by warcode

My cousin passed the local board july 2004. I work here in CA and want her to come here too. I have to go to HR about this, but I believe they sponsor foreign nurses. nway, i went to school in the philippines but didn't have to go through all the hassles of immigration since i'm a citizen here. all i did was as soon as i graduated from college, i went back, studied for the nclex, applied, got delayed since i had to show them why i didnt have a license in the philippines, took the test and that's it. applied for a job in the hospital and the rest is history.

for my cousin however, i got no clue. she told me she passed the ielts already. i keep insisting to her that she doesnt need the cgfns since california doesnt require it. she keeps insisting that she needs it to get an immigrant visa.

i thought all she had to do was take an english profiency test, pass the nclex, get a visa screen and for me to find an employer to sponsor her.

but we have another problem. california requires a social security number for its applicants.. CRAP!

i so do not want to get a lawyer. but i think i might need to. any advice pls?

: uhoh3:

Re: CA not a good place for a foreign grad?

i read in the international forum that you cannot "endorse." if you apply in CA and you dont have a ssn#. but what is the use of endorsing if you dont plan to work anywhere else other than ca?

OR, not having a ssn# is gona delay the process of the green card..?

Re: CA not a good place for a foreign grad?

Originally Posted by warcode

My cousin passed the local board july 2004. I work here in CA and want her to come here too. I have to go to HR about this, but I believe they sponsor foreign nurses. nway, i went to school in the philippines but didn't have to go through all the hassles of immigration since i'm a citizen here. all i did was as soon as i graduated from college, i went back, studied for the nclex, applied, got delayed since i had to show them why i didnt have a license in the philippines, took the test and that's it. applied for a job in the hospital and the rest is history.

for my cousin however, i got no clue. she told me she passed the ielts already. i keep insisting to her that she doesnt need the cgfns since california doesnt require it. she keeps insisting that she needs it to get an immigrant visa.

i thought all she had to do was take an english profiency test, pass the nclex, get a visa screen and for me to find an employer to sponsor her.

but we have another problem. california requires a social security number for its applicants.. CRAP!

i so do not want to get a lawyer. but i think i might need to. any advice pls?

: uhoh3:

Hi Warcode. Welcome to the Phil. Nursing forum.
If she has plans to endorse or apply again to a state that requires the CGFNS certification then she can benefit from it, if not then it is of no use. She will be just wasting money, time, and effort for the exams for nothing. Last time I checked... Michigan, CT, NJ still requires the CGFNS certification while PA needs the CGFNS certification if applying there as initial licensure while only the CES if endorsing from another state. Vermont and New Mexico are the same with CA in that you give your TORs straight to them while the rest of state BON rquires CGFN's CES.

It is common mistake here in the Phils. that you require the CGFNS exam or certification for migration when you only need the VisaScreen certificate and you can use your NCLEX to complete it instead of the CGFNS exam. Why this rumor still persists up to now is a mystery but you know how it is here in the Phils. Garbage in, garbage out and it keeps circulating.

VisaScreen cert. = Transcript eval'tn + IELTS or TOEFL series + CGFNS exam
OR NCLEX exam.

Hoped I helped a little bit.

Re: CA not a good place for a foreign grad?

You do not need a SSN# to apply for licensure in CA, but you will not be issued a permanent license until you can sumbit that to them. You can still take the NCLEX exam without it.

I do not recommend CA for initial licensure for any foreing grad, even if they are definite that they are going to work in CA. First, it takes four to six months on average before the nurse will get permission ot sit for the NCLEX exam, then since no SSN#, it will take about another month to receive results of the exam by snail mail.

It is extremely easy and fast to endorse to CA if you go for initial licensure in another state first.

And a CGFNS Certificate is not needed, only the Visa Screen Certificate, which requires NCLEX and the passing of the English exams.

VSC and CG are both thru CGFNS (VSC is thru ICHP which is part of CGFNS). But ae completely different items and not at all related.
There is incorrect information being passed on another forum that is frequented by Filipino nurses and students. That is where all of this mis-information is coming from.

Re: CA not a good place for a foreign grad?

thanks for the input! but i was just weighing the cost... NY vs CA. dang.. NY will cost alot of money in the end...

BUT, 4-6 months before eligibility to take the test in CA vs how long in NY?

Re: CA not a good place for a foreign grad?

The biggest issue is that they will not find out results of the NCLEX for one month or so, most have issues waiting that long.

Cost is deductible from income taxes once they start working.

And what if for some reason at the last moment, they decide to work in another state for some reason, they will have major issues trying to endorse there. Very big hassle.

You can use NY, you can use Vermont, or one of the others, but do not go for initial licensure in CA. The choice is yours, but I am telling you don't do it.

Re: CA not a good place for a foreign grad?

hi Suzanne,

I took my California NCLEX in Hongkong last Feb 2. It's now April 9 and yet I have not received the results. What's the usual duration?

For the others: I suggest you listen to the words of wisdom from Suzanne. I waited for 5 months to get my ATT from the BON of California. I should have applied for New Mexico.

Re: CA not a good place for a foreign grad?

It usually is only one month for you to get results. Are you sure that they have the correct address for you?

Re: CA not a good place for a foreign grad?

after reading this, id probably change my mind and apply at NY. I was hoping i could make it easier by skipping the CES and language exams. I know it will take longer but I am not in a big hurry anyways. While can work, I dont want to be stuck in CA if ever I decide to go to another state. And as Ive read, the extra cost can be deducted in the future.

Re: CA not a good place for a foreign grad?

Language exams are required for the Visa Screen Certificate, jsut because a state maynot have them, the US government does.