Canadian nurse trained in USA

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I am a Canadian, living in the USA and working on an H1B visa. My wife is taking classes and planning on enrolling in the nursing program and she has some questions. As a US trained foreign nurse, does she have to take the visa screen process? Does she have to do everything that any other foreign nurse has to do, or will it be easier since she's educated in the US? From what I understand, she will be a licensed nurse in Nevada (our state) once she's graduated (associates degree in RN), so what will she have to do next?

If anyone could give us some info we'd appreciate it. I have been reading about visa screen's and nclex exams and really have no idea what all is involved (and what is different for a foreign born nurse planning on getting a green card)

Thanks!

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NCLEX-RN is a licensing exam to become a Registered Nurse. Once you graduate from an approved program, you are then eligible to sit for the exam. You are not considered a Registered Nurse until you pass the exam and are given a license number by the Board of Nursing for your state.

By attending school in the US, she is eligible to apply for a green card with only two years of schooling. She will still need to go thru the same immigration process, the only difference is that English exams are waived.

Visa Screen is not an exam but a verification of credentials, etc. handled by CGFNS (http://www.cgfns.org)---if she is not on an F1 visa (student) and she is not required to be, she will not be eligible for the OPT which will allow her to work immedaitely after graduating. The way things are now, she will need the Visa Screen Certificate to apply for the TN Visa (from the NAFTA treaty), which she can get as soon as she has the Visa Screen Certificate. Fastest thing to do. She can apply for a green card during that time, but again nothing can be done until she actually graduates...............

Hope that this helps.....................please let me know if you have any more questions.............. :)

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Thank you very much for your quick reply. She is not on an F1... she is H4, which allows school but not work. Since she will be licenses and trained in the US, the CGFNS visa screen shouldn't be a big deal, correct? Is there a requirement to get work experience before becoming licensed (this would be the only issue I can envision encountering being in H4 instead of F!)? She would prefer to be on an F1, but I believe there are tax consequences for that status, plus we'd need to have a large chunk of cash in the bank.

Do nurses ever run into timing issues applying for a green card while on a TN? I know that TN doesn't allow dual-intent, so I'm curious what kind of time frame an application for a GC will end up with some sort of work authorization (to avoid any issues that could arise trying to renew TN with a pending GC application).

Thanks!

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She can begin work 60 to 90 days out, with an EAD, if she wants to go that route. I know many nurses that start with a TN, and then change over to the green card processing. Once an Adjustment in Status is filed on her behalf, then she gets the EAD in 60 to 90 days. Best bet is to speak with an immigration attorney in this matter.

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I didn't realize the ead was granted so quickly. I've been trying to get a greencard through my own job, but it requires labor certification and that creates a whole cluster of problems and delays.

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Visa Screen is not an exam but a verification of credentials, etc. handled by CGFNS (http://www.cgfns.org)---if she is not on an F1 visa (student) and she is not required to be, she will not be eligible for the OPT which will allow her to work immedaitely after graduating. The way things are now, she will need the Visa Screen Certificate to apply for the TN Visa (from the NAFTA treaty), which she can get as soon as she has the Visa Screen Certificate. Fastest thing to do. She can apply for a green card during that time, but again nothing can be done until she actually graduates...............

Hope that this helps.....................please let me know if you have any more questions.............. :)

Sorry to be a pest but I did some more reading and am confused... on the CFGNS web site http://www.cgfns.org/sections/fact/cert.shtml it says that part of the CFGNS certification process includes a qualifying exam testing nursing knowledge... would my wife be excempt from this exam since she will be educated in the United States, or will she also have to sit for the exam?

Thanks.

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The exam is the NCLEX-RN, same one that is required of new grads form US schools. It is just our licensing exam for every nurse who wishes to practice in the US, including those that trained here and are American. :)

It is quite easy to get an EAD as an RN, as well as a green card. They are actually expedited by the US Government................

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