A New York state health system was required to return an additional $24,000 in funds charged to nurses recruited from overseas, the New York Attorney General’s office announced. It brings the total repaid to $114,000.

Albany Med Health Systems had a provision in employment contracts with nurses recruited from outside the US that required the nurses to pay fees if they resigned or were fired within the first three years of employment, according to the office.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said such fees are illegal.

“Today’s settlement will return more than $24,000 to eight nurses who paid illegal repayment fees to Albany Med between 2007 and 2010, bringing the total amount Albany Med will pay in restitution to $114,000,” James said.

Albany Med had agreed to pay $90,229 in restitution and interest in June 2021 to seven nurses forced to pay “repayment fees” since 2011, according to the office. Today’s announcement involves eight nurses who came forward after the announcement of the earlier settlement.

The health system recruited nurses from foreign nations, often the Philippines, under visa arrangements, according to the office. The employment contracts required them to pay up to $20,000 if they resigned or were fired in the first three years of employment. If the nurses failed to pay the fee, they faced legal action and threat of being reported to immigration authorities.