September 2007 Visa Bulletin

Number 110
Volume VIII
Washington, D.C.

VISA BULLETIN FOR SEPTEMBER 2007

A. STATUTORY NUMBERS

1. This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during September. Consular officers are required to report to the Department of State documentarily qualified applicants for numerically limited visas; the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security reports applicants for adjustment of status. Allocations were made, to the extent possible under the numerical limitations, for the demand received by August 13th in the chronological order of the reported priority dates. If the demand could not be satisfied within the statutory or regulatory limits, the category or foreign state in which demand was excessive was deemed oversubscribed. The cut-off date for an oversubscribed category is the priority date of the first applicant who could not be reached within the numerical limits. Only applicants who have a priority date earlier than the cut-off date may be allotted a number. Immediately that it becomes necessary during the monthly allocation process to retrogress a cut-off date, supplemental requests for numbers will be honored only if the priority date falls within the new cut-off date.

2. The fiscal year 2007 limit for family-sponsored preference immigrants determined in accordance with Section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) is 226,000. The fiscal year 2007 limit for employment-based preference immigrants calculated under INA 201 is 147,148. Section 202 prescribes that the per-country limit for preference immigrants is set at 7% of the total annual family-sponsored and employment-based preference limits, i.e., 26,120 for FY-2007. The dependent area limit is set at 2%, or 7,463.

www.travel.state.gov

NCLEX TEST TAKING TIPS

Over the course of my studying I have ran across a lot of helpful hints that have helped me study. I thought I would post them in hopes that it would help out others......These are bits and pieces that I use whenever I get a question I have no clue how to answer while I study. They have really helped me out tons and I hope they can help out others as well. There are also some self talk things in here too......

*Everyone thinks they have failed the NCLEX but more people pass than fail. It's OK to cry and feel horrible after taking the test, every single person who walks out the NCLEX feels this way. Know this right now before you take the test so that you don't freak out during the test or shortly thereafter.

*You have no idea how many questions you got right. It may feel like you missed them all - chances are, you didn't. People who get 75 questions have a 50/50 chance of pass/fail just like people who get 265 questions. The amount of questions has NO BEARING on whether or not you'll pass/fail the test.

*The NCLEX is hard, it's harder than your review books, your NS tests. It's harder than anything you could've ever imagined. If you use common sense and ABC's when answering your questions you will get more right than wrong. Do not freak out, do not panic and do not run screaming out of the building. This test is hard for every single person who takes it. It isn't just you.

*You have to know and understand your basics in order to answer these questions. If you don't know how the heart works, it will be difficult to answer questions relating to the heart.

*You don't have to memorize every single drug out there - there are 60,000+ drugs. Break down the drug name and look for something that jumps out at you. If it's a cardiac drug - look for the cardiac answer. 2 cardiac answers...look for the one that doesn't harm, kill or delay treatment to your patient.

*Trust your instinct. Do not sit there and try and talk yourself out of an answer because you don't know why you know it. If it feels right to you - it more than likely is right and pick the answer. Your mind stores a huge amount of information and it's burried deep down in there somewhere and it comes out when you least expect it.

*You are going to get things on the NCLEX over material you have NEVER seen or studied before and that's OK......just stop, breath and use common sense here.

*The test isn't trying to make you fail...it's testing your ability to think and rationalize and safely care for your patient. It doesn't know that you stink in one particular area or another, it's a computer. It doesn't know just by looking at you that you didn't study your drugs and therefore it's going to ask you 14 questions on drugs. It's a computer. It also isn't trying to allow you to redeem yourself 10 questions later by asking you a similar question. It's a computer.....it's a random selection of questions. Treat each question like you've never seen it before.

*Remember, there are test questions that do not count.

*Pain has never killed anyone....yes they think they are dying....but more often than not, pain is not the answer on the NCLEX usually if you look, there is something much worst going on somewhere else.

*Always pick the least invasive answer. If you have to choose between a trach and an ET tube, pick the ET tube.

*NCLEX people don't like when you tie people up....so trying looking for a more therapeutic approach.

*If you can do something 1st without drugs...that is more often a better choice for NCLEX than drugging up the patient.

*This is not the real world - repeat that over and over and over when you take the test. Do not rely on the information you have seen or done in the real world. This is a "perfect world" test.

*The test adjusts the difficulty based on how you answer the questions. The first question will be a medium level question. It doesn't matter if the question says....a Potassium level of 100.5 is lethal...you are going to freak out and suddenly not know the answer because all 4 answers are going to look good. Pull yourself together.

*If you get a multiple answer question, answer it the best you can and don't freak out if you get 10 of them.....remember there are questions that do not count and these might be it. You never know.

*People always think they got more questions on one certain topic than they really did. When you leave the test - if you are weak in say....ortho...you will be positive you had 25 questions on ortho alone, when in fact, you probably had 1 or maybe 2.

*Cover up the counter at the bottom of the screen. It's never wise to know how many questions you took. People pass/fail regardless of the # of questions. There is no magical number that means you have passed and no magical number means you have failed.

*You aren't supposed to know all the answers. The NCLEX people know this. What they do want to know is that you are safe in your practice and you won't do things that will kill, harm or mame the patient.

*Get that idea of percentages out of your head right now. This is the NCLEX and not NS and you are not trying to make 100%, you are trying to get more right than wrong. Take all the practice tests you want - forget the % at the end - just make sure you got more right than wrong with a couple to spare.

*If you have never heard of it, no one else has either. Don't pick that answer.

*You are a nurse, not a doctor or a surgeon, so don't pick the answer that makes you do things that are outside your practice. You can call the dr. and ask for pains meds, but you can't order them. You also can't trach a person or crack a chest open or insert a chest tube.

*The NCLEX people know you are a brand new nurse with 2 weeks of experience. Keep that in mind when taking the test. Don't pick answers that are outside your level of knowledge.

*You aren't there to make the doctor happy, you are there to keep your patient alive. If the answer says to question an order....DO NOT think...I can't call and question the doctor...he might yell at me. Who cares...this is the NCLEX...you are there to keep your patient alive.

*In every single NCLEX question you get, there is a problem. Figure out first what exactly the problem is.

*Do not pick answers that delay treatment. If your patient is unstable, don't pick the answer that says to reassess in 15 mins. because your patient might just be dead in 15 mins. Look for another answer that doesn't delay treatment and calling the dr. just might be the ONLY thing you can do.

*NCLEX is the perfect world. You only have the patient in front of you on the computer screen. Forget that 2 questions ago you had 14 patients, RIGHT NOW you have just 1 patient. If the answer says to stay there for the entire shift because you patient is unstable....that is OK for NCLEX because THAT IS YOUR ONLY PATIENT.

*Because the NCLEX is the perfect world, you have RT, OT and every other "T" available to you and your beck and call 24/7. But remember, don't pick the answer that dumps your patient off either.

*When you get the priority questions...you are looking for the "killer" answer.

*Always think....is this answer going to #1 kill or harm my patient or #2 delay treatment. If it does....look for another answer.

*If you have to, put yourself in the patients shoes. If it's asking how to position after a procedure...picture how this person will look laying in each of the answers. If you get it narrowed down to 2, pick the one that won't harm or kill your patient (or mess up the suture lines).

*Always pick the answer that allows your patient to speak. The patient has 100% right to their healthcare. Do not pick the answers that make the family speak or answers that make the family happy. You are only talking about your patient here.

*Eliminate answers that have "always, never, etc..." because in the nursing profession - nothing is that certain. They will be tempting to pick too because they look so good....but nursing IS NOT certain and those words make it certain.

*If there is anything that you can do that will not harm, kill or delay treatment to your patient, pick that answer before you call the doctor.

*Don't pick answers that will cause long term consequences to your patient.

*Like patients can be placed in the same room. Think about cross contamination issues when thinking about room assignments.

*Stable, chronic, etc...patients can be released to go home when you get the question about which patients can be released to free up an empty room on your floor.

*Stable patients can be cared for by an LPN. Something may sound really, really bad but chronic disease are usually stable...that's why they are chronic and not acute.

*For RN's, do not delegate unstable patients to anyone. Again, this is the perfect world and you only have the patient on your screen RIGHT THEN to care for.

*You can't use a medical dx in a nursing dx. NCLEX people are testing your ability to be a nurse, not a doctor.

*When you see assessment or eval in the stem of the question....start thinking S/S.

*When giving report to the oncomming shift, you are reporting things that are "new" or "different" or "possible" to them. Don't pick the answer that reports the obvious to the oncomming shift.

*Try to narrow it down to 2 answers and then pick the answer that is the most threatening to the patient.

*If you have no idea how to answer the question - look for the answer that will kill the patient. Sodium, Mag and Potassium can all cause problems when they are out of whack....but Potassium will cause heart issues and if your heart isn't beating...nothing else matters.

*It's all about ABC's for the test. If you patient doesn't have an airway - he doesn't have anything else for that matter.

*Pick the answer that address the problem in the question (because every question...there is a problem). If it's talking about the heart...no matter how good it sounds...the leg is not an issue.

*Tell yourself over and over during the test, you can pass it and you will pass it. Self talk goes a long way during a test like this.

*Take a break, even if you think you don't need one...you do.

*Use your dry erase board for other things that just calculations. Draw pictures....eliminate answers on it....it's there for you to use for whatever you need it to be used for.

*You can't think the same way you think in NS or even at work. This test is going to give you questions, scenerios, etc.. .over things you have never seen or heard of. All the NCLEX people want to know is that you can safely care for your patient. Pick the answer that does that.

-allnurses.com

NCLEX Application Process

NCSBN does not have established guidelines for graduating students as to when to register. However, registering for the NCLEX examination and licensure during the month of the student's graduation is common. Note that registering to take the examination and applying for licensure to a state board of nursing are two different processes.

Please keep in mind all NCLEX examination registrations will remain effective for a 365-day time period during which a board of nursing may determine the candidate's eligibility. The time limit begins when the board of nursing receives the candidate's registration from the test service. Candidates who are not made eligible by their board of nursing within the 365-day time period will forfeit their registrations, including the candidate registration fee. Candidates who wish to take an NCLEX examination will need to re-register, including repaying the examination fee, in order to receive an examination.

Students can register for the NCLEX examination and pay the $200 by credit card by calling Pearson VUE at 866.496.2539 or register via the Internet at http://www.pearsonvue.com/nclex.

1. Apply for licensure to the board of nursing in the state or territory where you wish to be licensed. Contact the state board for the requirements. Visit www.ncsbn.org for complete US state lists.
   
   
2. Register for the NCLEX examination with Pearson VUE by mail, telephone or via the internet.
   
   • The name with which you register must match exactly with the printed name on the identification you present at the test center.
   • If you provide an e-mail address when registering for the NCLEX examination, all subsequent correspondences from Pearson VUE will arrive ONLY BY E-MAIL. If you do not provide an e-mail address, all correspondences from will arrive only through U.S. mail.
   • All NCLEX examination registrations will remain open for a 365-day time period during which a board of nursing may determine your eligibility to take the NCLEX examination.
   • There is no refund of the $200 NCLEX registration fee for any reason.
3. Receive Confirmation of Registration from Pearson VUE.
   
   
4. Receive eligibility from the state board of nursing you applied for licensure with.
   
   
5. Receive Authorization to Test (ATT) from Pearson VUE.
   If more than two weeks have passed after you have submitted a registration for the NCLEX examination and received a confirmation from Pearson VUE, and you have not received an ATT, please call Pearson VUE.
   
   • You must test within the validity dates of your ATT. These validity dates cannot be extended for any reason.
   • The printed name on your identification must match exactly the printed name on your ATT. If the name with which you have registered is different from the name on your identification, you must bring legal name change documentation with you to the test center on the day of your test. The only acceptable forms for legal documentation are: marriage licenses, divorce degrees and/or court action legal name change documents. All documents must be in English and must be the original documents.
6. Schedule an appointment to test by visiting www.pearsonvue.com/nclex or by calling Pearson VUE.
   
   • To change your appointment date:
     • For exams scheduled on: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, call Pearson VUE at least 24 hours in advance of the day and time of your appointment.
     • For exams scheduled on: Saturday, Sunday and Monday, call Pearson VUE no later than Friday at least 1 full business day in advance of the time of your appointment.
7. Present one form of acceptable identification and your ATT on the day of the examination.
   • The only acceptable forms of identification in test centers in the U.S., American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and Virgin Islands are:
     
     • U.S. drivers license (not a temporary or learners permit)
     • U.S. state identification
     • Passport
   • For all other test (international) centers, only a passport is acceptable. All identification must be written in English, have a signature in English, be valid (not expired) and include a photograph. Candidates with identification from a country on the U.S. embargoed countries list will not be admitted to test.
   • You will not be admitted to the examination without acceptable identification and your ATT. If you arrive without these materials, you forfeit your test session and must re-register; this includes re-payment of the $200 registration fee.
8. Receive your NCLEX examination results from the board of nursing you applied for licensure with within one month from your examination date.

RESULTS of the June 11, 2007 DOLE-initiated voluntary retake examination of Tests III and V of the June 2006 Nursing Licensure Examination (NLE)

Pursuant to Executive Order No. 609 Series of 2007, the Department of Labor and Employment, in coordination with the Board of Nursing of the Professional Regulation Commission, is pleased to release the OFFICIAL RESULTS of the June 11, 2007 DOLE-initiated voluntary retake examination of Tests III and V of the June 2006 Nursing Licensure Examination (NLE). The retake examination was initiated by the DOLE to qualify our licensed nurses under the June 2006 NLE to the grant of US VisaScreen Certificate.

A total of 13,338 nurses licensed under the June 2006 NLE took the voluntary retake examination and 9,198 or 68.96% passed. The rest (4,140) failed to meet the passing grade of at least 75% in both Tests III and V. Results of the voluntary retake examination will not affect their status as licensed nurses. Those who failed will simply not qualify for US VisaScreen Certificate issued by the US Commision on Graduates of a Foreign Nursing School (CGFNS).

The Office of the DOLE Secretary (7th Floor, DOLE Building, Muralla corner General Luna Streets, Intramuros, Manila) shall start issuing Certificates to successful examinees starting on September 3, 2007, from 9am – 12n and 1:30pm – 4:30pm, upon presentation of the examinee’s PRC License. The examinees are advised to strictly follow the schedules below for the release of individual Certificates.

Those residing outside of Metro Manila who wish to claim their Certificates via the DOLE Regional Offices are advised to register with the Regional Office nearest their place of residence/work. The DOLE Central Office shall transmit (in batches) the Certificates within 3 days from receipt of notice from the Regional Office concerned.

In either instance, all proxy claimants / representatives are required to present an authorization letter, the examinee's original PRC license and a photocopy of the License for DOLE files.

Schedule of Release of Individual Certificates

September 3, 2007	AALA - ANGELES
September 4, 2007	ANGELO - BARCELON
September 5, 2007	BARCELONA - BUMIDANG
September 6, 2007	BUNAGAN - CASTILLO
September 7, 2007	CASTILLON - CUARTEROS
September 10, 2007	CUASAY - DIMAANO
September 11, 2007	DIMACALE - FABROS
September 12, 2007	FACTO - GIDOC
September 13, 2007	GIL - JIMENEZ
September 14, 2007	JIMERA - LLENA
September 17, 2007	LLENES - MARCELO
September 18, 2007	MARCIA - NAVARRIS
September 19, 2007	NAVARRO - PACHO
September 20, 2007	PANDAN - RACELIS
September 21, 2007	RACHO - SABLES
September 24, 2007	SABUD - SOMEJO
September 25, 2007	SOMOROSTRO - TOMAS
September 26, 2007	TOMBOC - VILLEGAS
September 27, 2007	VILLENA - ZUÑIGA

-www.specialnursingreview.dole.gov

Registration Dates for Successful Examinees

NURSE LICENSURE EXAMINATION
RESULTS RELEASED IN FIFTY-SIX (56) WORKING DAYS


The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announces that 31,275 out of 64,909 passed the Nurse (First Timers, Repeaters, Removals and Voluntary Retakers of all subjects) Licensure Examination given by the Board of Nursing in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Lucena, Tacloban, Tuguegarao and Zamboanga last June 2007. The results of examination with respect to two (2) examinees were withheld pending final determination of their liabilities under the rules and regulations governing licensure examinations. Two Hundred Forty-eight (248) out of the 336 Retakers as per C.A. Decision passed the examination.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) initiated Special Certification for
CGFNS examination results will be announced later.
The members of the Board of Nursing are Carmencita M. Abaquin, Chairman; Leonila A. Faire, Betty F. Merritt, Perla G. Po, Marco Antonio C. Sto.Tomas, Yolanda C. Arugay and Amelia B. Rosales.

Examinees who did not pass the examination may apply for the December 2007 Nurses Licensure Examination from September 17, 2007 to September 28, 2007.

The registration of successful examinees in alphabetical order is scheduled as
follows:
Oct. 17, 2007 A JOSE - ALLOSO
Oct. 18, 2007 ALMACEN - ARZOLA
Oct. 19, 2007 ASAARI - BASUEL
Oct. 22, 2007 BATA - BUGUINA
Oct. 23, 2007 BUHAT - CAPUZ
Oct. 24, 2007 CARA - COMPUESTO
Oct. 25, 2007 CONAG - DAZO
Oct. 26, 2007 DE AQUINO - DIMZON
Oct. 29, 2007 DIN - ESTURCO
Oct. 30, 2007 ETANG - GAMUYAO
Oct. 31, 2007 GAN - GUZON
Nov. 2, 2007 HABABAG - LABUTONG
Nov. 5, 2007 LACABA - LOQUIAS
Nov. 6, 2007 LOR - MANZON
Nov. 7, 2007 MAON - MALOS
Nov. 8, 2007 MOMBLAN - OLVIDO
Nov. 9, 2007 OMABTANG - PASUSTENTO
Nov. 12, 2007 PATACSIL - RADIN
Nov. 13, 2007 RAFA - ROMUTAP
Nov. 14, 2007 RONATO - SAQUING
Nov. 15, 2007 SARA - TABUZO
Nov. 16, 2007 TAC-AN - TUPPAL
Nov. 19, 2007 TURA - WADINGAN
Nov. 20, 2007 WAGA - ZUYCO


Those who will register are required to bring the following:
duly accomplished Oath Form or Panunumpa ng Propesyonal, current Community Tax Certificate (cedula), 2 pieces passport size picture (colored with white background and complete nametag), 1 piece 1” x 1” picture (colored with white background and complete nametag), 2 sets of metered documentary stamps, and 1 short brown envelope with name and profession; and to pay the Initial Registration Fee of P600 and Annual Registration Fee of P450 for 2007-2010. Successful examinees should personally register and sign in the Roster of Registered Professionals.

The oathtaking ceremony of the successful examinees in the said examination as well as the previous ones who have not taken their Oath of Professional will be held before the Board on Tuesday, October 2, 2007 at 8:00 o’clock in the morning for surnames starting with A – J; and 1:00 o’clock in the afternoon for surnames starting with K – Z, at the Araneta Coliseum, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City. All must come in their white gala uniform, nurses cap, white duty shoes, without earrings, hair not touching the collar and without corsage. Tickets will be available starting WeWednesday, August 29, 2007 at the Ground Floor of PRC – Main Building, Sampaloc, Manila.

The top performing schools in the June 2007 Nurse Licensure Examination are the following:

A. WITH 100 AND MORE EXAMINEES
RANK SCHOOL TOTAL NO. OF EXAM.
TOTAL NO.PASSED PERCENTAGE PASSED

1 TRINITY UNIVERSITY OF ASIA
(TRINITY – Q.C.) 347 343 99.00 %
SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY 302 299 99.00 %
SAINT PAUL UNIVERSITY - ILOILO 164 163 99.00 %
2 UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS 587 577 98.00 %
3 UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST RAMON
MAGSAYSAY MEM. MEDICAL CTR. 221 214 97.00 %
WEST VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY –
LA PAZ 146 142 97.00 %
SAINT PAUL COLLEGE OF MANILA 100 97 97.00 %
NOTHING FOLLOWS----------------------

B. WITH 30-99 EXAMINEES
RANK SCHOOL TOTAL NO. OF EXAM. TOTAL NO. PASSED PERCENTAGE PASSED
1 UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES -
MANILA 65 65 100.00 %
PHILIPPINE CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY -
MANILA 33 33 100.00 %
2 UNIVERSITY OF CEBU IN LAPULAPU
& MANDAUE 50 46 92.00 %
3 UNIVERSIDAD DE MANILA (CITY
COLLEGE OF MANILA 41 37 90.00 %
NOTHING FOLLOWS----------------------

-www.inquirer.net