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.
My friend has been attending school here in the US for a long time although her F-1 Visa is expired. It expired three years ago..she will be graduationg some tome next year. How can she get the opportuunity to work in the hospital? She is working now but on her social only which I thin is dangerous; if caught she can be deported. How can she nake things right here by geting her green card?
F-1 visas do not expire as long as one has maintained full-time student status. The issue comes up if they try to leave the US for anything, they will not be permitted to reenter without having a new I-20 and getting a new I-94. But as long as the I-94 that she has states D/S, then she is okay.
But if she is working now, but does not have the documentation to be able to work and she would not have that with the F-1, that makes her subject to being deported for ten years and makes things much worse for her with immigration. She is breaking the laws here and that is much worse than anything else and will cause her great problems when and if she would attempt to apply for the green card. They are going to check her records and if they find that she has been working but without the proper documentation, then they will have her picked up and deported.
And her employer is subject to fines as well as SSN# alone is not proof that one can work here and it states right on the card that legal work document must also be supplied. And it has not been.
First of all, I would like to thank you for your valuable time and information. I am currently waiting to give NCLEX examination. I am thinking of applying for Visa Screen. I have already graduated from a university here in US but have not received the official diploma certificate yet. I do have the transcript.
I wanted to know if I can apply for visa screen with just the transcript. I also wanted to know if I need to wait until I get the license to apply. I remember reading somewhere in the forum where one of the moderators had said that it would be a good idea to wait after getting license. I thought I could just apply now.
Finally, I am trying to get a RN license for NY state. Do I need to apply for Credential Verification Service for New York State (CVS)? The staffs at CGFNS told me that I would need to complete this application as well. I am very doubtful if this is true. This costs me like $400 and another $400 for visa screen. Too expensive!!
Any other information on applying for visa screen would be greatly appreciated.
Hi,i have one question,I'm a student here in USA,I'm in ESL advance program,later on I will apply for ADN program in the same school,I just want to ask that do I need TOEFL test score,if I have finished my nursing education here,if I had passed CGFNS can I get CGFNS certification with out TOEFL test?Thanks advance.
In order to get the CGFNS Certificate, it requires the basic English exam be passed. You can use either TOEFL, TOEIC, or IELTS.
If you have taken the CGFNS exam, it means that your credentials were accepted for licensure in the US; not sure why you would be wishing to attend the ADN program; that is for basic RN training once again. You would be much better off going for the RN-BSN program.
I had tried CGFNS,but i didn't pass it,but anyway i'm going to try it again,or should I take NCLEX directly?I would like to work as a RN in NJ in future.The BSN program fee in university is expensive,and for 4 years,seem like a big comsumption for me, but i dont know whether they got scholarship on BSN for international student or not,haven't got chance to ask,but someone told me i should consult it as early as possible coz nursing in US are so conpetitive.Pls give me some advice.Thanks advance.
I Am Complete With Rprn, Usrn, Ielts, Visascreen And Work Experience. I Am So Worried Considering That California Nclex Rn Pass Will Expire After Three Years, What Is The Best Thing For Me To Do Considering Retrogression Will Let Me Fly To Us In 3-5 Years. Please Help Me. Thank You.
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Hello,
I Am Complete With Rprn, Usrn, Ielts, Visascreen And Work Experience. I Am So Worried Considering That California Nclex Rn Pass Will Expire After Three Years, What Is The Best Thing For Me To Do Considering Retrogression Will Let Me Fly To Us In 3-5 Years. Please Help Me. Thank You.
Much has already been written on a and their requirements, suggest a search and good read
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
I had tried CGFNS,but i didn't pass it,but anyway i'm going to try it again,or should I take NCLEX directly?I would like to work as a RN in NJ in future.The BSN program fee in university is expensive,and for 4 years,seem like a big comsumption for me, but i dont know whether they got scholarship on BSN for international student or not,haven't got chance to ask,but someone told me i should consult it as early as possible coz nursing in US are so conpetitive.Pls give me some advice.Thanks advance.
Unless you meet BON requirements you will not be able to sit NCLEX. If you do your nurse training in the US then I think the English exam is waivered however you may still be affected by retrogression at the end of it. Current processing times for China is 2003
hi dcmrn i think were the of the same scholarship program how are you now..did you pursue with the program..please share with me. im still in progress for this desperately. thank you
I had tried CGFNS,but i didn't pass it,but anyway i'm going to try it again,or should I take NCLEX directly?I would like to work as a RN in NJ in future.The BSN program fee in university is expensive,and for 4 years,seem like a big comsumption for me, but i dont know whether they got scholarship on BSN for international student or not,haven't got chance to ask,but someone told me i should consult it as early as possible coz nursing in US are so conpetitive.Pls give me some advice.Thanks advance.
1. If you have met the qualifications for the CGFNS exam, it makes no sense at all to go for the ADN training here. It is not going to help you in any way at all.
2. If you can pass the NCLEX-RN exam, then you can go for the RN to BSN program and it is not four years at all, less time than it would be for the ADN program.
3. What type of visa do you have? If you do not already have a visa that will permit you to work, attending school in the US is not going to automatically get you a visa to remain here to work when done.
4. Under no circumstance, should you waste two to three years for the ADN, it will not help you in any way at all. And shame on any community college if they told you that it would.
I am an f1 bsn student.i graduated last week.I already have my OPT starting next week.Please advice on the steps to take in order for me to get the green card or and EAD.Is the retrogression still on and when will it end.Thanyou.
Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Hi Suzzane,
I am an f1 bsn student.i graduated last week.I already have my OPT starting next week.Please advice on the steps to take in order for me to get the green card or and EAD.Is the retrogression still on and when will it end.Thanyou.
zainabu
Welcome
Retrogression is still ongoing and doubt it will end as demand is much higher than visa allocation. Once you complete opt if you can not AOS (and need to keep up to date on this which at the moment you can't) then the only way to stay in the US is as a student. At the moment all you can file, if you have a employer willing to petition you, is I140 which does not give permission to stay and work.
suzanne4, RN
26,410 Posts
F-1 visas do not expire as long as one has maintained full-time student status. The issue comes up if they try to leave the US for anything, they will not be permitted to reenter without having a new I-20 and getting a new I-94. But as long as the I-94 that she has states D/S, then she is okay.
But if she is working now, but does not have the documentation to be able to work and she would not have that with the F-1, that makes her subject to being deported for ten years and makes things much worse for her with immigration. She is breaking the laws here and that is much worse than anything else and will cause her great problems when and if she would attempt to apply for the green card. They are going to check her records and if they find that she has been working but without the proper documentation, then they will have her picked up and deported.
And her employer is subject to fines as well as SSN# alone is not proof that one can work here and it states right on the card that legal work document must also be supplied. And it has not been.