International nursing students in the US

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For those of you that are studying in the US under either an F-1 visa, or any other where you do not have permission to work, and will need to apply for a green card when you finish your schooling-----this is for you.

You must meet all of the requirements for immigration that a foreign-trained nurse does, the only exception that you have is that the English requirements are waived for you. You still need to submit the application and get a Visa Screen Certificate. This is offered by CGFNS and the application is available on their website, http://www.CGFNS.org. There is only one application available, whether you did your training in the US, or overseas.

You will still need to find an employer that will petition for your green card. You will still need to undergo a physical exam at a physician's office that is approved by USCIS an have verification of all titers and vaccinations. If you do not have verifiable proof of having had chicken pox, etc., you will need to have either a titer drawn, or receive the vaccination. Immigration is very strict now with this, they will no longer go on what you are verbally telling them.

Hope that this helps...............most of you will also be able to get an OPT for one year of training while your documents are being processed, but you can only receive the OPT once, especially if this is now a second career for you, and you already used your OPT status for the other.

If you are coming to the US just for the MSN, and already have a BSN from overseas, you will be required to write the English exams. You are only exempt from them if this is your initial training as a nurse, meaning ADN or BSN only.

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Specializes in Case management, Peds, ICU, Med/Surg.

HI!! Suzanne,

This is me, sunzzi again. I m in F-1 status..and had gone thru CGFNS for my credentials verification. I m applying for license from CO. I just knew that I have to get a visa screen certificate.

I think its my bad...coz my Toefl score expire on sep. 5th. But As previously, I have dealt with CGFNS...and also I have already taken eng. comp. I & II in my college. Is there anyway to avoid facing Toefl exam again?

I m dealing with Nclex now...dun wanna anymore exams...

Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....

Sunzzi

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Unfortunately, if your BSN was not done in the US, you are going to have to go thru the English exams. Be aware that TOEFL alone doesn't meet the requirements. You will need TOEFL, TWE, as well as TSE...........I prefer the IELTS series though. If your exam expried, then it doesn't exist anymore......this is for immigration, not a BON. Everyone has to do it.

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Thank you.

What if you already used ur OPT for another career, do you have to then go home and apply for a green card through a sponsor. I should finish in May 2008 and my student visa expires then.

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Hey suzanne ! generally, I understood all the procedure, but I am just in the pre-nursing program. There is two more years left to get my RN license. so, do I already have to apply for Visa Sceen? is not it too early ? because, you wrote to apply to Visa Screen asap. thanx

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Thank you.

What if you already used ur OPT for another career, do you have to then go home and apply for a green card through a sponsor. I should finish in May 2008 and my student visa expires then.

You will need to pass NCLEX and get a Visa Screen Certificate, then you can have an employer petition for the green card for you. Currently, you will not have to leave, but not sure what immigration rulings will be then.

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Hey suzanne ! generally, I understood all the procedure, but I am just in the pre-nursing program. There is two more years left to get my RN license. so, do I already have to apply for Visa Sceen? is not it too early ? because, you wrote to apply to Visa Screen asap. thanx

You cannot apply for the Visa Screen Certificate until you have actually finished nursing school and have a completed set of transcripts. There is nothing for them to verify as of yet. You do not need to wait until you have taken NCLEX, but you have to have finished nursing school.

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You cannot apply for the Visa Screen Certificate until you have actually finished nursing school and have a completed set of transcripts. There is nothing for them to verify as of yet. You do not need to wait until you have taken NCLEX, but you have to have finished nursing school.

Oh, I see. so, for now I don't have to do anything but just study and finish my nursing school right? Thank you all the time.

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Exactly, there is not one thing that you can do first.

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Specializes in MICU.

I'm graduating in Dec, 2005 from a BSN program in Chicago, and planning to apply my licence in CA ( I have SS# and will apply for OPT). My question is when would be the best time to submit my application. I'm thinking of submitting the application, the transcripts for my pre-req and live scan to the board in Oct first. Then my school would send my nursing transcript once I graduate hoping that things might speed up a little bit. Any thoughts? Thanks for all the input.

Eve

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I still do not recommend CA for initial licensure. You will not find out your result for several weeks, etc. Even with the SSN#, I do not recommend it. You are much better off going for another state and then just endorsing which can be done in one day.

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Specializes in MICU.
I still do not recommend CA for initial licensure. You will not find out your result for several weeks, etc. Even with the SSN#, I do not recommend it. You are much better off going for another state and then just endorsing which can be done in one day.

Hi Suzanne,

Thanks for your information. I understand it's not a good choice to apply licence in CA initially. But my family(citizens) and my boyfriend are all there, and I don't wanna stay alone in a city that I don't have many friends even after I graduate.

Eve

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