shadow,
i just found out why they did that. all because of pay....

they thought they were getting meager pays but being under an employment agency and not having passed the NCLEX yet, it is but natural that you will have a small "starting salary". thing is, the agency explicitly told them that once they pass the NCLEX, their pays would be adjusted accordingly.

also, the agency paid for everything [e.g. housing, medical check ups, visa fees etc.] so it is expected that you may have a small pay since the agency needs to get back what they spent on you.