Changes to Immigration

suzanne4, RN · Apr 14, 2004

These are not changes to immigration, they are just covering more nurses now. You must have a Visa Screen Certificate in hand to get your NAFTA Visa. You are not able to apply for it until after you have actually completed all of your classes and your final transcript has been issued. Your biggest hold-up is going to be getting the Visa Screen Certificate. At the moment this is taking about six months. If you go to http://www.CGFNS.org and go to the bottom of the list where the have the programs offered, you will see Visa Screen for NAFTA Visa. You need to go to this area to download the information that you need and will need to take care of. I suggest that you look at it now to see what will be required of you..............One suggestion, if you are considering permanently moving to the US, I would recommend applying for a green card. First, tax incentives, and second, in case NAFTA ceases to be.

Once you are close to finishing, you can begin looking for a job. You always have needed a "letter of intent to hire" even to get your NAFTA Visa. You probably just never heard of it. The hospital in the US is who is sponsoring you for your Visa, you are not issued it just because you are a nurse. NAFTA Visas actually only take a few months, much quicker than the green card.

If you were expecting to be able to work as a nurse in the US the week after you graduate from school, sorry..................

Hope that this helps. If you have any more questions please do not hesitiate to post them.

littlefeet · Apr 14, 2004

These are not changes to immigration, they are just covering more nurses now. You must have a Visa Screen Certificate in hand to get your NAFTA Visa. You are not able to apply for it until after you have actually completed all of your classes and your final transcript has been issued. Your biggest hold-up is going to be getting the Visa Screen Certificate. At the moment this is taking about six months. If you go to http://www.CGFNS.org and go to the bottom of the list where the have the programs offered, you will see Visa Screen for NAFTA Visa. You need to go to this area to download the information that you need and will need to take care of. I suggest that you look at it now to see what will be required of you..............One suggestion, if you are considering permanently moving to the US, I would recommend applying for a green card. First, tax incentives, and second, in case NAFTA ceases to be.
Once you are close to finishing, you can begin looking for a job. You always have needed a "letter of intent to hire" even to get your NAFTA Visa. You probably just never heard of it. The hospital in the US is who is sponsoring you for your Visa, you are not issued it just because you are a nurse. NAFTA Visas actually only take a few months, much quicker than the green card.
If you were expecting to be able to work as a nurse in the US the week after you graduate from school, sorry..................
Hope that this helps. If you have any more questions please do not hesitiate to post them.

My friend is in the same program as I am but she will be finishing in October instead. She told me tonight that although she is not finished her course yet, she has a letter of intent from a hospital in LA because they said that unless they gave that to her now she would have to wait a year after graduation to be able to work in the States. She told me that I need to go to the US boarder and apply ASAP for a SIN number (not sure what it is called in the states) and start getting this rolling. I went to the website and looked at the page you were talking about and I understand. But why is she getting all this stuff when she hasn't graduated yet. Also she told me that she only needs to write the NCLEX not the Canadian exam. After I am done school is all of the red tape and paper work going to take a year for me to get my career started? I really appreciate all the time you have taken to help me out. Thanks for answering my questions.

Renee :)

suzanne4, RN · Apr 14, 2004

First of all, she needs to have a Visa Screen Certificate to start work. There is no way around it. You do not have to take your boards in Cananda first, you just have to be eligible to take them. She is dealing with California, you will be dealing with Arizona. Two different states, two different sets of policies. The SIN number is a SSN number and normally you will not be given one until you are ready to begin work and have all of your documentation completed. You are able to take NCLEX without it. SSN means Social Security Number. You will not be granted that right away. You can get one in a matter of days so there is no reason to "run" to the border to apply for one. You can actually do it on-line now, just look at the website for the US Embassy. I would believe what the US Embassy states, because they have the final say. Getting paperwork through to work in California is taking quite a long time. But also do not forget that you will be reuqired to take the CGFNS exam to work in Arizona since you do not hold a license in another state. You cannot apply to take the exam until after you graduate. The exam is only given three times per year. Since you are graduating in December, you may not be eligible even for the March, 2005 exam because the paperwork, including an approved set of transcripts from your school must be received in the CGFNS office by mid-December. CGFNS has very strict rules about this and does not waive them for anyone. California does not require the CGFNS exam. So please be aware of all of these things that are required for you. The Visa Screen Certificate is going to take your friend about 6 months to receive, and she cannot begin work with it.

littlefeet · Apr 14, 2004

First of all, she needs to have a Visa Screen Certificate to start work. There is no way around it. You do not have to take your boards in Cananda first, you just have to be eligible to take them. She is dealing with California, you will be dealing with Arizona. Two different states, two different sets of policies. The SIN number is a SSN number and normally you will not be given one until you are ready to begin work and have all of your documentation completed. You are able to take NCLEX without it. SSN means Social Security Number. You will not be granted that right away. You can get one in a matter of days so there is no reason to "run" to the border to apply for one. You can actually do it on-line now, just look at the website for the US Embassy. I would believe what the US Embassy states, because they have the final say. Getting paperwork through to work in California is taking quite a long time. But also do not forget that you will be reuqired to take the CGFNS exam to work in Arizona since you do not hold a license in another state. You cannot apply to take the exam until after you graduate. The exam is only given three times per year. Since you are graduating in December, you may not be eligible even for the March, 2005 exam because the paperwork, including an approved set of transcripts from your school must be received in the CGFNS office by mid-December. CGFNS has very strict rules about this and does not waive them for anyone. California does not require the CGFNS exam. So please be aware of all of these things that are required for you. The Visa Screen Certificate is going to take your friend about 6 months to receive, and she cannot begin work with it.

So am I able to fill out this visa screen application with the information that I currently have even though I am not currently finished school or do I have to wait to finish my program before I send it in. I looked at the visa screen application and it asks for my hours in different clinical locations. I am not finished all my rotations yet, I have two left.

Renee

suzanne4, RN · Apr 14, 2004

So am I able to fill out this visa screen application with the information that I currently have even though I am not currently finished school or do I have to wait to finish my program before I send it in. I looked at the visa screen application and it asks for my hours in different clinical locations. I am not finished all my rotations yet, I have two left.
Renee

This is my point. I wanted you to see exactly what is required of you, as well as your friend. She can tell you anything, but you still need that Visa Screen Certificate to work in the US, AND it cannot be completed by your school until you have completed your class hours. It says number of completed hours, not hours that will be completed. Also, you need to write the CGFNS exam if you are wishing to work in Arizona. The application for that is similar to the Visa Screen application. You must have completed your classes before you can apply. This is why I am telling you that you may not be able to write the exam until July, 2005, as the deadline is approximately 90 days before the exam, and I do not see how you can make the deadline if you graduate in December for the March, 2005 exam. It also takes another 60 days before you will have your results. So there is no way that you will be able to be working in the US in January, and definitely not any way that your friend will be working in the US before the end of this year........

Please rely on actual US documents for specifics and not what your friend is telling you. You will be ahead if you follow protocol properly and do everything appropriately to begin with. It will actually save you time.

:balloons:

littlefeet · Apr 14, 2004

This is my point. I wanted you to see exactly what is required of you, as well as your friend. She can tell you anything, but you still need that Visa Screen Certificate to work in the US, AND it cannot be completed by your school until you have completed your class hours. It says number of completed hours, not hours that will be completed. Also, you need to write the CGFNS exam if you are wishing to work in Arizona. The application for that is similar to the Visa Screen application. You must have completed your classes before you can apply. This is why I am telling you that you may not be able to write the exam until July, 2005, as the deadline is approximately 90 days before the exam, and I do not see how you can make the deadline if you graduate in December for the March, 2005 exam. It also takes another 60 days before you will have your results. So there is no way that you will be able to be working in the US in January, and definitely not any way that your friend will be working in the US before the end of this year........
Please rely on actual US documents for specifics and not what your friend is telling you. You will be ahead if you follow protocol properly and do everything appropriately to begin with. It will actually save you time.
:balloons:

Okay, I understand. I will be sure to pass on this information to my friend. Boy is she in for a big shock! I guess I will be getting a job here for awhile when I am done. That's okay by me, kinda good to get some experience under my belt first anyway. Thanks you so much for all your help. You are very kind.

littlefeet · Apr 14, 2004

This is my point. I wanted you to see exactly what is required of you, as well as your friend. She can tell you anything, but you still need that Visa Screen Certificate to work in the US, AND it cannot be completed by your school until you have completed your class hours. It says number of completed hours, not hours that will be completed. Also, you need to write the CGFNS exam if you are wishing to work in Arizona. The application for that is similar to the Visa Screen application. You must have completed your classes before you can apply. This is why I am telling you that you may not be able to write the exam until July, 2005, as the deadline is approximately 90 days before the exam, and I do not see how you can make the deadline if you graduate in December for the March, 2005 exam. It also takes another 60 days before you will have your results. So there is no way that you will be able to be working in the US in January, and definitely not any way that your friend will be working in the US before the end of this year........
Please rely on actual US documents for specifics and not what your friend is telling you. You will be ahead if you follow protocol properly and do everything appropriately to begin with. It will actually save you time.
:balloons:

Renee :wink2:

suzanne4, RN · Apr 15, 2004

Their website, which is supposed to be up to date, is still stating that it is required unless you have already been licensed in another state. They must have waived that requirement for Canadians, but I know that it is still in effect for nurses from other countries.

Good luck and thanks for telling me of the update. :balloons:

littlefeet · Apr 15, 2004

Their website, which is supposed to be up to date, is still stating that it is required unless you have already been licensed in another state. They must have waived that requirement for Canadians, but I know that it is still in effect for nurses from other countries.
Good luck and thanks for telling me of the update. :balloons:

No problem. I called the CGNFNS too and they verified it too.

They still require the credentials evaluation but as long as you pass your CNAT it is okay. This is just for Canadians like you said.

Have a good day Suzanne :)

HYGEA · Apr 17, 2004

Luckily, you've received some good and correct advice here already. May I add another piece - write your CNATs. If you skip this Cdn exam and go directly to the USA with the CGFNS exam (and then the NCLEX), you will not have anything to fall back on if you ever have to work in Canada. You'd still be writing 2 exams, CNATS and NCLEX, rather than the CGFNS exam then the NCLEX. I've seen quite a bit of change in the TN work status, and am really glad that I have both the CNATS and the NCLEX. Suggestion #2, write your NCLEX through MN BON. You don't have to go to MN to write the exam, but the turn-around for Cdn RNs is really fast, and you can phone in for your NCLEX results after about 2-3 days (or at least you could two years ago!)

Word of advice - really, REALLY, investigate the hospital you're going to before you make the big trip. California wages may sound like really great stuff, but it's really expensive to live in some parts, exp LA. I'm a travel RN who's worked in TN, LA (Louisianna), NC, and OH, so I can speak with experience.

Good luck working in the USA.

Deb - Cdn Peds RN, currently in Columbus, OH, soon to be heading west again to CA! (sun, surf ... $2+ a gallon for gas!)

oneLoneNurse · Apr 19, 2004

You all have me worried. I have worked in the US since 1988 on a H1-B for the first year and then a NAFTA TN ever since. I have a license to practise in PA which I have used since 1992. I renewed my TN visa the first of April. Question: will this new policy affect me ?