Visa Screen Certificate / CGFNS

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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.)

Hi Suzanne. I couldn't help notice that you mentioned that you do not recommend H1C visas at all. Is there any particular reason?

Also, i just wanted your insight into when do you think the retrogression will be lifted?

Thanks.

Expect some visas to be available this summer, but again, do not know if they will be available to all that are waiting or if some countries will be excluded. Only the US State Dept knows for sure and they have not said anything. Anything else is only crystal ball predictions.

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you get the application @ cgfns too.

hi..im a registered nurse in the philippines and i have just passed the NCLEX (california) and the IELTS exams..im just wondering how can i apply for a visa screen certificate? where do i get the application? where should i apply? thanks so much.
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i'm also from the philippines. i just passed ielts last november 06 and i'm now waiting for my nclex eligibility. planning to take nclex mid to late this year as i'm still preparing for it.

i've read in the thread that i can apply for visa screen after passing my nclex. my question is...do i wait for the retrogression to be lifted or i can go ahead and apply for a visa screen eventhough it's still retrogression?

then after getting visa screen... i need to find a hospital that would sponsor me. is that correct? just wanted to be sure that i'm on the right track. i don't want to be misled by mere gossips again. thanks in advance. :)

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
i'm also from the philippines. i just passed ielts last november 06 and i'm now waiting for my nclex eligibility. planning to take nclex mid to late this year as i'm still preparing for it.

i've read in the thread that i can apply for visa screen after passing my nclex. my question is...do i wait for the retrogression to be lifted or i can go ahead and apply for a visa screen eventhough it's still retrogression?

then after getting visa screen... i need to find a hospital that would sponsor me. is that correct? just wanted to be sure that i'm on the right track. i don't want to be misled by mere gossips again. thanks in advance. :)

Go ahead and apply for visa screen once you pass NCLEX. You will have more luck finding an employer once you have passed the exam but you do not have to wait for visa screen before looking. You will have to arrange and pay a fee for your exam results to be sent for your visa screen and wil also need your IELTS results to be sent for visa screen

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Never, never, never. There are only about 14 facilities in the US that currently qualify for that visa. If you do not like the facility or they do not like you, you will only have a very short time to find another H1-C hospital to employ you, or you will be given less than a month and have to leave the US.

The only way that a facility can qualify for that is if they are extremely short-staffed, way below what is needed, and/or are in very difficult areas to get to. Geographically undesirable as we call it. If you have family and friends that you wish to visit frequently, it will be almost impossible.

Those are just a few of my reasons. And you must have a Visa Screen Certificate in hand for the process to even be started.

I will never recommend a temporary work permit like this to anyone, never have and never will.

Hi Suzzane,

What is the duration of the H1c Visa?

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Hi Suzzane,

What is the duration of the H1c Visa?

Go to the website for the US State Dept and take a look at the requirements for the H1-C visa. I never recommend them and I never have and I never will.

Only a hospital that is having major issues with staffing can qualify for that, and there are only 14 or so in the entire US. If you do not like the area or the facility once you get here or they do not like you, you will find it very hard to get another one of them to sponsor you. And that means that you would be given only x-number of days to leave the US. And I am not going to tell anyone to do that. You want to go that route, you will need to do your own homework on it.

Continue at your own risk, and do not say that you have not been warned.

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Hi all,

just want to ask anyone who has gone thru the process. Can i be issued a VSC without sending to ICHP my secondary school documentation? I think i read somewhere in the CGFNS website that high school diploma is no longer necessary if it has been more than 10 years ago? I have pending VSC application and as of 3.15.07 they have received everything. i.e. to include phil. license, ielts results,my VT licence and documents from my nsg school. Is waiting all that i have to do? or i need to send a hard copy of the appl. form, plus i.d picture and the high school diploma? Btw, I applied online and fortunately didn't encounter any problem. They've received my $448 payment online too. Thank you very much for any info!

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Hi Suzanne,

I have a quick question. I passed the NCLEX and now I am waiting for my visa screen to be approved. I sent in all the info that cgfns needs to do so. My problem is that I am not sure if I will get the approval on time for my planned move to the USA. I am afraid to start looking for a job. What if I get a job offer and I can not get my TN because of the delay in receiving the visa screen. One other thing, they rejected my BSN I guess it was because my school refused to submit the info in the manner in which CGFNS requested. However I was approved for my RN credentials. Will this affect me getting the visa screen approval?

P.S I was told that I can only get a TN two weeks prior to starting a job in the U.S Do I go to the Border with my family the same day I plan to move to GA? Or is this something I do prior to the moving day? How will I know that I will be approved? What if my job letter is missing something. What do people normally do?

Thanks Again.

Spirit11:eek:

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Hi Suzanne,

I have a quick question. I passed the NCLEX and now I am waiting for my visa screen to be approved. I sent in all the info that cgfns needs to do so. My problem is that I am not sure if I will get the approval on time for my planned move to the USA. I am afraid to start looking for a job. What if I get a job offer and I can not get my TN because of the delay in receiving the visa screen. One other thing, they rejected my BSN I guess it was because my school refused to submit the info in the manner in which CGFNS requested. However I was approved for my RN credentials. Will this affect me getting the visa screen approval?

P.S I was told that I can only get a TN two weeks prior to starting a job in the U.S Do I go to the Border with my family the same day I plan to move to GA? Or is this something I do prior to the moving day? How will I know that I will be approved? What if my job letter is missing something. What do people normally do?

Thanks Again.

Spirit11:eek:

You must have the job offer letter as well as the VSC in your hands when you go to the border, or no TN Visa will be issued. The VSC takes only about four weeks for you to get if you trained in Canada. Not sure when the application was submitted to them.

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hi suzane pls helpsory for posting agin i dont know wer to post my question sory. just need help.

i have a question.. im currenty on the phillipes and i have the employer on illinois and i passed all the exam nclex from cali ,cgfns, my local board here in our country and my ielts english exam, my employer requires me an reciprocity application from chicago illinois before they hire me and petition me. but i dont know where to get the endorsemnt application from chicago. can anyone help me pls?

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hi guys. anybody here passed NCLEX under New Mexico? pls help me what to write in the NM license verification form for my visascreen, aside from the cgfns form to be filled NM has this form for the verification of license. im not sure what to write in the upper part of the verification form of New Mexico.

1. i have to check the cgfns part?

2. what will i fill in the name of the agency, address and attn? do i have to leave it blank? pls help. thanx in advance.

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