There is an annual visa quota and yes, you are right the Dept. of State is obliged to give those visa numbers for duly qualified applicants.
This is the very reason that an updated job offer is needed to be presented by the time of the interview to give proof that the offer still exists and still left un-filled.
Regarding, what other people are saying from other forums and blogs. Note that no one is disputing that jobs needs to go to Americans first. That is very understandable and it should be that way and like I said, no one is disputing that.
However, I think people should understand that majority of them do not know the recruitment process and immigration process for foreign nurses. They do not understand that the process entails the petitioner to prove that there is a job vacancy still left un-filled and that no American has filled it. Not only is this built-in in the requirement for filing the I-140 petition (the 1st stage of the whole process) but it is again re-visited in the last stages and needs to be proven again (updated job offer by the time of interview in US embassies and consulates).
So, as far as the "Americans first" policy goes it has been there for a long, long time and is built-in the entire process at least as far as immigrant visas are concerned. This is what they do not understand.
There will always be grand debates of issues such as Americans first, there is no nurse shortage and so on and so forth and in my humble opinion it is a futile debate and I don't recommend getting into one anymore.
One group will always say one thing and the other one opposes it but in the end and in reality and in the grand scheme of things it is the US Gov't via the different agencies such as USCIS, NVC and the Dept of State that has the last say and who says who goes in or not. Also, as long as employers keeps petitioning and the diff. Gov't agencies approves it then there is nothing anyone or any organization or group can do about it.
Just my humble opinion. 
Hi All,
For tracking purposes, here's the details of my status:
PD: July 14, 2006
Visa Category: EB3 ROW/Philippines
Status: 1. Approved I-140- July 14, 2006
2. Case complete per NVC since June 25, 2008 - no Paket 4 yet
Interview date: 1) No interview date yet
Current status: 1) Awaiting PD to be current and stay current enough to be able to have schedule of medical and interview date.
FYI fellow nurses! 
Hi everyone!! Good to hear there are movements going on with the sending out of packet 4s. My personal advise to you who've been receiving there packet 4 is to not waste time. Pick-up the phone and have your medical exams scheduled. NEVER think of delaying it nor re-scheduling your interview date. That was my personal experience and here I am caught up with the retrogression.
Our (Me and my 2 daughters : FOLLOWING-TO-JOIN PETITION) PD is December 21, 2005. Our original interview date was JUNE 2, 2008. Unfortunately, I have to re-schedule it to June 27 since it was my second day to take the NLE. Little that I know that by mid June PDs will retrogress. The consular officer was able to grant our petition but only during our interview day that I learned visas went unavailable and we have to wait for the 2009 FY to open by October 2008 for the new visa numbers. 
Me and my husband (the one who petitioned us) were devastated. My only consolation was I pass the June 2008 NLE and was able to process my illigibility to take the NCLEX. Our passports remained with the US Embassy Manila and is hoping that we will be the priority for the visa numbers when our PDs will be current again.
Hope my case will be a lesson to all of you. CHEER UP! There's HOPE for all of us.
Thanks, yang and klf0124 for updating the thread. 
I can't believe it!!!! It's soooo depressing. After all these years of waiting , I thought we can see light with the April VB. EB3 further retrogress to March 01,2003. Is this another year or +++++++++ 's of waiting?
I can't believe it!!!! It's soooo depressing. After all these years of waiting , I thought we can see light with the April VB. EB3 further retrogress to March 01,2003. Is this another year or +++++++++ 's of waiting?
-usrn08
In my humble opinion, I believe so, unless a miracle or a recapture legislation passes this year. It's already the 3rd quarter, and visas for this fiscal year, I believe, are almost used up.
Really unbelievable isn't it?!
PD : August 26,2005
catagory : eb3 phils
status : submitted to nvc completed ds-230 last May 2008... no developments after then
amen to that t-cell..very well said.. i agree with you
after all the frustrations of the eb3 visas being unavailable, i still have this withstanding hope that this 'unavailability' would soon be over.
hi nurseidol...
we are in the same boat, August 2005 PD and realizing that if only i have known that we would wait this long, i could have applied to canada or australia while waiting for my PD to be current..
but honestly until now, i am still torn between the decision to just wait here in the philippines for my PD to be current (per advice of my agency) or applying to canada and wait there.
please give me some thoughts on this dilemma.. please.please. thanx
Just to update i have been offered and accepted a job in Perth Australia.I have applied for a license and hope to have visa and arrive in OZ before the end of the year.I feel i have wasted 5 years chasing a dream in the USA that turned into a nightmare. Now i have woken up and look forward to a great new life in sunny Perth
PD Jun 05
Bold move. Way to go!!!
Congrats, topscot !!
Please do continue updating us here once in while. Always keep in touch.
Hi there! I dunno if i post this
question on the right topic, but i would like to ask about my application last
feb 4,2009 my lawyer sent me a letter that my I-140 was forwarded at NVC, today
I received this letter indicating that there is no visa number available
yet...etc..etc and this case number....
APRIL 21,2009
Case Number: MNL2009xxxxxxx
PA Name:my name here
Preference Category: E3 - SKILLED WORKERS
Your Priority Date: 13DEC2007
Foreign State Chargeability: PHILIPPINES
may i know what is the next step to to expect to happen? i know its a long long
way,and the priority date is 2007 yet. is this packet 3? is this the time when
i can ask my lawyer to include my family be applied for immigrant visa too? i
hope someone could enlighten the next steps, so that i can make my plans.
thanks and more power
No, it's not packet 3 yet.
Packet 1 - I-140 receipt by USCIS
Packet 2 - I-140 approval by USCIS (the one you got last Feb.)*
Packet 3 - Visa Application form (DS-230 paper form before)
Packet 4 - Medicals and Interview appointment at US Embassy
* There was news that they are going for the on-line forms now and my guess
is you will be one of the first batches to apply on-line compared to majority
of us here that has done the paper-based DS-230 form.
Once your PD is within 9-12 months of the cut-off date (or becomes
"Current") NVC will proceed in continuing to process your case.
Next step is NVC issuing the visa fee bill and paying for the visa fee bill
after they receive it, they then proceed to apply for the visa application.
As long as your PD is not within at least 9-12 months or the visa category
becomes "Current" NVC will not do anything. Could be 1, 2, or
more years. Could be less than 1 year. All depends on the visa
availability.
-----Thanks t-cell for the information. One more question, how did you know that my lawyer filed on-line form? i dont know the paper based DS 230 form you said awhile ago.But i remember, he did send an online form for me to fill up regarding my present work, education amd i forgot the other info. so, my case is still in packet 2 still. thanks again. ill keep you posted.
It's been awhile, after almost 2 months of preparation and waiting for the GO signal from my employer, I will be leaving tomorrow May 01 together with my family. I will be working in New England Sinai Hospital in Stoughton, MA (near Boston). The long wait is finally over and soon my American Dream will be a reality!! Guess patience is really a virtue and I never stopped from hoping that one day I will be in AMERICA!
-----Thanks t-cell for the information. One more question, how did you know that my lawyer filed on-line form? i dont know the paper based DS 230 form you said awhile ago.But i remember, he did send an online form for me to fill up regarding my present work, education amd i forgot the other info. so, my case is still in packet 2 still. thanks again. ill keep you posted.
No, I didn't. I don;'t even know that it's already available to be honest. I just merely mentioned in passing that if you will be given the new Visa Application form that it will be most probably be the on-line form (aka DS-260 form) rather than the old paper-based Visa Application Form (DS-230 form).
Was it the DS-260 form? It might be something else. esp. since your case wasn't even being asked for the Visa Fee Bill yet.
Keep us posted here and thanks for updating the PD tracker.
*For more on the DS-260 Visa Application on-line form: http://foreign-nurse.lefora.com/2009/02/22/proposed-on-line-immigration-visa-application-form/page1/
CONGRATS alexxxmd !!! Bon voyage and thank you for updating us of your case.
Please, continue updating us here. Update us on anything like your successful arrival, to your first few days and weeks and so on and so forth.
We are happy for you and your family.
Hi t-cell,
I really need your advice... i feel so helpless. I'll send an email to your personall email account.
Thanks,
Hi t-cell,
I really need your advice... i feel so helpless. I'll send an email to your personall email account.
Thanks,
[image]
-yang
Please just give me or nurseidol a personal message (PM).
It's been awhile, after almost 2 months of preparation and waiting for the GO signal from my employer, I will be leaving tomorrow May 01 together with my family. I will be working in New England Sinai Hospital in Stoughton, MA (near Boston). The long wait is finally over and soon my American Dream will be a reality!! Guess patience is really a virtue and I never stopped from hoping that one day I will be in AMERICA!
-alexxxmd
Hello alexxxmd.
Nice to hear from you.
We are very proud of you. Congratulations.
Please keep in touch.
Goodluck and God Bless you more.
This Topic Is Locked To Guest Posts
It's been a while since this topic was active, if you'd like to get it going again, please post as a registered member
