CGFNS/ICHP's Official decision on Visa Screening for June 2006 NLE passers

World Philippines

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CGFNS Denies VisaScreen® Certificates for Philippine Nurses Who Passed the Compromised June 2006 Philippine Licensure Examination

PHILADELPHIA, PA — FEBRUARY 14, 2007 — After careful consideration, the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS International) has decided that those Philippine nurses who were sworn in as licensed nurses in the Philippines following their passing the compromised licensure exam of June 2006 are not eligible for a VisaScreen Certificate. CGFNS began investigating this issue soon after the first reports of irregularities were received and sent a fact-finding mission to the Philippines in September 2006. CGFNS has concluded that the licensure process for those who received their license as a result of passing the compromised June 2006 licensure examination raises significant questions about the accurate assessment of the competencies of many of those individuals.

Therefore, CGFNS is unable to certify that the licensure is comparable to a U.S. license. In this instance, applicable U.S. immigration law will not permit CGFNS to issue the VisaScreen Certificate required of internationally educated health care workers to those nurses who obtained Philippine licensure on the basis of passing the June 2006 nursing licensure examination. CGFNS notes, however, that the June 2006 passers are able to overcome this bar and qualify for a VisaScreen Certificate by taking the equivalent of Tests 3 and 5 on a future licensing examination administered by Philippine regulatory authorities and obtaining a passing score.

please verify at:

http://www.cgfns.org/sections/about/news/news/2007/02-14-07_philippines.shtml

For those that want to go to US...we need to take the board or certain parts of the board this June.

I just hope for the best for the June 2006 passers and this problem be resolved soon.

I hope so too.......:cool:

what about those who passed already the cgfns exam? will it still be valid if ever they will retake the local board exam? thanks

Sorry, but the issue would never go silent. Until all retake that exam, they will not get the VSC that most desire. Many have already retaken the exam in December so that they could go on with their lives. The others will have wasted a full year.

The ban would have been issued as the June exam was flawed. Period. And that is a well known fact around the world, not just in the US. With the number of nurses that come from the Philippines, there was no other choice.

Hmm..yeah exactly. I mean if they'd retaken the exam a long time ago or took it again December ... for the "cloud of doubt" to disappear..

i pity for those who passed the NLE june 2006 with regards to the decision of the CGFNS. My only suggestions for them is to file for another application to take the local board exam again. I turly disagree with the pronounced statement i saw in the television that Visa screen is not very improtant since passing the nclex is the only way in going to the U.S. VSC is the sole key to migrate to the US including the Nclex. So, Taking the boards again is the only way for you guys to work in the US. Do your best again and take the exam, with enough knowledge and confidence, you will surely pass again. Thanks.

Who ever said that has never worked in the US and knows absolutely nothing about working in the US.

NCLEX-RN and CGFNS are nursing exams and passing of at least one are required to begin the petition process for immigration. US Immigration, known as USCIS, actually is the one that requires the Visa Screen Certificate for immigration purposes. It has nothing to do with licensure which is completely separate.

For those that do not want to believe this, you will not be working in the US. And VSC is required for any type of visa if the person will be working as an RN in any type of capacity. Not just for the green card.

Specializes in Medical-Surgical.

And to hear from Rosero from PRC stating that the VSC is not needed in 20 US states is incredible. This is a common malady with Filipino officials, they tend to speak as if they know everything, they should research before they open their mouths. Their statements regarding the VSC are confusing everyone.

I feel ashamed everytime a Filipino in authority opens his/her mouth regarding a subject he/she does not know a thing.

And to hear from Rosero from PRC stating that the VSC is not needed in 20 US states is incredible. This is a common malady with Filipino officials, they tend to speak as if they know everything, they should research before they open their mouths. Their statements regarding the VSC are confusing everyone.

I feel ashamed everytime a Filipino in authority opens his/her mouth regarding a subject he/she does not know a thing.

Well, now that the cat is out. The person I was referring to from another thread in the Int'l forum is this same person but Mr. Dante Ang was quick to refute that claim by calling up the US Embassy and the spokesperson from the consulate officially said that no nurse is exempted from it.

Also, the young immigration lawyer who was interviewed again corrected himself by saying that the VSC is Federally mandated whether as Immigrant or just working visa and whether via consular processing here in the Philippines or through Adj. of Status in the US. NO exemptions. And he go on and say that the easiest remedy for it is to just re-take.

Specializes in ICU.

To all June 2006 NLE passer,i think it's better to take the exam again.Anyway if you are really meant to be a nurse,then you will passed again no matter what. In addition I think the PRC should provide a free retake exam to all JUNE 2006 passer.

Actually, a lot of us (june 2006 passers) want to comply with the cgfns req which is to retake test 3 and 5. We want to get it over with and prove that we really deserve our license. I think some of these student nurse groups are making it worse by letting the public feel that a majority of june 2006 passers don't want to retake. I can probably say that the majority would want to move on, retake test 3 and 5, and finally, get a visascreen certificate after taking the nclex...

My take on it? Let the student groups continue to protest and may they remain in the Philippines. The US Government is not going to change on this one, and if they do not, CGFNS is unable to do so.

For those that have tried unscrupulous lies to get around the VSC requirement, may they be deported when they get here. That would be the best medicine for them. And that will happen. The internet is not a anonynous as one thinks and they will be found. No one wants anyone with a behavior like that to be working with them here in the US. If they are willing to take a chance and lie to the US Federal Govt, what will they do when they become a nurse and are responsible for patients here? Lie aobut what they did not do? Sorry, but I have no use for people like that, nor does anyone else in the US. And those of you here know exactly who this is directed at.

Actually, a lot of us (june 2006 passers) want to comply with the cgfns req which is to retake test 3 and 5. We want to get it over with and prove that we really deserve our license. I think some of these student nurse groups are making it worse by letting the public feel that a majority of june 2006 passers don't want to retake. I can probably say that the majority would want to move on, retake test 3 and 5, and finally, get a visascreen certificate after taking the nclex...

Let them protest all they want and let them try to appeal. CGFNS will not over-turn their own decision. They have studied that matter comprehensively (that's why it took them so long) and they had a team of their own who visited the Philippines to make their own assessment of the situation so that they can have an unbiased decision.

Besides, over-turning their own decision would mean American nurses protesting over them and the American public in general would loose confidence on them as they would be failing to safe-guard the American patients. A substantial vote of a lack of confidence from the American nurses and American general public would also mean possible stripping of their license to conduct the Visa Screening for the USCIS.

And trying to argue with essentially the US government could make the person a person non-grata for the US and bar them from ever working in the US.

CGFNS is under contract specifically to the US federal govt to provide services for them, under their direction. Trying to fight with them over something like this is grounds for keeping them out of the US. The US is not required to take anyone that thinks that they have a right to work in the US, and passing the NCLEX exam and graduating from nursing school does not guarantee you one thing. Definitely not that you will be automatically permitted to live and work in the US. And I do mean permitted, you have to be accepted to do so. It is not automatic and can be taken away.

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