CA BVNPT - LVN inquiries and updates for international students

sallyp911 · May 5, 2012

Step by step instruction on how to apply for LVN for IEN would be great =)

I'm sorry, I don't know much about this subject (IEN), but maybe others here can help out with that situation.

sallyp911 · May 10, 2012

Oh, NO! I just received this very disappointing e-mail from my overseas friend, she was denied to take the LVN exam in CA.

Her letter cited the same thing with the same concurrency issues for the RN application.

BVNPT - Unapproved Nursing Programs

It was pointed out in the letter as seen in the last item mentioned in CA BVNPT rules.

She will have to pursue her out of CA applications for sure now and hope's to get one state that does not require a SS#, either upon the initial application or after passing the NCLEX.

kayakoto · May 10, 2012

Oh, NO! I just received this very disappointing e-mail from my overseas friend, she was denied to take the LVN exam in CA.
Her letter cited the same thing with the same concurrency issues for the RN application.
BVNPT - Unapproved Nursing Programs
It was pointed out in the letter as seen in the last item mentioned in CA BVNPT rules.
She will have to pursue her out of CA applications for sure now and hope's to get one state that does not require a SS#, either upon the initial application or after passing the NCLEX.

I read all your posts actually sometimes Im wondering if you are posting to give IEN hopes for our application or the other way around.almost all your posts says your friend,your friends friend but not really you who is having these problems and yet you are d one who give us updates most of the time or should I say so eager to know whats happening with the IEN applications.

like this one again email from your overseas friend..maybe I just misunderstood what really youre trying to imply.

So now your posting some news bad news to IEN LVN applicants who was denied by CABON,maybe its time to share mine.me myself was denied by CABON applied for LVN submitted my requirements from my school march23 and just this month may4 received my eligibility to take d lvn exam.I actually didnt post it here in AN so other IEN will not have any anxiety on why they havent receive theirs because I know all IEN who got denied by CABON will eventually get their ATT for d LVN exam.

So I wonder if your friend is telling d truth.

sallyp911 · May 10, 2012

I read all your posts actually sometimes Im wondering if you are posting to give IEN hopes for our application or the other way around.almost all your posts says your friend,your friends friend but not really you who is having these problems and yet you are d one who give us updates most of the time or should I say so eager to know whats happening with the IEN applications.
like this one again email from your overseas friend..maybe I just misunderstood what really youre trying to imply.
So now your posting some news bad news to IEN LVN applicants who was denied by CABON,maybe its time to share mine.me myself was denied by CABON applied for LVN submitted my requirements from my school march23 and just this month may4 received my eligibility to take d lvn exam.I actually didnt post it here in AN so other IEN will not have any anxiety on why they havent receive theirs because I know all IEN who got denied by CABON will eventually get their ATT for d LVN exam.
So I wonder if your friend is telling d truth.

Sorry, if you feel that way, you're entitled to your opinion. I can only tell you what I get in terms of e-mails or if we chat on-line. She is a friend I met while I was on an overseas trip to the Phillipines a few years ago, I come to find out she too was studying nursing and we struck a bond.

We kept in touch over the years, so yes, I truly believe her and report back here what she and a few of her classmates are going thru.

Hey, sometimes the news is not always good, you would rather have me tell you, you will all get your ATT for the RN license in a few days? Would you rather have me tell you you don't need to bother with a SS#, it's going to pass without one? I guess this is sometimes what happens in trying to be helpful. Sorry, if I don't paint in lovely and rosy colors for you.

That's great that you got your ATT for the LVN exam, good luck to you. But I can tell you that for the reason, she got her denial letter was for not meeting the concurrency. Maybe everyone else will get their ATT as well, but like some here have had their own friends get the ATT for the NCLEX-RN, but they got denied even after being in the same classes together in the same college. By the way, she did attend a very good college and did well.

If you happen to read very closely to the BVNPT link I posted above, you can see one of the bullet points for getting denied is the concurrency issue. This is the first time I was made aware of this based upon after seeing her e-mail today, I was taken away.

I can tell you based on her e-mail to me, how sad it was and I had a big lump in my throat and a few tears running down my face. There's no reason for her to lie to me, we have been talking about finally one day we can go to Disneyland together and we're working nurses.

I told her, let's re-submit the application. She is still overseas and uses a friend's address here in CA. We're not giving up hope yet in CA, but she is exploring other options to get her RN license.

kayakoto · May 11, 2012

@ sallyp911...yeah you are right sometimes the news are not always good,but I hope IEN applicants should atleast get some truth when reading some posts regarding the application problems that many IEN encounters..you said your overseas friend got denied too by LVN because of the concurrency issue,because it was cited in her letter.

you said that your friend is now going to pursue her out of CA applications and hope to get one state that does not require SS#.

Now my question is are you really sure she was denied because of the concurrency issue?because in the first place she doesnt have SS# so how come she applied for LVN knowing that in the form we need to put our SS#?So sorry if I find your post in a different way.

sallyp911 · May 11, 2012

here's the direct copy and paste answers she got from her contact person at the bvnpt when she started the process a few months ago:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(1). will the bvnpt still accept applicants with the non-currency of their classes?[color=#17365d][color=#17365d]

[color=#17365d]the lvn board does not require concurrency of theory/clinical however, it is on a case by case basis, whereby yes, you must show your courses were taken in the same semester. the board may require a declaration that no internet/distance learning was in the program and may require copies of passport/visas.

(2). can a foreign student still submit their application and the fees without listing a ssn?[color=#17365d]

[color=#17365d]yes, just indicate that you're a foreign student, however, the board requires a valid us social security number to qualify to sit for the examination.

(3). do you forecast any future changes to the above due to flood of foreign applicants and lack of nursing jobs?[color=#17365d]

[color=#17365d]

[color=#17365d]no, the requirements were put in place by the board to protect the public.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

she submitted her application based on the above information to her contact person's attention. so you can see the inconsistency of the answers: yes, you can do this, but no, you can't because of that. she applied not using a ss# as she can't since she does not possess one, but she was not denied for that, but rather for the same item that ca bon did.

recognize the bvnpt and ca bon are two different approving and governing entities. in any sort of government operations and staffing, they are known for being not the quickest in their dealings with the general public.

she has actually been starting to look into other states, not waiting for the ca answer. she has been going thru the other things such as those foreign testing evaluations for her courses and language proficiency, applying into ny. she was looking into vt, but found they just started the ss# requirement. she told me that her other friends are looking into smaller states? your guess is as good as mine on that.

sallyp911 · May 11, 2012

This is direct from the BVNPT own site: (to be honest, I didn't even read this before, until she dropped the bad news to me on when I found out, it was right there).

Indicators that the program may be unapproved or cannot be deemed equivalent:

The program is not listed on the Board's website as an approved vocational nursing program or on the California Board of Registered Nursing website as an approved registered nursing program.
Lack of proof of accreditation in California (i.e., documentation from the Board verifying a specified period of accreditation). (The nursing program may tell you that it is approved.)
Lack of a course syllabus for each course taught.
Lack of information regarding credentials for each program instructor that comply with the Vocational Nursing Regulations in California.
Representation of online, distance, and/or blended instruction.
Representation that transcripts and/or degrees will be issued by an out-of-state or international program rather than the program where instruction is provided.
Lack of concrete information regarding clinical instruction, such as the location of the clinical instruction or that clinical instruction is to be completed abroad.
Lack of concurrent instruction of theory and clinical practice.

sallyp911 · May 11, 2012

Here's that direct link again below:

BVNPT - Unapproved Nursing Programs

shawie · May 11, 2012

sally911 may I ask if your overseas friend transferred her requirements to BVN or she requested a new requirements from her school when she applied BVN? When did she apply BVN? Thanks!

sallyp911 · May 11, 2012

sally911 may I ask if your overseas friend transferred her requirements to BVN or she requested a new requirements from her school when she applied BVN? When did she apply BVN? Thanks!

She submitted her application sometime in Jan-Feb. 2012 and she submitted as a new application since she's still overseas and able to get to her school to get the needed documentation and sent them to a friend here in CA, who then sent off the entire package via Fedex ground (this way, the package letter could be traced and able to follow its path on-line).

She figured the extra cost of having the CA BON wasn't worth it in terms of speed or knowledge when the BVNPT would get it.

But she's going to re-submit an request to have her application re-evaluated again, as she (we) think the rules were changed with respect of the concurrency issue and she should have been approved under the "old" rule, but I think it's better to have another evaluator look at her application. I think two different people could give two answers, as maybe one of them is not yet versed.

After thought: oh, no, I just forgot, even if she gets the ATT to take the LVN exam, she can't.....no SS#, according to the BVNPT reply, the Board requires a valid SS#...I think I"ll wait till tomorrow to call her as it's night time over there. I rather tell her in person to break the news.

shawie · May 11, 2012

I think that's the reason she got denied because she doesn't have an SS#. Check the the Instruction to Applicants for Licensure b. Social Security Number - applications for licensure will not be processed until US SS# is received. Did your friend tell you the exact reason why she got denied?

sallyp911 · May 11, 2012

I think that's the reason she got denied because she doesn't have an SS#. Check the the Instruction to Applicants for Licensure b. Social Security Number - applications for licensure will not be processed until US SS# is received. Did your friend tell you the exact reason why she got denied?

No, it was not denied due to the lack of providing a SS# or they would have simply returned the entire package like they do with RN applications submitted without a SS#.

Like some states let applicants thru without a SS# and even pass NCLEX, but then they are unable to get the actual license until a SS# is provided.

As mentioned before, she received a denial letter stating the "concurrency issue". It's the same posting on the BVNPT website, you will see it's clearly stated as the last item of their checklist of possible reasons for non-approvals:

-- Lack of concurrent instruction of theory and clinical practice. Please double check their site for this.

She called me and we just got off the phone with me to tell her the bad news about the SS# is needed even if she got the ATT. It was one of the longest moment of silence between us. But she knows that's the reality now and just that much tougher to come to the States. So sad....:-(

She did jokingly say, "time to dump her boyfriend there and find a good American guy here"...okay, guys, she said this in a very light hearted statement, as he's a very nice guy whom I met, very loyal and lovingly, good looking too! He comes from a wealthy family there, lives at home still, but home is like 3,000 sq. ft. model home and I was impressed with the 4 maids, so I know she's not going to leave him.