How to take NCLEX as a nursing student in Australia?

[Christine.sea]

Hello fellow nurse! I'm an international student who's gonna start nursing school next February in Australia and would like to move to America after I graduate. I wonder if I need to take the NCLEX in the state I wanna go or is there another way to take the test outside the US? If I need to do that in the US, should I apply for green card before I apply for NCLEX or should I go take the test with a traveler visa then look for a job after I pass?

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

Take a deep breath and I wouldn't start thinking about this until you graduate or are near graduation.

But basically once you have graduated you apply to the state you plan on living and working in, except California as you need a US SSN and meet requirements and once requirements met the state will give you permission to sit NCLEX which can be sat in certain countries outside the US. Green card is applied for by employer once you have passed NCLEX and have found a employer willing to go the immigrant route

[YeXinZhi, BSN, RN]

Hi Christine,

You apply for licensure by examination through the state you plan to live in. There are certain states that require a social security number or individual tax identification number before they even consider applications (e.g. California, NJ) without which your application will be refused.

Once the State Board assesses your application, it will then issue an ATT (authority to test), granting you the authority to sit/write the NCLEX-RN. There is a testing site in Sydney, I believe. There are other testing sites in the Philippines, Guam, Hong Kong, etc.

Once you pass the NCLEX-RN, they will then forward your results to your State Board. There are most probably some more documentary requirements and fees to be paid before your license is issued but once you pass the NCLEX-RN, you're in.

The next step is to look for an employer willing to sponsor you. There is the option of applying for a green card (EB3), or the E3 work visa (made especially for skilled Australians).

Whatever path you may take, that is still a long way ahead. Rules and requirements change all the time and what applies today may not apply in the future.

It is also worthwhile, both professionally and personally, to gain some clinical experience before planning to migrate. You will find that you will be more 'attractive' to employers in the U.S. that way.

Good luck!