The Wonderful World of Change

[Snowman106]

Maybe someone out there may have the answer. I've been living in Texas for the past 15yrs, been a Permanent Resident (Green Card) since Aug 1995. I came to the US as a Canadian nurse and was granted a Tx nursing license based on my Canadian license results. My last renewal of my RN license was last year.

My dilema is I plan on going for my Citizenship, finally, and notified the Board to enquire if whether or not I'd have to write the NCLEX or any other test afterwards to maintain my license. I received 2 different responses one yes, one no, but both responses came with the sense that I should already have taken the NCLEX (Texas is the only state I've worked in).

Doing some further research, I read about the Visa Screen that was implemented in 1996 after I was already a Permanent Resident. And all that I've read was referring to temp visas and the need for the Visa Screen and NCLEX, etc.

Just trying to find the answer as to what credentials I would/should have at this time. Do I need the Visa Screen and/or NCLEX or is my present license still covered under the Canadian reciprocity from 1994? Did something change since I've been in the US that I need to address immediately or is there something I need to do in addition to my citizenship goals? I swear, no matter where you live gov't likes to change things so the sake of change.

PS: On the english competency requirement....I know 2 languages, English and Bad English so I think I have that covered.

[itsmejuli]

I'm a US permanent resident also from Canada.

"I came to the US as a Canadian nurse and was granted a Tx nursing license based on my Canadian license results. My last renewal of my RN license was last year."

This is what I think, you may want to contact the BON to make sure.

Based on what you said above you don't need to notify the BON of anything. Your residency status changing from permanent resident to citizen shouldn't matter to the board. As permanent residents we have to meet the same state requirements as citizens. We don't worry about Visa screen or any of that other stuff because we have permanent residency. Next time your license is up for renewal just note on it that you are now a citizen.

[locolorenzo22, BSN, RN]

i would call the texas BON asap, and get your concerns addressed. I don't believe we can really comment on this as it sounds like a legal issue to me...tos is against giving legal advice, best of luck to you. Mods?

[Snowman106]

Notified them twice already and received the ying-yang kind of results. One yes and one no. Doesn't help much if they can't be consistent in their own response. Not looking for legal advice at all. Just trying to pick peoples brains as to what they know.

[nursemike, ASN, RN]

PS: On the english competency requirement....I know 2 languages, English and Bad English so I think I have that covered.

Thank you for taking the trouble to learn our language. One of my coworkers speaks Canadian, and it's really annoying. I keep wanting to tell her, this here ain't Canadia!

Best of luck with your other situation.

[I<3Nursing]

Sounds like you should be grandfathered in...meaning the laws changing doesn't mean you have to oblige by the new standards because you were under the previous ones, I would agree with the previous poster that you should just let them know you are now a citizen...just my two cents :)