carefully at the Pros and Cons of these two methods when deciding how you should best pursue getting a nursing job in the US.

Avoiding Recruitment Scams

I have heard of many stories about Filipino nurses getting scammed both in the Philippines and in the US.  The latest and most controversial one is the story of 28 registered Filipino nurses who filed a complaint against Sentosa.  I think this sort of scam is rampant with recruitment agencies.  They take advantage of the eagerness of Filipino nurses to go to the US, and be able to bring their family with them on an immigrant visa.  Usually Filipino nurses have to sign a two year contract and sacrifice a large portion of their wages for the first two years in order to get a company to sponsor them to the US. This is a shame as hard working Filipinos should be able to enjoy all the money they are earning from the start.

• Every agency has different style of recruitment.  Beware of those who are asking for a placement fee.  They will say the placement fee is to pay to get an employer and to make the processing faster.  In fact, employers pay the agencies for them to search from their database of applicants. 
• Many of the employers in the US provide a sign up bonus of up to $25,000.  Every registered Filipino nurse they hire is entitled to that.
• All of the expenses incurred by the applicant that are directly related to being a nurse in the US are reimbursed to you by the employer, if not paid to you in advance. These expenses include the CGFNS and NCLEX exams fee, immigration and visa fees, airfare, and relocation housing and allowance for the first 3 months.
• The minimum hourly rate of a staff nurse in US starts at $20.  If you are hired to work in a special area, the minimum hourly rate should not be lower than $30.  So, a staff nurse receives a monthly salary of approximately $3,500, and a special area nurse receives a minimum monthly salary of around $5,600.  Overtime pay is calculated separately. That means if you work harder and you take more shifts you can earn up to double your base monthly income.
• Leveling is determined by the qualification of the nurse.  A special area nurse requires special training.
• Employers in the US provide benefits and privileges such as health insurance, paid vacation leave, and overtime pay. The benefits vary by employer and you should always consider these in addition to what your hourly rate would be.
• Both employer and the nurse are protected by a common agreement or a contract. It is important for you to read the contract very carefully before you sign it.  Be sure that you are protected during the period you are employed to them, and that all the things they have discussed to you in terms of salary, benefits and privileges are covered in the contract.

In the scams happening in different recruitment agencies, Filipino nurses are not protected in the contract that they signed.  What happens is that the bad recruitment agency will ask the nurse to pay a fee after the US employer already paid them a fee to find the nurse, then they also receives the sign in bonus rather than the nurse.  In the Sentosa story of 28 Filipino nurses,  they were not given the salary they have agreed upon and were downgraded to caregivers or LVN instead of working as a nurse.  It is true that they offer a direct hiring, because Sentosa is a facility itself and they do their own recruitment.  In this way, they save money from paying agencies at the same time they don't provide sign in bonuses.  It is because Sentosa is not a hospital.  They have their own facilities where they cater to mostly old and ill people.  Working in a real hospital setting is different from working in a facility.  And so the Filipino nurses should be informed about this during the time of application.

The common problem Filipino nurses undergo when going thru an agency is the sacrifice of two years being underpaid.  As agencies earn from taking your sign in bonuses,  agencies continue to earn for the next two years you are tied up with a contract, because they take a cut of your salary until you finish the contract.  Instead of you getting a minimum of $20 an hour as a staff nurse, you end up getting $10, or $20 an hour as a special area nurse instead of $40. If you want to get away from them you have the option to buy out your contract, but you will pay a fee that might be $10,000 or more.  Making you pay a placement fee, taking the sign in bonus from you, and taking half of your salary for two years are all ways that bad recruitment agencies will try to scam you so please be careful when signing a contract.