Nclex

It's not automatic, but you can apply for licensure by endorsement to those other states once you have the CA license. You don't need to retake the NCLEX.

Choosing CA as your initial state is sometimes hard, because the licensure process there takes a long time if you don't have a social security number.

Each state has their own license and the CA license is only good in CA. Illinois is the state for Chicago and they require that you actually complete the CES, a credential evaluation done thru CGFNS, before they will even look at your application for licensure.

You do not apply for the NCLEX exam, it is actually impossible to do, you will be applying for licensure as an RN. The exam requires permission of a state BON to be able to sit for the exam.

You will not be given a license in CA until you have completed the immigration process and have been issued a green card, so you cannot endorse a license that does not exist. CA will not issue a number until you have the SSN#.

Next issue that you need to be aware of is that there is a retrogression in place and you are looking at years before you will even have a chance of getting a visa to work in the US. It is no longer an automatic thing passing the exam and getting an employer. There are many more applicants than there are visas per year. Right now they are working on those that have a filing date of 2002, and you cannot start the process until you have passed the NCLEX exam.

I suggest that you take the time to do some reading on this forum before you commit to anything. There is much here for you to know.