Maine State BON Application/ Registration for Canadian RN BSN

hypnotizer90, BSN, RN · Apr 3, 2019

Hi. Just sharing my ongoing experience applying to Maine State BON as Canadian RN BSN since this information is scarce. Since I do not have Social Security Number, I needed to complete a paper application License by Endorsement/Reciprocity for Canada.

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An applicant must submit to the Board of Nursing office the following:
1. Application form completed in ink or typewritten, with signature in applicant’s handwriting;
2. Fee of $75.00 in the form of Visa/MasterCard/Discover Card (credit card form enclosed), check or money order in U.S. funds, made payable to “Treasurer of the State of Maine”;
3. Recent passport type photograph (2 x 2 and no more than two years old) enclosed with the application form;
4. Verification of licensure from the province you were originally licensed in;
5. Additional verifications are also required if you have been licensed and have practiced in any foreign country;
6. Final transcripts directly from your nursing program reflecting theory and clinical in medical, surgical, pediatrics, and obstetrics;
7. Successfully complete a test of English (TOEFL, ELTS, TOEIC), to include reading, writing, listening, and speaking, if your nursing program studies were not provided in English;
8. Successful completion of the NCLEX-RN examination; and
9. A criminal background check (CBC) must be completed through the Maine Department of Public of Safety (DPS) and the FBI based on a set of fingerprints provided to. Register for fingerprinting online at https://me.ibtfingerprint.com/. If you do not register you will not be able to have your fingerprints taken. There is a one-time $52 fee for this process.
10. A U.S. Social Security Number. In order for a Canadian Nurse (that does not have a green card) to obtain a U.S. Social Security Number, he/she must contact the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Programs (CGFNS) at www.cgfns.org and complete the Visa Screen Certification process. Once this is completed the applicant may apply for a Visa (must provide proof of intent to be hired for employment in Maine), and then apply for a U.S. Social Security Number

1. I mailed the completed form via Canada Post Xpresspost. I then received an email from Maine State BON Probation Compliance Officer (after 2 weeks) who is handling my application. She told me that I needed to send the following:

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a. Verification of your Canadian license sent to us directly from the governing body.
b. Transcripts of your coursework sent directly to us. We will need to be able to verify that you have had coursework (theoretical and clinical) in the following areas:
Psychiatrics.
Pediatrics.
Obstetrics.
Medical.
Surgical.
c. We will need verification that you have taken the NCLEX. If you have not, you will need to sit for the exam as part of your application process.
d. US Social Security number. We cannot issue you a license without a US social security number.
e. You will also need to undergo a background check. On our home page at www.maine.gov/boardofnursing there is a link to the instructions on how to obtain a background check. You may need to call Identogo to find out how you can do this from Canada.

2. As I said on my other posts, I went to my schools to request and mail my transcripts directly to Maine S BON. Likewise, the same request done to my BON to send verification of RN license.

3. Criminal Background Check (CBC) - I paid the Identogo "To Mail In Your Fingerprint Card" online as I currently do not reside in the US. I then found out from this Maine S BON FAQs that: If you are out of the country, you will not be able to have your fingerprints collected until you are physically present in the United States. Therefore, I drove to closest Identogo location in New York, USA to have a fingerprint card done and then mailed to IDENTOGO CARDSCAN DEPARTMENT.

4. As I said on my other posts, my CGFNS Visa Screen application is ongoing.

* The lawyer explained to me that nursing license is needed to get the TN visa. On the other side, the SSN is also needed for the nursing license to be issued. In order to get SSN, I needed to show the work-authorized immigration status. I find this quite complex.