US work permits on hold for foreign nurses

Immigration officials from January 1 will block a shortcut that allowed thousands of nurses —— predominantly from the Philippines, to a lesser extent India —— to get fast-track US work permits.

According to a State Department bulletin issued on Wednesday, until further notice, the US government will not process applications filed after January 2002. The change means that what has been a 60-day wait could now drag on for three years or more.

After Sept. 11, 2001, the revamped immigration system became backlogged due to updated security measures. Many foreign workers got by on