NCLEX information -- please read

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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........... :)

Suzanne4:

Forgive me if you have this question answered elsewhere; what are the steps to be followed with admission to the US for a Nurse? Would you sequesnce them out please? I am curious too.

Thank you in advance.

night ;)

From the beginning:

The nurse must pass either CGFNS exam or NCLEX plus the full set of English exams (meaning TOEFL, TSE, and TWE or the IELTS series with the academic branch and the speaking band to be able to qualify for a green card. This is a federa; requirement, not state, so it is required of every nurse who wants to get a green card to permanently reside and work in the US.

An example would be for NY: NY also requires a special credentails verification that is done by CGFNS, an application to NYS Board of Nursing, as well as the Visa Screen application.

Many hospitals are waiting for the nurse to pass English before they will offer a job, this is the preferred way, then they will submit a petition for the nurse called an I-140, as well as an I-765. If handles via Vermont office, this is done in a matter of weeks. NY takes any where from 2 to 4 months for the ATT letter, on average. Sometimes it can take up to a year if there was an incorrect birthdate, etc. Then the nurse can schedule for NCLEX. From Thailand, the nurse will usually fly to Saipan to take ithe exam. Beginning this January, the exam will be also given in Hong Kong and Seoul, South Korea. Once English scores, as well as NCLEX passing, are submitted to Visa Screen, they will issue the Visa Screen Certificate. This process takes abotu four months from when CGFNS receives the scores. The Certificate will need to accompany the nurse when she goes to the US Embassy for his/her interview.

This is the proper procedure to follow. So you can see that it is quite time consuming. However, if the nurse is in the US on a green card from a spouse, or is married to an American, then they do not have to submit for Visa Screen, and right now do not have to go thru the Visa Screen process.

Which menas that they do not need the English exams, personally, I think all nurses need the series, and I think that this ruling will eventually change.

With working in NY, you can have the green card in about one yearor a little less, right now for California, it is about tow years on average form the time that they apply to the BON there.

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

(there currently are no temporary visas available, only the green card, and if the H1-B becomes available, it now requires the Visa Screen Certificate also, so the nurse is actually better off going for a green card.

Thank you Suzanne4 for all your work in posting. I have read and have learned much by reading your posts.

Thank you,

night ;)

You are more than welcome............. :balloons:

But at least you can tell, it is not an easy thing to just go to the US to work as a nurse. There is quite alot that needs to be done. And over a considerable amount of time. :)

hi suzanne4,

i already have CGFNS/Visa Screen Certificates and my agent informed me that they already filed my immigrant visa last may,2004. she informed me that it will take 12-18 months for me and my husband to grant our petition due to backlog in INS? is this the normal processing 12-18months?

my 2nd concern is, for my NY-CVS, CGFNS mailed forms on the 18th of May to both of my Nursing School and Council, but until now no forms yet received.

i'll be glad to hear from you soon.

thank you! :specs: :balloons:

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hi suzanne4,

i already have CGFNS/Visa Screen Certificates and my agent informed me that they already filed my immigrant visa last may,2004. she informed me that it will take 12-18 months for me and my husband to grant our petition due to backlog in INS? is this the normal processing 12-18months?

thank you! :specs: :balloons:

I like you had my papers filed in May 2004 and was told at least 12-24 months due to backlog by my Lawyer.....not good is it?

hi suzanne4,

i already have CGFNS/Visa Screen Certificates and my agent informed me that they already filed my immigrant visa last may,2004. she informed me that it will take 12-18 months for me and my husband to grant our petition due to backlog in INS? is this the normal processing 12-18months?

my 2nd concern is, for my NY-CVS, CGFNS mailed forms on the 18th of May to both of my Nursing School and Council, but until now no forms yet received.

i'll be glad to hear from you soon.

thank you! :specs: :balloons:

It all comes down to where you plan on working and if you are being sponsored by an agency, where they are submitting your petition. If they are in New York, or it is a NY hospital that is petitioning for you, then it is only a matter of a couple of months. But 12 to 18 months that your papers are not being handled by the Vermont office.

If you are talking about Council, are you in Thailand? Remember those forms are sent by regular air mail, and if coming to TH can take at least one month or more. I have had friends actually get their ATT letter from NY in just about two months..............

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) :)

hi suzanne4,

Yes i have an agency based in NY and that is where i am planning to work. I'm here in the Philippines and am working in a hospital. Well, that is what my recruiter told to me since they filed for I-140. Athough thats the normal duration she told us that they have cases of 2-3 month only.

i made a call from our school today and they just received my forms from cgfns only yesterday. and i'll be able to have them send it back to cgfns this coming week!

What do you suggest, should i take my exam in NY or Saipan?

you're a great help. have a nice weekend!

hi suzanne4,

Yes i have an agency based in NY and that is where i am planning to work. I'm here in the Philippines and am working in a hospital. Well, that is what my recruiter told to me since they filed for I-140. Athough thats the normal duration she told us that they have cases of 2-3 month only.

i made a call from our school today and they just received my forms from cgfns only yesterday. and i'll be able to have them send it back to cgfns this coming week!

What do you suggest, should i take my exam in NY or Saipan?

you're a great help. have a nice weekend!

First of all, you are going to be working in NY,the petition time for there is only about thirty days since it is out of the Vermont office, the slowest offices in the country are Texas and California. California is taking over 13 months right now, for just the I-140. Have you already completed your English exams and have your Visa Screen Certificate? Do you have the ATT yet from NY? That can take you about four months to receive. Once you have that, you can get a temporary license in NY if you have passes CGFNS exam.......................Your hold-up is going to be the ATT letter. When you get that, that will determine where you should take the exam..............

If you have any more questions, please let me know............. :balloons:

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.

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