CA NCLEX passer now with SS number

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Hi! I'm a foreign RN who passed the CA NCLEX last year. I received a letter stating that I need a social security number in order to obtain a CA RN license. Since I did not have a SS number last year, I applied for endorsement for Vermont and was given a Vermont RN license.

I went to the US this year and recently was able to get a social security number. I'm wondering what I should do to get a CA RN license. Should I send the letter from the CA Board of Nursing stating that I passed the NCLEX and put my SS number there to get an RN license? Or should I apply for endorsement from Vermont to California? The endorsement process is too tedious since it needs fingerprinting and documents from my home country which I already submited to the CA BON when I applied for the NCLEX RN exam.

How long will it take me to get the CA RN license?

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Dear SS RN Holder,

Your best possible option is finding out your options from the BON of CA. Simply contact the BON Nurse Consultant and explain your predicament. Most BONs have Nurse Consultants dealing with special situations.

It's unclear how you did 'endorsed' to Vermont without having the RN status from CA. An endorsement option is executed only when a nurse has the RN status and wishes to endorse that status to another State.

Now that you have a SS number, a Federal number good for any State, CA will most likely reconsider your application for RN as a valid request. In any event, contacting the CA BON seems the most appropiate action at this point.

Take note that even when a foreign healthcare professional is not yet a USA resident, a SS # may be issued by Federal mandate; a "Not good for work" social security card will be issued if you escalate your request to a supervisor.

In most cases 'processors in BONs' will not know this Federal ruling. Whether you use it for employment is not any BON's jurisdiction, but it helps getting your license. Once you have license and SS then you can look into the labor issues and seek legal employment.

If you passed the CGFNs Visa Screen you can work under your occupational healthcare personnel visa - don't need labor certification - and seek visa status adjustment as needed within a year or renew the same status.

Good luck,

Nclexinstructor

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Dear SS RN Holder,

Your best possible option is finding out your options from the BON of CA. Simply contact the BON Nurse Consultant and explain your predicament. Most BONs have Nurse Consultants dealing with special situations.

It's unclear how you did 'endorsed' to Vermont without having the RN status from CA. An endorsement option is executed only when a nurse has the RN status and wishes to endorse that status to another State.

Now that you have a SS number, a Federal number good for any State, CA will most likely reconsider your application for RN as a valid request. In any event, contacting the CA BON seems the most appropiate action at this point.

Take note that even when a foreign healthcare professional is not yet a USA resident, a SS # may be issued by Federal mandate; a "Not good for work" social security card will be issued if you escalate your request to a supervisor.

In most cases 'processors in BONs' will not know this Federal ruling. Whether you use it for employment is not any BON's jurisdiction, but it helps getting your license. Once you have license and SS then you can look into the labor issues and seek legal employment.

If you passed the CGFNs Visa Screen you can work under your occupational healthcare personnel visa - don't need labor certification - and seek visa status adjustment as needed within a year or renew the same status.

Good luck,

Nclexinstructor

Can you please expand on how someone seek legal employment and AOS when currently the US is under retrogression and for immigrant visa needs to be current to AOS bearing in mind most nurses meet EB3 category and not all nurses meet H1b requirement?

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

OP you need to contact the BRN and see what they require. If you have a license to endorse then you usually have to meet endorsement requirements however if your file is still active (should be if you sat NCLEX last year) then you just need to submit your SSN to the BRN

I am interested in how you obtained your SSN just so that other members who are in a similar boat can understand as generally a SSN isn't given unless the personal can prove legal residency. This from the SSA website

To apply for a Social Security number and card:

* Complete an Application For A Social Security Card (Form SS-5); and

* Show us original documents or copies certified by the issuing agency proving:

o U.S. citizenship or immigration status [including Department of Homeland Security (DHS) permission to work in the United States];

o Age; and

o Identity.

SSA

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To those who are curious how I got a SS number, I applied for an H1b visa as a dialysis nurse and got approved.

I also married my boyfriend (now my husband) who is a US citizen recently. But we haven't started working on his petition for me. That's another story.

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How long will it take to get my RN license if I mail the letter stating that I passed the NCLEX with my social security number to the Board of Nursing?

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Specializes in CTICU.

Ask the CA BRN. None of us can tell you. Are you planning to leave your H1B employer and move to CA? Do you have a contract?

BTW, as far as I know there is no "not good for work" SSN card - only one with the legend "Valid for work with DHS authorization".

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Your husband just recently became a US citizen, and he can petition someone already? I didn't know you can petition someone that quick after becoming a citizen. Hope it all works out for you.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Yes as soon as a USC you can petition spouse. You can start the process sooner but once a USC the process goes a lot quicker.

OP you probably benefit from getting your GC sorted visa spouse route sooner rather than later

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Specializes in CTICU.
Your husband just recently became a US citizen, and he can petition someone already? I didn't know you can petition someone that quick after becoming a citizen. Hope it all works out for you.

Any USC can petition immediately for an immediate relative... and of course someone can petition immediately for their spouse!

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It is so hard to contact the CA Board of Nursing! I emailed them several times, even a few months back but they never replied. I tried calling them but only a voice recording answers. Why do they post their contact info on the website when you can't get in touch with them??

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When I contacted the CA BRN through email, at first they never responded to my question. I had to email them 6 months later and received a response within 72 hours. I would keep emailing them until they answer your questions. Since you are in the US now and long distance calls aren't that expensive like they used to be keep calling them. Good Luck

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