by Mooshka

Updated Jul 16, 2008 at 03:34 PM by Mooshka

Hi beautiful people,

I applied to CaBoN about 2 months ago from Ukraine. I hold a local license here.

Just received this mail from California Board of Nursing:

“The Board of Registered Nursing has completed the evaluation of your application. Based on the documents that were submitted, it has been determined that the vocational nurse program you completed in your country does not meet the requirements for licensure as a Registered Nurse in California.
When you have completed an approved Registered Nurse program, you will need to reapply to our Board”.

Unfortunately from this mail I don’t understand which exactly courses (or hours) I should pass in order to be qualified. Why they do not tell me that? I sent them an email about 10 days already and I got no reply so far. (I'm aware of their strict communication policy though).

What do you think appropriate to do in this situation? I want to live and work in California.

Many thanks for your help.

Re: California Board of Nursing: you do not meet the requirements for licensure. Why?

From my interpretation of the letter is stating you are equivelent of what the U.S calls LVN/LPN. That being said, in Ca we have 2 different board of nusing the BVNPT( board of vocation nursing and psychiatric technicians) and the RN board of nursing.

Re: California Board of Nursing: you do not meet the requirements for licensure. Why?

Unless you are an RN who is educated at the baccalaureate level (bachelor of science in nursing), you will not meet the requirements for licensure from the California BRN (Board of Registered Nursing). Local LPN/LVN programs in Ukraine are not accepted for immigration purposes into the US.

Re: California Board of Nursing: you do not meet the requirements for licensure. Why?

Thanks, guys, for your answers. You rock!

Maybe I should apply to NY? And then endorse to CA? I've read a lot about NY and I know some nurses from Ukraine got quilified throught the NY Board. They just took a few courses online. What you think?

Re: California Board of Nursing: you do not meet the requirements for licensure. Why?

Originally Posted by Mooshka

Thanks, guys, for your answers. You rock!

Maybe I should apply to NY? And then endorse to CA? I've read a lot about NY and I know some nurses from Ukraine got quilified throught the NY Board. They just took a few courses online. What you think?

No mater what state you apply to in the U.S there are still LVN's and RN's. So if your equivalent is that of an LVN here you will not be qualified to work as an RN.

Re: California Board of Nursing: you do not meet the requirements for licensure. Why?

Even though Ca do their own assessment most states have similar requirements so if failed one may fail another. Also to add even if foreign trained nurse and you meet requirements for one state does not always mean you will meet another states requirements. Ca have already said you do not mean RN requirements so trying to endorse will meet the same answer. Also PN is not acceptable for immigration and with retrogression you are looking at a few years waiting

Re: California Board of Nursing: you do not meet the requirements for licensure. Why?

Each state can set their own requirements as far as education, and CA has told you that your training is not acceptable for the RN license, but only for the LVN license. They have two different licensing boards in CA, and you will have to apply to the other one.

But do be aware that if you do not have a green card already, you will not be able to get a visa to work here as an LPN/LVN.

Each record is evaluated on its own merit, and each state can decide what they will accept and not accept. It also states that you completed a vocational nursing program and not the RN program as well.

And the same educational requirements are needed to endorse as well. There are programs that are acceptedf from the Ukraine for the RN license, and there are programs that are only accepted for the vocational nurse role as well. They are not the same at all.

Best of luck to you.

Re: California Board of Nursing: you do not meet the requirements for licensure. Why?

Hi Suzanne4,

Many thanks for your very detailed answer. Much appreciated. I checked with my friends who already in States. They passed via NYBoN with the same Ukrainian nursing educational background I have.


I've checked the New York Board. It seems like they allow my program to be eligible for RN:



"To meet the professional education requirement for licensure as a registered professional nurse, you must present satisfactory evidence of having received at least a two-year degree or diploma from a program in general professional nursing that is acceptable to the Department. To be acceptable to the Department, the program must be either:

• registered as licensure qualifying by the New York State Education Department; or <Sounds like not about me>
• approved by the licensing authority or appropriate governmental agency in the jurisdiction where the school is located as preparation for practice as a registered professional nurse. <Looks like my school matches the description>

NY also requires to take the Infection Control and Child Abuse courses.

So I'm planning to take the courses, and send application to NY and CGFNS for NY (credential evaluation).

Guys, it this sounds as a reasonable way to go for you? What you say?

Re: California Board of Nursing: you do not meet the requirements for licensure. Why?

You will be applying for CVS and if Ca is going to be your final destination there is no guarantee they will accept you considering they have already decided you are short on hours

Re: California Board of Nursing: you do not meet the requirements for licensure. Why?

Very good point, Silverdragon. Thanks.
I'm trying to understand which educational program is going to sutisfy CABoN. Maybe I can take missed courses? As you know, there's plenty of time between NY-GC-Endorsement.