US quota for Filipino nurses filled up, say recruiters
Source: philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines – Employment opportunities in the United States for Filipino nurses aspiring to work there appear to be drying up.

The recruitment industry reported yesterday that the US quota of employment-based immigrant visa for foreign workers, including Filipino nurses have all been filled up.

“Based on the US department data, the June 2009 the employment-based immigrant visa 3rd preference category (EB3) where Filipino registered nurses are usually petitioned under, have been exhausted and are now unavailable,” recruitment officials said.

Recruitment leaders said visa bulletins in the next months are expected to reflect the same information.

New legislation specifically aimed at ending visa retrogression for registered nurses has been introduced in the US Congress.

The proposed legislation closely mirrors a 2008 proposal that calls for registered nurses to be exempted from any numerical limit on visas until 2012. “While the proposal appears to be a positive development for nurses aspiring to work in the US, the bill remained pending and unacted upon for months,” recruitment officials explained.

But recruitment leaders said there are other employment options for Filipino nurses aside from the United States.

The Overseas Nursing Program in the United Kingdom is one of the viable alternatives for Filipino nurses due to the filled up quota in the US.

Under the program, Filipino nurses can study and work in the United Kingdom under the tier 4 student visa category.

“The nurses will be enrolled in higher education degree courses like BSc international nursing/health and social care while working in British hospitals and nursing homes,” they explained.

The nurses, once qualified, will receive an annual pay of 21,000 British pounds or P1.6 million a year.

“If they wish to move to the United States when their visa numbers are called after the long wait they can do so, but with the added benefit of an internationally recognized British degree and valuable work experience as a nurse in the UK work place,” recruiters said.

International Student Advisors, which has successfully arranged for study and work placements for more than 700 healthcare workers to the UK since the beginning of 2008, is offering this alternative solution.

Fewer Filipino nurses seeking jobs in US
Source: www.philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino nurses are now shying away from the United States because of the prevailing financial crisis there.

Fewer Filipino nurses sought employment in the United States in the first half of the year as the country sank into recession, according to the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP).

TUCP secretary-general and former senator Ernesto Herrera said the number of Filipino nurses aspiring to work in the US plunged by 16 percent compared to the first semester of 2008.

“The deepening recession in America has clearly diminished the desire of Filipino nurses to seek employment there,” Herrera pointed out.

He said that a total of 8,272 Filipino nurses took the US National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for the first time (non-repeaters) from January to June, 1,565 fewer compared to the 9,837 that took the test in the same six-month period in 2008.

A total of 20,746 Filipino nurses took the NCLEX for the first time for the whole year of 2008 and Herrera said the number was lower by 3.5 percent compared to the 21,299 Filipino nurses that took the test for the first time in 2007.

Filipino nurses accounted for 37 percent of the 22,500 foreign-educated nurses who took the NCLEX for the first time in the first semester.

Herrera said that many Filipino nurses now prefer foreign labor markets other than America, particularly the United Kingdom and the Middle East.

“Actually, fewer nurses from India, Korea, Canada and Cuba are seeking US jobs as well,” he said.

Nurses from India who took the NCLEX for the first time in the first semester were down 56 percent to 750 from 1,715. Those from South Korea also dropped by 35 percent to 613 from 934.

Herrera claimed that about 600,000 nurses who passed the June 2009 licensure examination are now actively looking for jobs here and abroad and many of them have opted to work outside their profession.

The huge number of unemployed nurses includes the 99,837 who passed the local nursing licensure examinations from June 2008 to June 2009.

Last June alone, over 32,000 nursing graduates passed the licensure examination but local recruiters said they are unlikely to find employment abroad due to lack of necessary experience.

Meanwhile, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) reminded those who just passed the recent nursing licensure examination to personally register with the PRC.

Marco Sto. Tomas, PRC Board of Nursing member, also noted that the newly licensed nurses are scheduled to take their oath at the SMX Convention Center on Aug. 18 and 19.

Sto. Tomas said the schedule of oath taking will be according to school assignments and the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) will issue the necessary ticket for the event.

Schedule of regional oath taking is posted at www.bonphilippines.org.