NCLEX information -- please read

suzanne4, RN · Jun 26, 2004

Yes i do have my visascreen certificate, i have already passed my english exam, i also have my cgfns certificate.
Regarding the ATT, i havent filed it in NY or in Saipan yet because im still waiting for my petition. If my petition comes within two month from the time it was filed i will take up my NCLEX in NY, but if it will take longer then i will have to take it in Saipan.
Up to now i have no assurance if my permanent visa petition would come out for the next 2 months that is why up to now i'm still undecided as to where i should take the exam. I guess i have to wait some more.

You have the wrong information...................... :uhoh3:

The ATT letter has nothing to do with where you take the exam, it gives you permission to take the exam. Have you ever applied to NY for licensure?

Where you take the exam is not related to the ATT letter. Saipan is just a location where Pearson-Vue offers the exam.

The ATT letter is what a Board of Nursing sends to you after they have approved you for licensure, except for taking of the exam. It means "Authorization to Test"----if you haven't already applied for that, it will take you several months for that. NY does offer a special temporary permit, if you have passed CGFNS. But you need to have goen through the credentials verification required by them, which takes awhile. CGFNS actually has to send a letter from their office to your nursing school and wherever you are licensed now. They handle the credentials verification for NY. They cannot use what they have on file for you....

If you haven' t already done this, you have just delayed yourself by about 4 to 6 months................

presC. · Jun 26, 2004

hi suzanne4,

thanks for all your posts. i truly appreciate it.:)

but i'm still kind of mixed up for the ATT, NY and Saipan issue.. could you please extend your kindness to explain further the step by step of what i need to do to apply for my ATT? and even for my NCLEX (fee & form)?

again, i'll be glad to read your reply.

suzanne4, RN · Jun 27, 2004

hi suzanne4,
thanks for all your posts. i truly appreciate it.:)
but i'm still kind of mixed up for the ATT, NY and Saipan issue.. could you please extend your kindness to explain further the step by step of what i need to do to apply for my ATT? and even for my NCLEX (fee & form)?
again, i'll be glad to read your reply.

Step 1: You need to apply to a Board of Nursing for licensure.

Step 2: If NY, then you must also submit an application to CGFNS for the special NY Credentials Verification. Once CGFNS has completed that, the will forward the infor on to NY amd an ATT letter will be issued. ATT stands for "Authorization to Test"-----you must have this letter in hand to sit for the NCLEX exam. You can actually take the NCLEX exam where ever you want, Saipan, New York, Hong Kong after January, Hawaill, it doesn't matter.

Once you pass NCLEX exam, you never have to write it again, ever!

You will then be issued a license to practice as a Registered Nurse in that particular state where you applied to. If you wish to move to a different locale, then you apply to the new state Board of Nursing for what we call

"endorsement" to that state.

Hope that this helps............... :balloons:

presC. · Jun 27, 2004

hello suzanne4,

wow! what a relief. thanks for taking the time to answer my inquiries. now its clear to me regarding this stuffs that i ask you about. :)

suzanne4, RN · Jun 27, 2004

If you have any more questions, please just post them............... :)

presC. · Jun 27, 2004

for sure i'll do that. thanks again.

suehp · Jun 27, 2004

hi SueIP,
12-24 months? kind of too long! anyway, if you have an agency always follow-up your papers so that they know that you exist and you're persistent to go to u.s. actaully they'll force to move/do follow-ups if they know how consistent you are. (based on my experience) :)

Dont worry I am pestering them !!! ALthough I try not to pester too much you know!!

Great Scott · Aug 1, 2004

Ouch. So if I am reading this correctly it means that aside from waiting months for CGFNS to collect all the information necessary for my NYS application as an RN it will then take NYS a FURTHER 2-4 months to issue me the ATT after they receive all the information from CGFNS? Please tell me there may be some way to speed up that process!

LizKris · Aug 2, 2004

[Hi Suzzanne, Please I really need your help. You can write me through this email address [email protected] more information on how to go about this Visa screen, applying for Nclex and getting ATT!

Please do all you can to give me this information. Thank You and God bless.

QUOTE=suzanne4]Let me clear up any misconceptions or bad information that you have.

In order to write the NCLEX exam, you must have a letter called an ATT letter

(Authorization to Test) from the Board of Nursing where you plan on working or get initial licensure. You cannot just walk into a test center and take the exam. Miinimum time for getting this ATT letter is over three months on average for a foreign nurse, and over six months from California.

Interim permits in California are only given out once you have been given an ATT letter, not while they are checking your papers. The interim permit means that everything has been approved, and all that is needed is for you to sit for the actual exam.

It is also quite difficult to get a position offered on an interim permit as a foreign nurse. Every hospital wants to know that you have passed NCLEX before they are going to go to the expense of your petition. And what your speaking skills are like, don't forget the English exams........... :)

Great Scott · Aug 3, 2004

Trying to avoid sending a private message since the info given to me may help other people. I am an American who received his nursing education in Finland and is trying to get the ATT for the NCLEX in New York. Problem is the process is taking longer than I expected and I am trying to speed it up.

I took more than a month for CGFNS to send me a letter to say they received all the documents I sent them. I don't understand why they mail correspondence from the Phillipines if they are based in the United States. They have received information from the liscencing agency in Finland but not from my nursing school. Of course there is no way for me to know if they even sent the info to the right address. The name of the school I see from the CGFNS website is not exactly the proper name. Wondering if I should call them to verify the address.

Following that I know they will submit all the paperwork to New York State, however with how long correspondence has taken to reach me, I wonder how long that will take. If I have been reading these posts correctly it seems that NYS will take a further 4-6 months to process my paperwork and issue me the ATT just to take the NYCLEX. I am pretty sure I willpass that though I'm not sure how often the test is offered.

Basically it seems this whole process can take about a year? I wonder if anyone has had any experience at trying to speed things up in any way? I would be glad to call and explain my situation to anyone, it's just so frustrating to keep waiting!

suzanne4, RN · Aug 4, 2004

On average, your ATT should be received in about 4 months. I have a friend in Thailand that received hers in just two months.

Just keep after CGFNS. They have become quite slow in processing things, or sending forms to the wrong address and not following thru.

avsy · Aug 4, 2004

i'm just wondering, somebody told me that before you could take the nclex exam, you have to be a US citizen. Is this true? Also, can you take NCLEX without taking CGFNS first?