CGFNS Denies VisaScreen® Certificates for Philippine Nurses Who Passed the Compromised June 2006 Philippine Licensure Examination

PHILADELPHIA, PA — FEBRUARY 14, 2007 — After careful consideration, the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS International) has decided that those Philippine nurses who were sworn in as licensed nurses in the Philippines following their passing the compromised licensure exam of June 2006 are not eligible for a VisaScreen Certificate. CGFNS began investigating this issue soon after the first reports of irregularities were received and sent a fact-finding mission to the Philippines in September 2006. CGFNS has concluded that the licensure process for those who received their license as a result of passing the compromised June 2006 licensure examination raises significant questions about the accurate assessment of the competencies of many of those individuals.

Therefore, CGFNS is unable to certify that the licensure is comparable to a U.S. license. In this instance, applicable U.S. immigration law will not permit CGFNS to issue the VisaScreen Certificate required of internationally educated health care workers to those nurses who obtained Philippine licensure on the basis of passing the June 2006 nursing licensure examination. CGFNS notes, however, that the June 2006 passers are able to overcome this bar and qualify for a VisaScreen Certificate by taking the equivalent of Tests 3 and 5 on a future licensing examination administered by Philippine regulatory authorities and obtaining a passing score.

please verify at:

http://www.cgfns.org/sections/about/news/news/2007/02-14-07_philippines.shtml

For those that want to go to US...we need to take the board or certain parts of the board this June.

bad news, but i think this will end the agony of june 06 passers, i'll just take the exam this june or if they (PRC) can give us an earlier schedule for the exam it's much better. God bless us!

I really dont know the entire story regarding this issue however, I wonder why not take those 2 sets of Exams? Would it make it easier to do that than wait until a"pardon" is made by CGFNS?

It looks like CGFNS decided not to give visa screens so just take it. The United States is a very nice place to live and work. There are so many opportunities that you can explore here. You have that option as a nurse to be here.

Good luck again. If you did well during the June exam, Im pretty sure you're going to pass the next one.

I'd say rus-t it is good news. When I read the memo, I shouted in glee because at last a decision was made.

I will have to take the examination again but it doesn't matter as long as I can see a clear destination.

Cheers! :smiletea: I do hope that PRC will make the necessary steps for us.

I really dont know the entire story regarding this issue however, I wonder why not take those 2 sets of Exams? Would it make it easier to do that than wait until a"pardon" is made by CGFNS?

It looks like CGFNS decided not to give visa screens so just take it. The United States is a very nice place to live and work. There are so many opportunities that you can explore here. You have that option as a nurse to be here.

Good luck again. If you did well during the June exam, Im pretty sure you're going to pass the next one.

The June 2006 NLE was marred in controversy. That cheating took place and nothing have been done by Philippines authorities to meet certain standards which US would have done if it happened in the USA. The ICHP/CGFNS said that if in the US, a retake is the only option but PRC did the unusual thing that is recomputed all the tests and excluded the sections were cheating was done.

I'd say rus-t it is good news. When I read the memo, I shouted in glee because at last a decision was made.

I will have to take the examination again but it doesn't matter as long as I can see a clear destination.

Cheers! :smiletea: I do hope that PRC will make the necessary steps for us.

They should or it will be a dis-service to you guys and I hope no more rallies and picket lines.

The license they gave for the June NLE passers are only good for Phil. Standards and is good only for working in the Phils. Unfortunately, w/ CGFNS' announcement they do not consider it as comparable to US Standards.

Does the PRC have the right to strip you of your license if ever you failed the retake of test 3 & 5? :stone

do i really have to get this VisaScreen? i thought i just have to pass the nclex-rn exam to be able to work in the US? can anyone enlighten me on this?

I am really confused right now. Why do the june takers need to retake the exam if U.S. DOES NOT REQUIRE a local license for a nurse to work in the US???? As far as I know, a graduate of BSN is enough for an applicant to apply for NCLEX and work there as a USRN if he passed that exam. And now CGFNS made a statement that they will not issue VisaSCreen to june takers. I think that those who did not take that june exam benefited in this decision.

i'd say rus-t it is good news. when i read the memo, i shouted in glee because at last a decision was made.

i will have to take the examination again but it doesn't matter as long as i can see a clear destination.

cheers! :smiletea: i do hope that prc will make the necessary steps for us.

hey, i commend you for having a positive attitude!! good luck to you

the long wait is over and now a decision has been made... its your choice which way you'll take...

HI!! :monkeydance:

Camill3, that was what i thought when I graduated, but VisaScreen is required by the US immigration law for all foreign educated nurses that are not US citizens. It is just one part of the immigration process. There is a post in the International forum that solely discusses VisaScreen. Try to check it out. :paw: :paw: :paw:

Some states do not require that one pass the NLE, but it is still needed for the VisaScreen process. Wouldn't you want to be licensed in your own country? I know this is tough for all those who took the exam. But at least, a decision was finally made. Look on the bright side...:w00t:

Good luck to all of you! God Bless!! :icon_hug:

i am one of those who passed the june06 exam and my visa is about to expire on september. im going to America this May to take the nclex and i was hoping to have my papers processed there, but with this issue coming up, my plan came to a sudden hault. My question is: is it really a requirement to have a visacreen certification for california? if somehow i get the chance to change my visa status from a tourist to an immigrant, do i still need to have the visascreen certification? hope someone can help me.. thanks..