‘Stay-or-Pay’ Suits Cast Light on Immigrant Nurse Recruiting

Marie Montalvo moved from the Philippines to Tennessee in early 2023 for the opportunity to become a nurse—her chance for a successful career with competitive pay starting with training, licensing and immigration assistance.

She’d accepted a recruiting firm’s offer that came with a caveat: if she dropped out of the program “for any reason” before her three-year commitment ended, she’d be back-charged thousands of dollars for National Health Corp.'s investment in her.

Nearly a year later and amid working conditions she considered unsafe, Montalvo decided to quit her nursing home position. But National Health wouldn’t let her.

Instead, they locked ...