nurses who didn't take local boards, but were able to take NCLEX

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Hi, is there anyone here who was able to take the NCLEX abroad without taking the local board exam here? I know of a lot of physicians who did just that, but i'm not sure if those non-physicians could also do the same thing. Basically, they just included a letter explaining the reason why they didn't take the local board exams and submitted this together with the other requirements.

I don't forsee local license being required for immigration purpose.

If a Philippine is going to immigration and they are on a K1 Visa and just happen to have a Bachelor of Nursing in PI, they would not deny her a visa because she does not have local license.

That would create a legal loophole.

The NCLEX will be the Gold Standard, in my opinion.

K1 visa is not applying for a visa on their own, but again, a state can require that they have a local license. What you are failing to understand is that immigration is completely separate from licensure. And even if one holds a US passport already but trained out of the US, they need to meet the requirements of the foriegn trained nurse, and that could even include an English exam for some states. They base their requirements on where the nurse trained, and not where they hold citizenship.

And getting a visa that permits one to live and work in the US does not guarantee that they will get a license. Again, they are two different things. And if the Philippines requires the local license then that is what they will need to follow and there is talk of that now. A K-1 visa is not instant citizenship to the US by any means and also comes with its own restrictions such as marriage within 90 days and it is also not a permanent green card but needs to be renewed in two years, and not all of them are renewed.

You are equating green card status with licensure and they are not related. If you live in Texas, then she needs to follow the requirements for the foreign trained nurse for that state, and go thru the CES process before she will be given permission to sit for the exam in the first place. None of the requirements will be waived for her, they are based on her training and not immigration status.

It is not a legal loophole by any means, and has nothing to do with that either. If she is still a citizen of the Philippines and they institute a rule that one must pass the NLE before they do anything, then that is what she will need to follow. The green card is not given out instantly when one enters the US on the K-1 visa, there are many things that need to be done. And a green card is not citizenship, but only residency. She will be holding a passport from the Philippines, therefore will also need to abide by their rules.

For over 25 years, the local license was required as the CGFNS exam was required before one could even come to the US, things have changed, but we do expect them to change back in some places and instances.

This is how things are and have been and not something that is being made up here.

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The NCLEX is also not the gold standard, it is purely the licensing exam for the US, and there alone. Other countries have their own exams, and the NCLEX does not work there.

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For over 25 years, the local license was required as the CGFNS exam was required before one could even come to the US, things have changed, but we do expect them to change back in some places and instances.

In your opinion, Why was the local licensed and CFGNS exams requirment done away with or abolished?

Thanks in advance.

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It was not the local license that was done away with but the fact that testing centers for the NCLEX exam opened around the world so that the nurse did not need to write the CGFNS exam first. It was and still is a requirement of CGFNS that the local license by written and passed before one could write their exam. And that is actually a good thing to have.

Nurses were coming to the US with that, and unable to pass the licensing exam for the RN, and ended up working for years as an LPN or CNA. That is why they are trying to have the NCLEX testing done before the nurse comes to the US.

Immigration has changed alot in the past few years, and with a wait for a visa to work in the US, if the nurse has not taken the NLE, then they are unable to get experience in that field anyplace, and that is not a good thing. If you look at it from the other side, and you were the official at the US Embassy, who would you give a visa to if you had to choose between a few people? The one that has actual work experience is always going to win out with anything, and when the person cannot get experience and there are many more graduates now that wish to work overseas, and the other countries will not accept them without the NLE passed, what are they going to do as well?

And licensure and immigration are two different things, and we are seeing some states require the local license again, and this number is increasing.

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Specializes in Med-Surg area.

Thanks for this very clear explanation. I just posted asking about this, and then I found your post.

Just like Suzanne mentioned, the point is that one should remember that it's the licensure and not the NCLEX exam he/she is to applying for. It is therefore to inquire with the BON of the state one is applying at, to know if the requirement for local board would be waived or not, when one is a greencard holder already.

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Specializes in medical surgical nursing, MAN-MSN.

re: nurses who didn't take local boards, but were able to take nclex

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thanks for this very clear explanation. i just posted asking about this, and then i found your post.

just like suzanne mentioned, the point is that one should remember that it's the licensure and not the nclex exam he/she is to applying for. it is therefore to inquire with the bon of the state one is applying at, to know if the requirement for local board would be waived or not, when one is a greencard holder already.

even if you are a holder of green card your not excempt from local license since your still a holder of philippine passport and therefore allowed to take the nle.

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To the thread starter:

I graduated from BSN last March 2007. I was very curious how it is to take NCLEX (as a Nurse Licensure exam for the US) so upon graduation, I applied straight for US licensure ( NCLEX-RN California ) even without applying for Philippine Licensure exam.I just sent a letter together with my application stating that I am scheduled to take the NLE by December 2007 as the NLE is scheduled June and December only. CA BRN approved my application,so I was one of the pioneers who took NCLEX in Manila.

I focused my studies for NCLEX and upon passing it,it was not hard passing NLE as well. MS,OB,Pedia,Psych are SOP's where ever you apply it. I just focused on CHN,LMR and others for the NLE. Many also do the vise-versa, NLE first,then NCLEX.

So you see, there's no waste of effort! Just my little advise for those who follow this thread.

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To the thread starter:

I graduated from BSN last March 2007. I was very curious how it is to take NCLEX (as a Nurse Licensure exam for the US) so upon graduation, I applied straight for US licensure ( NCLEX-RN California ) even without applying for Philippine Licensure exam.I just sent a letter together with my application stating that I am scheduled to take the NLE by December 2007 as the NLE is scheduled June and December only. CA BRN approved my application,so I was one of the pioneers who took NCLEX in Manila.

I focused my studies for NCLEX and upon passing it,it was not hard passing NLE as well. MS,OB,Pedia,Psych are SOP's where ever you apply it. I just focused on CHN,LMR and others for the NLE. Many also do the vise-versa, NLE first,then NCLEX.

So you see, there's no waste of effort! Just my little advise for those who follow this thread.

CA changed their requirements this past January, and now require the local license before they will permit one to test. They are not making any exceptions to this rule even if the nurse holds a green card for the US since they are still a Philippine citizen and are permitted to write the local exam.

Illinois is now also requiring the local exam before they will permit one to test.

Rules are always changing and they are getting tighter. If one does not possess a local license, then they are not going to be able to get experience anywhere and five years without experience is going to make it difficult to get the chance at the green card. We are also expecting the US to require experience just as almost every other country does, as well as the local license before they will look at your credentials.

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Specializes in Med-Surg area.

Hi! Is that specific to California BON? There were some newlygrads who submitted a letter of explanation to BON and were permitted to take the NCLEX late last year w/o passing the local board. Reason was that they're migrating (greencardholders) to US and have no plans of seeking employment locally.

Must be that the BON have become stricter in this requirement which means I need to tell my nephew about this update.

Thanks for the info though. =)

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Hi! Is that specific to California BON? There were some newlygrads who submitted a letter of explanation to BON and were permitted to take the NCLEX late last year w/o passing the local board. Reason was that they're migrating (greencardholders) to US and have no plans of seeking employment locally.

Must be that the BON have become stricter in this requirement which means I need to tell my nephew about this update.

Thanks for the info though. =)

BRN changed their requirements in Jan 08 and are very strict enforcing it

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Does this mean that CA BRN will not process the application until the applicant sends in his/her local license copy? I'm referring to an application being sent to CA BRN with only a letter of explanation and a board pass letter since it takes months for the local license to be released in the Phils. from the time one passes the exam.

Just wanted to clarify if CA BRN will not proceed with processing the application without the license copy even if the applicant did pass the local boards. Thanks!

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the BON permitted me to take the NCLEX without a local license (NLE). Im a greencard holder and Im here in CA. But im stil waiting for the nclex result. i took it weeks ago. I dont know what to expect now, would they mail me the result (failed or passed) ?? and if i passed, they might hold my license if theyre strict to their new policy that you i (we) should have a local license first. (bec ive read from other threads that BON will permit you to sit for nclex-rn even with incomplete requirments.) I dont know if i should phone them and ask, or will they write to me and tell me that I should get a local license first.:banghead: im confused.

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