Visa Screen Certificate / CGFNS

[suzanne4]

Visa Screen Certificate is required by all foreign nurses wishing to obtain a green card to work in the US, as well as any type of temporary work permit, such as the Nafta TN Visa for those from Canada and Mexico.

It requires that you pass either the NCLEX-RN or the CGFNS exam, as well as the series of English exams if you are not exempt from them.

The CGFNS exam is only required now in about five states, and rumor is that one or two will be removed from that remaining list as well. Do not bother with that exam if you are not going to work in a state that does not require it, or you have no way to be able to take the NCLEX exam from where you are currently located.

The application for the VSC is now only good for one year.........please do not apply for it until you have passed at least one of the required exams, or you may need to pay an additional fee.

(This thread is replacing the original thread that was from more than 2 and 1/2 years ago, and has updated information.)

[firstyearRN]

Thanks so much for such a rapid response Silver Dragon. Why should I wait till I graduate to apply for the visascreen? Doesn't it take many months? Should my future employer file the I140 when I start working on the TN in the hopes that retrogression will end? If I wait to file the I140, do I run the risk of the waitlist becoming even bigger? Thank you so much for clarifying these issues as I find them all rather confusing.

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

Part of VSC is verifying your education. They need completed transcripts to issue the certificate. No point applying before you have the required paperwork.

[suzanne4, RN]

If you are Canadian and have trained in Canada, then the wait for the VSC is only about six weeks or so maximum in most cases. You cannot even be offered a job legally in the US until you have passed the NCLEX exam as well.

CGFNS actually does not want to receive anything from you until you have a completed set of transcripts, there is not one thing that they will do with it until you have graduated and have the transcripts sent to them.

There is not anything that you can do to speed up the process.

Best of luck to you.

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

If you trained in the US then doesn't take as long as someone who applied from outside the US. Yes if your employer is willing then they need to file I140 once you start working for them, delays means the queue will get longer

[suzanne4, RN]

The VSC also requires that one has actually taken and passed the NCLEX exam as well. So no sense in applying for that now or even early. It most definitely will not speed up anything at all. Remember that you will also be relying on the state of Illinois to send proof to CGFNS that you have passed the NCLEX exam, this is never accepted from you.

If you have trained in the US, then it is usually about a month to get the VSC.

The retrogression has actually been in place for more than two years now, and it is not looking like things are going to ease up in the AOS process for about five years with all that are waiting for the green card going this route. I would take the time and just focus on one thing at a time, and that is for you to finish your program right now. Much needs to be done just to obtain the TN Visa once you are done as well. Get all of that done and then proceed with the next step.

I understand that you are anxious, but nothing is going to move any quicker for you. If you qualify for the OPT, then you begin work as soon as you graduate. Otherwise, you will need to go thru the required channels to obtain the TN Visa and it is not going to be immediate.

It usually takes about 6 weeks to get approval in Illinois to write the NCLEX exam for them, then it will take another month or so to get the VSC after that, and then the completion of all of the documenatation for the TN Visa, and that visa needs to be obtained at the border, it cannot be done in the US either.

[suzanne4, RN]

Also be aware that with the OPT, you can be hired immediately to begin work and it is taking about five months before this is issued and it is done thru your school.

For the TN Visa, an employer cannot even legally offer you a job until you have taken and passed the NCLEX exam, that is per federal guidelines.

[jmolinaRN]

Hello everyone,

I had my quick results from my NCLEX via pearsonvue website last January 21. It says that I passed. I am however, still waiting for the official result from the Illinois BON. My name is also not yet listed in the license look-up page.

I already met the required score for the TOEFL iBT and my credentials were already verified through the CES. I'm just wondering: would it be OK if I already start the process of Visa Screen or should I wait for the official result of the NCLEX. Plus, would I need to prepare my credentials once again or would the documents that I provided for my previous CES service almost a year ago suffice?

Thanks a lot!

- Josh

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

Documents for CES should be OK. Not sure if it is worth waiting before getting VSC as wait is going to be longer than 5 years and you will have to renew this plus English exam. Decision is yours

[ms.piggy]

how can i send my nclex and ielts result to cgfns? is it ok if i send just a photocopy of my secondary school diploma? what should i answer in "name of diploma or certificate in its original language"? "professional title obtained"?

where should i put my university where i studied BSN in the non-professional school or professional education?

i passed nclex of CA, what should i answer in this question: "did passing of this exam lead to a license in the same state/province and country?"

thank you...

[jmolinaRN]

Thanks Silver,

I'll work on the VS as soon as possible.

@Ms.piggy

Quoting CGFNS VS Handbook:

NCLEX

Nurses who passed the NCLEX-RN® examination must send a "Request for Validation of Registration/License" form to the State

Board of Nursing where they passed the NCLEX-RN®. The Board of Nursing must complete this form, confirm your examination

information, and return the form directly to CGFNS/ICHP as part of your VisaScreen® application.

IELTS

If you took the ETS or IELTS tests in the last two years, or have applied to take these tests, provide CGFNS/ICHP with the full test

date and your test registration number or test report form number as soon as possible. English scores are valid only for two years

from date of testing, and all scores must be forwarded to CGFNS/ICHP by the examining institution. If registering for IELTS

please be sure to request that your test scores be made available to CGFNS electronically.

I'm not entirely sure about the secondary diploma. When I processed my CES, they waived the secondary school diploma as a requirement (Online Method). I hope they will be using the same credentials I submitted so I won't have to have the corresponding agencies produce more copies.

And what of the picture? Does that mean I'll get a passport sized picture and just sign over the printed side?

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

Yes you need a passport picture and sign the back

[jmolinaRN]

Sorry Silver, I don't mean to be a nag. But I got confused: here's what the handbook says:

Attach here one

recent passport-size

photograph of

yourself with your

signature on the front

or maybe this is exclusive to the paper and pen application form? I'm going for the online method

Also, I went through the process and have some questions:

• Someone will be sponsoring my visa. Is that person/agency counted as a "recruiter?" for the question: "Are you affiliated with a recruiter?"
  

• I'll be applying for a "Permanent Green Card" right?
  

• For the question "did passing of this exam lead to a license in the same state/province and country?" and it was referring to the NCLEX-RN or SBTPE Test Details, the answer is no right? since I took the exam here in the Philippines?
  

Thanks!

- Josh