NCLEX License Card

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Hi everyone.... I've been wondering about the NCLEX license. I've done some reading, and from what I've gathered, if you're going to take the CA NCLEX and pass it, you will not be issued the license or you will not be given the card unless you are physically in california. Is that true? Anyway, can anyone share which states will issue you the license and/or card? Thanks so much

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Hi everyone.... I've been wondering about the NCLEX license. I've done some reading, and from what I've gathered, if you're going to take the CA NCLEX and pass it, you will not be issued the license or you will not be given the card unless you are physically in california. Is that true? Anyway, can anyone share which states will issue you the license and/or card? Thanks so much

I would suggest checking out the International forum and have a good read, this has been asked a few times. You are not issued license in CA because you need a SSN which you will not get until you are in the US with a valid work permit. With retrogression at the moment and if you want to work in CA i may be worth applying straight to them. Once you have your SSN it will be easy for CA to give you your license.

You are applying for licensure not the exam so you must meet all requirements of the BON before you can sit the exam

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NCLEX is only an exam. It has nothing to do with you being issued a license, that is done by the Board of Nursing where you applied to. If you have read any other of my posts, you will see over and over again, that you do not apply for NCLEX, you are given permission to sit for it.

Other that being a step in the licensing process, the NCLEX exam has nothing to do with an actual license being issued. Each state can set their own rules, and actually the majority of them will not issue a license without the nurse having a SSN#.

NCLEX is a national exam, there is no such thing as a state specific NCLEX exam.

Suggest that you read the Primer that is on the International Forum, there is much information that you need to know before you do anything.

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And CA requirement, as well as many other states is that you have a SSN#. You do not need to be in CA to get one, but you need to have gone thru the immigration process and be in the US and ready to begin work with a visa that will permit you to work.

But no requirement that you must be in a specific state at all.

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Thank you so much for the replies.... I understand now that I have to be found eligible first to be able to sit for the exam. Maybe I've been going in circles because I want to skip taking the CGFNS exam and would rather just take the NCLEX exam, then go thru CES, then apply for endorsement on the state where I wish to work. The reason for this is that I want to go to Washington State and part of their requirement is the CGFNS exam, but they also accept endorsement from other states. I fell in love with Seattle during my last stay in 2001 that is why I want to go back there. It's like a second home to me. It's taken me 5 years to finish my practical nursing training then pursue my BSN degree. I'm on the middle of my journey and somehow, with all the goings-on on foreigns exams, I got confused in the process. It's a huge investment and every step counts. I'm scared to screw up. So with all that, I really thank you guys for sharing valuable information here. :-)

Anyway, just in case anyone is interested in Washington NCLEX and would like to skip taking the CGFNS exam, I found this on the net:

http://www.son.washington.edu/eo/info_foreign-trained-nurses.asp

"The alternative to taking the CGFNS exam is to first get a nursing license in a state in the U.S. which does not require CGFNS exam results, and then transfer the license to the State of Washington."

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You cannot transfer a license as the above states. There is no way to do that. You must go thru the License by Endorsement process.

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You cannot transfer a license as the above states. There is no way to do that. You must go thru the License by Endorsement process.

Okay thanks so much suzanne4... transferring your license is thru endorsement.... :-)

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You are completely missing my point. You do not transfer a license, you will still have an active license in the state that you first went thru. So you are not transferring anything. You will be getting a second license.

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You are completely missing my point. You do not transfer a license, you will still have an active license in the state that you first went thru. So you are not transferring anything. You will be getting a second license.

Oh okay, now i get it... :-)

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