ATTENTION: Arkansas Board of Nursing Now Requires SSN

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Arkansas Board of Nursing released a notice on October 25th which stated that they now require an SSN for licensure application and applicants will not be permitted to sit for NCLEX without providing an SSN.

In addition, ARSBN now requires Credential Evaluation and English Proficiency from foreign educated RNs.

I have spent a few hours on the phone with Arkansas Board representatives to clear this issue up and can tell you the following:

SSN requirement is not part of the Board policy and is therefore not up to interpretation, this is a STATE LAW and must be enforced strictly.

Any applicants already granted eligibility prior to October 25th will still be allowed to sit for NCLEX but will NOT be issued licenses and must provide an SSN before the expiration date which appears on the letter of passing.

Any applicants who HAVE NOT been granted eligibility must wait for their INDIVIDUAL evaluation.

Currently there are more than 600 nurses pending applications, the applications will be evaluated one at a time to determine if eligibility will be granted (based on the stage the application is in the evaluation process) or not.

ARBSN has not yet determined if there will be any refund issued for those applicants who have not been granted eligibility. As of my last conversation with them, they are considering simply holding the applications and waiting for SSN to be provided in order to grant eligibility.

More info will be posted here as I receive it.

NOTE: I am NOT a representative of Arkansas or any sort of placement/staffing agency. I am a nurse advocate and career consultant.

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If they did spend money and if they are denied, then they should be refunded because the rule came into effect before they determined that a ss# will be needed.

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how inconvenient! i passed nclex-rn a year ago and i was supposed to endorse to arkansas!

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Do you think that the SSN requirement will also affect RN license renewal? I need to renew my license soon and unfortunately I don't have SSN.

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Specializes in Resuscitation, CCU, HDU, ICU, ER.

Thanks for letting me know, I have applied for eligibility to test so am one of the 600 in the line waiting

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Specializes in Resuscitation, CCU, HDU, ICU, ER.

Just arrived by e-mail

"

Arkansas State Board of Nursing (the Board) has received your Examination Application for International Graduates form. However, a social security number is required for individuals applying for licensure. Please refer to the Examination/International Application & Instructions, located on our website at http://www.arsbn.org. You may locate the referenced information by clicking on the Forms tab.

Applications for licensure applicants that were submitted to the Board prior to this date are placed in an inactive status until receipt of proof of a social security number and all other required documents as identified in the International Graduates Licensure Examination Application Instructions referenced above.

Additional information regarding each step in the process is included within the packet of materials on our website. Please read and follow directions carefully. "

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i am also one of the 600 in line waiting. How could they be so cruel?? :( i have sent my application last august together with my friends, we mailed as a group and all of them have recieved their eligibility last september except for me, and now arkansas released a new policy. im hoping to take the exam this december, but i guess it would take me until next year. i need some advise..will it be best to just find another state like vermont? though its really pricey.:confused:

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If they did spend money and if they are denied, then they should be refunded because the rule came into effect before they determined that a ss# will be needed.

I agree that they should be and this is the opinion I have voiced to ARSBN; however they are seriously considering completing an evaluation and then HOLDING THE APPLICATION UNTIL THE APPLICANT PROVIDES SSN. Therefore, "providing a service" for the fees paid.

One person I spoke with is in agreement with me, however, so we will see how this plays out.

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Do you think that the SSN requirement will also affect RN license renewal? I need to renew my license soon and unfortunately I don't have SSN.

The ssn requirement affects all aspects of licensure.

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i need some advise..will it be best to just find another state like vermont? though its really pricey.:confused:

My advice is to consider the state you wish to live and work in. If that state will not allow you to apply directly due to SSN requirements then seek out a state which will issue a license number without SSN and permit you to renew it while in the Philippines.

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Do you think that the SSN requirement will also affect RN license renewal? I need to renew my license soon and unfortunately I don't have SSN.

That's a question to ask the Arkansas BRN. I would assume that if they're requiring it for initial licensure, then they will require it for renewal also. I think the fair thing to do is to refund people who have submitted their applications before the rule came into effect if they're going to be denied the opportunity to take the NCLEX. If they decide to let them take the NCLEX-RN then they should also allow them to obtain licensure because they their applications were submitted before the rule came into effect. The rule should only affect those that applied after it took effect.

I'm not surprised this happened as more states are leaning towards having a ss# and it makes sense.

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I'm not surprised this happened as more states are leaning towards having a ss# and it makes sense.

Actually it doesn't make sense. An overwhelming majority of nurses coming into the USA are relying on Employer nomination; even for the EB-2 Migration category visa they still need an employer nomination.

It is illogical to demand that an employer nominate a nurse for a visa in order for her to get an SSN before she has, in fact, passed NCLEX and is therefore eligible to work as a USRN.

The SSN policies are a back door to closing off nurse migration completely and it is only going to cripple the US healthcare system as the nursing shortage grows to cover every area of the USA within the next decade.

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