Licensure

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Hello,

I'm a first time user of this forum and from what I've seen, everyone's been really helpful in trying to help each other out with nursing issues. So I'm going to pose a few questions that I've had regarding obtaining an RN licence in the USA :wink2:

I just recently graduated with a BScN from a nursing school in Canada and I possess dual citizenship as I was born in California, but I have Canadian citizenship since I have been living in Toronto for 20 years. I was wondering if a local licence is still required to write the NCLEX and if I would need a work Visa? And in general, how do I go about applying for a US licence?

Thanks!

~KJ

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Specializes in ER; HBOT- lots others.

i do not know this anwser, but will try and help. do you know where you would want to practice? like a state? because that is where i would start, by getting ahold of the BON of that state. once you get into a state and are licensed, you can go from there. i hope someone else can be of more help, but i tried..

gL!

-H-RN

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Thanks for your reply!

I'm hoping to work in either California or New York =)

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welcome to AN

check with the bon of the state that you are wanting to work in USA

they will tell you if your school is accredited and what steps you will take to be licensed hee

god luck

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Specializes in ER; HBOT- lots others.

ur welcome!! enjoy allnurses. its a WONDERFUL resource!!

-H-RN

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Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.
hello,

i'm a first time user of this forum and from what i've seen, everyone's been really helpful in trying to help each other out with nursing issues. so i'm going to pose a few questions that i've had regarding obtaining an rn licence in the usa :wink2:

i just recently graduated with a bscn from a nursing school in canada and i possess dual citizenship as i was born in california, but i have canadian citizenship since i have been living in toronto for 20 years. i was wondering if a local licence is still required to write the nclex and if i would need a work visa? and in general, how do i go about applying for a us licence?

thanks!

~kj

you will be considered a foreign graduate nurse in the usa. you said you have dual citizenship so you do not need a visa. i think you do not need a local license either to take the nclex-rn because you are already a legal resident of the usa but call the bon and find out for sure.

decide which state you will live and try going to the bons website and print the application for "foreign graduate nurses". it should tell you everything you need to do.

here's the link for ny: http://www.op.nysed.gov/nurseforms.htm

good luck!

angel

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Specializes in med/surg,ortho, tele,.

You need a lawyer if you don't have a social security number, green card or visa. That is proof of citizenship. Many try to claim "dual" status as an immigration ploy. An American adult can't legally be a citizen of 2 countries. There is no such status.

An attorney told it's not possible for the US to legally recognizes so called adult "dual citizenship" . It's just in "name" only. My friend is in the same position. He was told an adult in America can't be a citizen of 2 countries.

For employment purposes, your legal status as an American citizen will have to be documented by proof of a social security number, or you'll need a green card or visa.

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I was wondering if a local licence is still required to write the NCLEX and if I would need a work Visa?

~KJ

This question from a "1st time" poster claiming to be an adult citizen of 2 countries and asking lots of immigration questions is frequently seen on this site.

It's a waste of time to answer because there is NO such thing as an adult "dual citizen". It is not a recognized legal status. If op doesn't have a ss# and needs a visa then op is not an American. It's a common ploy to find a non-existent loophole for undocumented immigration.

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Specializes in Case Management.
It's a waste of time to answer because there is NO such thing as an adult "dual citizen". It is not a recognized legal status. If op doesn't have a ss# and needs a visa then op is not an American. It's a common ploy to find a non-existent loophole for undocumented immigration.

Ummmm......I may not know the intentions of the OP, but speaking as one that holds VALID passports for both the USA (I was born and raised in Massachusetts) and the Republic of Ireland, I can say with some authority that the United States does in fact recognize dual LEGAL citizenship. If you are born on US soil, you are automatically considered a citizen of the US for life unless you rescind it or accept citizenship in a country that does not recognize dual status. A birth certificate from the US or Puerto Rico is proof of US citizenship. Green cards and SSN's are required if you want to work. I know many people in the Boston area (an historically important port of entry for immigrants) that hold dual citizenship in the USA and other countries (UK, Italy, Ireland, etc.)

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

There are many USC with dual citizenship although some countries do not recognise dual and may have to give country of birth up when accepting USC but generally many do not have problems.

To the OP you will always be classed as foreign trained so will have to meet the BON/BRN requirements and if wanting to work in Ca then a local license is required ie CRNE, you will also have to sit NCLEX but having USC then you will not need a work visa

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I have taken the liberty of moving your question to the International Forum since it concerns working in the US when you have trained in another country.

As mentioned above, you do not automatically hold US citizenship in the US just because you were born here; especially since you hold a Canadian passport at this time and not one from the US. If you would be considered dual, you would hold both. But that is something that you can clear up later but has nothing to do with licensure since they are both completely different and unrelated.

Depends on the state that you wish to work in determines if you will need the local license or not; CA requires it now, NY does not at this time. But NY does require the CVS which can take over six months to get done before you will get permission to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam.

If you do hold Canadian citizenship, you can easily qualify for the NAFTA TN Visa to be able to work right away as soon as you get thru this exam as well as possess a Visa Screen Certificate.

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As far as the dual citizenship questions that are appearing here, if one possesses a US passport, then they can have dual citizenship in another country in terms of the other country, we see it all of the time with the Philippines as well as Israel and others. The holder of the passport in those countries makes them subject to the requirements of being a national from those countries and then does not necessarily get them coverage from the US when issues arise in that country.

Canadians do not normally hold dual citizenship with the US. If you became a Canadian citizen as a child, then you would have had to make a decision when you became of age as to which country that you wanted to hold citizenship in.

I would get the specifics from an immigration attorney as to your individual case, but as mentioned above, if you do not hold a passport for the US, you are not considered a US citizen, even if you were born here.

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I have taken the liberty of moving your question to the International Forum since it concerns working in the US when you have trained in another country.

As mentioned above, you do not automatically hold US citizenship in the US just because you were born here; especially since you hold a Canadian passport at this time and not one from the US. If you would be considered dual, you would hold both. But that is something that you can clear up later but has nothing to do with licensure since they are both completely different and unrelated.

Depends on the state that you wish to work in determines if you will need the local license or not; CA requires it now, NY does not at this time. But NY does require the CVS which can take over six months to get done before you will get permission to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam.

If you do hold Canadian citizenship, you can easily qualify for the NAFTA TN Visa to be able to work right away as soon as you get thru this exam as well as possess a Visa Screen Certificate.

-------------------------------------

As far as the dual citizenship questions that are appearing here, if one possesses a US passport, then they can have dual citizenship in another country in terms of the other country, we see it all of the time with the Philippines as well as Israel and others. The holder of the passport in those countries makes them subject to the requirements of being a national from those countries and then does not necessarily get them coverage from the US when issues arise in that country.

Canadians do not normally hold dual citizenship with the US. If you became a Canadian citizen as a child, then you would have had to make a decision when you became of age as to which country that you wanted to hold citizenship in.

I would get the specifics from an immigration attorney as to your individual case, but as mentioned above, if you do not hold a passport for the US, you are not considered a US citizen, even if you were born here.

Agree. As an adult, unless op has a ss # or documentation of US citizenship she/he will likely need to hire an immigration attorney in order to obtain US citizenship. That's not the same thing as stating that you, as an adult have legal status and all the privileges of being a citizen of both Canada and the US at the same time. The fact that an"immigration"attorney needs to be consulted implies that someone in this situation is not in actuality an American citizen.

It not unusual to be an adult American citizen born overseas. That's not the issue.

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