Hello everyone!  I’m Grace, a Registered Nurse from Nigeria! I am back, and I’m here to tell you all about my immigration experience since I passed the NCLEX exam with the help of Adevia Health. I have also completed my IELTS exam, and my application is now ready for filing! 

 

I have to say, I was extremely nervous about the immigration process. It is so confusing! There are so many documents to put in order, and I wasn’t even sure if my passport was up to date. Fortunately, the immigration desk in Kenya really put my mind at ease and took care of everything! 

 

During the immigration process, I had so many questions. I thought that I would share the kinds of things that I was worried about and the questions that I had here, in case anyone is going through the same experience. I hope that this helps someone else!

 

My first question was, what kind of nursing licenses and visas do I need to work in America? I learned that I needed to apply for both a permanent residency visa (also known as a Green Card) and a U.S. RN license in order to work in America. I then learned from Adevia Health that the type of visa that International Registered Nurses like me qualify for is the employment-based category 3 EB3 visa, which is a permanent residence visa. 

 

This was wonderful news to hear! But then, of course, I thought about my family. 

Could my husband and my two children come with me? I was relieved to hear that, yes, they could! The EB3 immigrant visa allows for a nurse’s dependents (so, your spouse and any unmarried children under the age of 21) to obtain dependent visas. We are all going to America!

 

Now, I wondered about this age restriction for dependent visas. My children are young, but one of my nursing friends, Ifeoma, has an unmarried son who is 25 years old. Must she leave him behind when she immigrates? Ifeoma told me that, once she has her green card, she can apply for her son’s visa through a family process in the U.S. so that he can join her there later.  

 

Once I knew what visa I qualified for and what it could do for my family, I started to worry about all the documents I would need to file for the immigration process. In the end, I didn’t have to worry at all – Adevia’s document specialist kept in touch with me throughout the process to guide me through all the required documentation. That man knew what he was talking about! He obviously has had a lot of experience with these forms. It was a great relief to have his help. 

 

Now, I wondered how long the immigration process was going to take. I had heard that it was a very long and complicated process. Thankfully, with Adevia, my documents were sent with premium filing, which they paid for. This means that our immigration process will only take 6-9 months from start to finish. 

 

Like I said, the immigration process was scary because there are so many forms with confusing codes to fill out. The two forms I was most concerned about were the i140 and the DS260. The i140 is a petition filed to the United States Center for Immigration (also called USCIS) which allows nurses like me to work in the U.S. on a permanent basis. The DS260 is an immigration visa application form which looks like a questionnaire. I had to fill this questionnaire out when my visa application reached the National Visa Center. Of course, one of the most important questions on my mind (and probably on yours!) how much does this visa screening cost? There is a fee of 615 USD for the visa screening. However, I didn’t have to worry about this. Adevia Health covered the costs!

 

Since I had passed the NCLEX exam, I thought that that was all I had to do to qualify for work in the U.S. Unfortunately, I was wrong! Before you submit your visa screening, you have to submit your IELTS results. The IELTS is a mandatory requirement for the visa application. You have to score a minimum of 6.5 overall, and a 7 in speaking. I am proud to say that I passed the IELTS with flying colours. 

 

Those were the questions I had about the immigration process. Now, I would like to speak about the many ways in which Adevia Health made this process a positive experience for me.

 

Adevia Health covered all the immigration and legal fees which added up during the immigration process. They have also paid for my one-way ticket to America. I am going to fly on an airplane for the first time in my life because of them! They will also sponsor the first 30 days of my accommodation in the U.S., which gives me enough time to settle in and get my affairs in order. This financial support made all the difference to me and my family. They also facilitated the visa application process for my husband and children, sped up the processing of my i140 petition with their premium filing, and they are managing my placement with a good healthcare facility in the U.S. on my behalf. Let me tell you, it is a great relief to be able to trust my recruiters with this stressful process. Their support has meant so much to me. 

 

Thanks to Adevia, my family and I are going to begin a new life in America. I am very nervous for the plane ride, but I am also excited! We have already started packing our bags. We are ready for takeoff!

 

If you’re interested in finding out more about how Adevia Health can support your immigration process as an International Registered Nurse, apply using the following link:

 

https://adevia.com/apply-here/