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.
How long ago were her documents submitted? And did the school submit a complete set of transcripts? If you look close at the application for the CGFNS exam, it doesn't require the set of transcripts, just that on epage form submitted with specific hours. So not all schools submit the transcript.
CGFNS only keeps the documents for two years.
She did not send the school transcripts when applied for the cgfns exam. I know that for CES, it is required but I've checked the website of Illinois BON, it is stated that for those who have applied for the cgfns exam can avail of CES free of charge but refunds will not be made for the exam(of course in her case, it can't be refunded since she took the exam a year ago but failed).
It is going to be very hard to do a credentials eval if CGFNS never received a completed set of transcripts. Back in the days when it was required for almost every state, I had my students make sure to have a completed set of transcripts submitted as well.
You can check with CGFNS but do not know how they can issue a credentials eval without the transcripts. That will be the first time that I have heard of them doing it.
A completed full transcripts will be needed for the Visa Screen Certificate and there is no way around that.
It is going to be very hard to do a credentials eval if CGFNS never received a completed set of transcripts. Back in the days when it was required for almost every state, I had my students make sure to have a completed set of transcripts submitted as well.
You can check with CGFNS but do not know how they can issue a credentials eval without the transcripts. That will be the first time that I have heard of them doing it.
A completed full transcripts will be needed for the Visa Screen Certificate and there is no way around that.
You're right, I've checked with the cgfns and transcripts are needed. Anyway, thanks again.
Contact them and make sure that it wasn't an address thing. If your address that they have on file doesn't match up with what you used with Pearson-Vue, they will want verification, usually something silly like that.
Thanks, Suzanne4 for answering my query in another thread before.I've been reading the threads and they have been very helpful to me.:) My case is somewhat different from the previously posted ones, and I really am in dire need of advice from you or anybody who would care to share their knowledge.I am an F1 visa holder (expiration: March 2005) who entered the US in 2003 pursuing a different course from Nursing. After a 9-month study in CT I proceeded with my CPT. After 6 months in CPT, I applied for I-765/App for Employment Authorization (per registrar who got himself fired) so that I can work longer, had a long wait, and finally received a letter stating that I was denied and thus had failed to maintain my status. However, my registrar (new one) informed me I was never out of status in the SEVIS, and that I had 60 days to make a decision (stay or leave). I decided to stay and immediately enrolled myself in a nursing course in OK to maintain my student status last January 2005. I am on my 2nd sem as a nursing proper freshman, and I hope to graduate on May 2007 (ASN). My current registrar is not very familiar with a case like mine, so both of us are researching (most esp about OPT). Our nursing director in the college told me that the earliest I could take the NCLEX exam is 1 wk after graduation ceremony. A lawyer advised me to get NCLEX b4 grad or apply for an OPT.Here then are my questions:
Do you think I was ever out of status?Both registrars from the 2 schools independently said I was never out of status.
My app for Employment Authorization (i-765) after my CPT in a previous course was denied bec. I was enrolled to
My visa expired March 2005, but my new I-20 does not expire until 2008. How will this affect my app for OPT and green card?BTW, my expected grad is May 2007.
Can I apply for an OPT even before I pass the NCLEX? Is the OPT also considered as an authorization to work? Can you give me a site where can I get more info about OPT - requirements, chances of being approved, etc?
If I don't get an OPT but I do get a willing employer to process my papers, does that mean I need to have an Adjustment of Status? How and when do I apply for this? Do you recommend me getting OPT or AOS?
How early do you think I should apply for a VSC?
Is it true that the USCIS sometimes honor and sometimes not honor the 60-day legal stay in US after grad, most esp if you're applying for a green card with an expired visa?
There! Pheeew!:lol_hitti I did not mean for this to be lenthy and maybe a little redundant, but I hope that this will help other people as well who may have the same problem as mine. I would really appreciate any advice any one of you would give me. Thank you all very much!
You will have no problem extending/renewing your I-20 as long as you enroll full time every regular semester. Then, before your last semester is over, talk to your international student adviser about your intent to get an OPT. They will issue a new I-20 for this purpose (since OPT is still a part of the learning process).
Getting the LVN/LPN is not wise. Don't use up your 12 month OPT early. You will need the 12 months to get the new grad/RN experience.
slice_gingerale]Hi to all!
I am currently in the 2nd semester of an ADN program here in Arizona with F1 visa. My I-20 expired last 12/31/05, and i had it extended for another year which ends this 12/31/06. By that time, i will still have to extend it again for another 4months or at least 1 semester to graduate and complete my program. With this, i am concerned if i will have any problem about obtaining an OPT? I still have not used any of my OPT opportunity.
Another concern is that this summer, I would be eligible to take the LVN/LPN exam. I would want to know if i could already apply for OPT or CPT for the 3-month summer vacation and work as full-time? If yes, how do i go about that? i am attending a community college and as far as i know, i have not been informed about any CPT opportunity. Would a student extern program in a hospital count as a CPT?
Thanks, Suzanne4 for answering my query in another thread before.I've been reading the threads and they have been very helpful to me.:) My case is somewhat different from the previously posted ones, and I really am in dire need of advice from you or anybody who would care to share their knowledge.I am an F1 visa holder (expiration: March 2005) who entered the US in 2003 pursuing a different course from Nursing. After a 9-month study in CT I proceeded with my CPT. After 6 months in CPT, I applied for I-765/App for Employment Authorization (per registrar who got himself fired) so that I can work longer, had a long wait, and finally received a letter stating that I was denied and thus had failed to maintain my status. However, my registrar (new one) informed me I was never out of status in the SEVIS, and that I had 60 days to make a decision (stay or leave). I decided to stay and immediately enrolled myself in a nursing course in OK to maintain my student status last January 2005. I am on my 2nd sem as a nursing proper freshman, and I hope to graduate on May 2007 (ASN). My current registrar is not very familiar with a case like mine, so both of us are researching (most esp about OPT). Our nursing director in the college told me that the earliest I could take the NCLEX exam is 1 wk after graduation ceremony. A lawyer advised me to get NCLEX b4 grad or apply for an OPT.Here then are my questions:
Do you think I was ever out of status?Both registrars from the 2 schools independently said I was never out of status.
My app for Employment Authorization (i-765) after my CPT in a previous course was denied bec. I was enrolled to
My visa expired March 2005, but my new I-20 does not expire until 2008. How will this affect my app for OPT and green card?BTW, my expected grad is May 2007.
Can I apply for an OPT even before I pass the NCLEX? Is the OPT also considered as an authorization to work? Can you give me a site where can I get more info about OPT - requirements, chances of being approved, etc?
If I don't get an OPT but I do get a willing employer to process my papers, does that mean I need to have an Adjustment of Status? How and when do I apply for this? Do you recommend me getting OPT or AOS?
How early do you think I should apply for a VSC?
Is it true that the USCIS sometimes honor and sometimes not honor the 60-day legal stay in US after grad, most esp if you're applying for a green card with an expired visa?
There! Pheeew!:lol_hitti I did not mean for this to be lenthy and maybe a little redundant, but I hope that this will help other people as well who may have the same problem as mine. I would really appreciate any advice any one of you would give me. Thank you all very much!
Please enlarge your typing, I do not have the time, unfortunately to try to read it, and it is dark here now. Too many that I need to read, and this is too difficult to see with the use of a lamp. Sorry.
You will have no problem extending/renewing your I-20 as long as you enroll full time every regular semester. Then, before your last semester is over, talk to your international student adviser about your intent to get an OPT. They will issue a new I-20 for this purpose (since OPT is still a part of the learning process).
Getting the LVN/LPN is not wise. Don't use up your 12 month OPT early. You will need the 12 months to get the new grad/RN experience.
slice_gingerale]Hi to all!
I am currently in the 2nd semester of an ADN program here in Arizona with F1 visa. My I-20 expired last 12/31/05, and i had it extended for another year which ends this 12/31/06. By that time, i will still have to extend it again for another 4months or at least 1 semester to graduate and complete my program. With this, i am concerned if i will have any problem about obtaining an OPT? I still have not used any of my OPT opportunity.
Another concern is that this summer, I would be eligible to take the LVN/LPN exam. I would want to know if i could already apply for OPT or CPT for the 3-month summer vacation and work as full-time? If yes, how do i go about that? i am attending a community college and as far as i know, i have not been informed about any CPT opportunity. Would a student extern program in a hospital count as a CPT?
Thanks a lot for the information!
Do not do the LPN route, it will not help you at all, and technically is a different role than the RN, so not a wise move on your part. You will have issues with immigration with that, as it is not preparing you for the RN role directly.
i am currently in the 2nd semester of an adn program here in arizona with f1 visa. my i-20 expired last 12/31/05, and i had it extended for another year which ends this 12/31/06. by that time, i will still have to extend it again for another 4months or at least 1 semester to graduate and complete my program. with this, i am concerned if i will have any problem about obtaining an opt? i still have not used any of my opt opportunity. your i-20 is only valid for one year. you will need to renew it annually. having to renew it is par for the course and will not affect you opt in any way.
another concern is that this summer, i would be eligible to take the lvn/lpn exam. i would want to know if i could already apply for opt or cpt for the 3-month summer vacation and work as full-time? if yes, how do i go about that? i am attending a community college and as far as i know, i have not been informed about any cpt opportunity. would a student extern program in a hospital count as a cpt? this sounds a bit screwy...check with your international student advisor and the hospital. you can also contact the office of professions.
pika
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She did not send the school transcripts when applied for the cgfns exam. I know that for CES, it is required but I've checked the website of Illinois BON, it is stated that for those who have applied for the cgfns exam can avail of CES free of charge but refunds will not be made for the exam(of course in her case, it can't be refunded since she took the exam a year ago but failed).