Overseas Registered Nurse applying to work in the US

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Hi,

I am a New Zealand Registered Nurse (based in the UK) looking to move and nurse in the USA. Has anyone had any success with these international recruiters (e.g. Avant Healthcare Professionals) ?? It looks like doing it yourself may prove difficult in regards to finding a job sponsor for the visa otherwise....Any advice would be appreciated.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

You can try agencies however they will not make the process any quicker so you may still have to wait a few years to get a visa allowing you to live and work in the US

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Specializes in emergency nursing.

Hi not sure if this helps you but, I am a UK educated nurse currently undergoing the immigration process. Silverdragon102 is correct in what they say. They can make process easier but not quicker. I have been going through this process for 3 years now and have got to stage that I have completed NCLEX, got visa screen have a recruitment agency that has hired me and are now filing my perm application. Even at this stage I will still have about another 6-9 months to wait and that is providing the priority dates keep going as they have. This is in no way meant to deter you from your dream if that is what it is but just to say it can be a long and sometimes frustrating process If you have the determination no reason why it can't be possible for you too.

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Specializes in Gen Surg & Cardiac.

Hi breev,

I saw your post as I was searching for info regarding nursing in the USA with an NZ education. What ended up happening with your situation? I am a US citizen applying for residency in NZ (Kiwi partner) and will probably attend nursing school at Massey U or a polytec. However, I want to go back and work as an RN in the US in the future and am wondering about the CGFNS evaluation and becoming eligible to take the NCLEX. What school did you attend in NZ and what educational "deficiencies" did you have to make up to work in the US? Also what state did you become registered in?

I would be ever so grateful for answers from a Kiwi nurse!!! Hard to come by on here:)

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Hi! So I spent most of last year going through the process with CGFNS who verified my NZ nursing studies. I then had to sit their exam which was like a mock NCLEX exam. Then after passing that, I was authorized to sit the actual NCLEX exam which I also passed and then was able to gain my license as a RN in the state of Pennsylvania. I didn't have to make up any clinical or theory hours as my NZ Bachelor of Nursing was deemed the equivalent to that of the US qualification. I studied my Bachelor of Nursing in Wellington at Whitirea Polytech. Unfortunately my biggest barrier has been trying to obtain a job. I have been trying to find a job sponsor and gain a work visa that way, but employers and hospitals have been quite straight up and informed me that they simply don't hire overseas nurses as it is just too difficult to get work visas approved for them. I applied for over 100 jobs and got the same response from everyone. So I imagine as a US citizen yourself, once you go through the CGFNS and NCLEX process you will have no problem getting a job back in the US one day :) I hope this has answered your questions. Bree.

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Specializes in Gen Surg & Cardiac.

Hi Bree,

Thanks so much for your response. I am sorry that its proving difficult for you to get a job in the States. Have you thought about trying in a less populated state out west?

It is surprising to me that you didn't have to make up any deficiencies because I have heard from many sources that maternity/obstetrics is not covered in NZ curriculum and is required in the USA. In NZ it is left to midwifery students. Or maybe Pennsylvania does not have that requirement. I will look into Whitirea as well.

You mentioned it took a year to go through the CGFNS process. What else is involved besides sending them your transcript?

Cheers

Elsa

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Hi Elsa,

My partner is based in PA so unfortunately this is where I will be looking for work. My BN studies definitely had a maternity component and CGFNS would have asked my institution how many hours both theory and clinical this would have consisted of. I know of one other NZ'er transferring their qualification to the US and they too did not require any make up hours. From my understanding NZ nursing qualifications more than meet international standards when it comes to theory and clinical hours in each component of nursing. CGFNS took 6 months to process my paperwork and then allow me to sit the exam. The CGFNS exam is only available to sit at 3 times in the year. Once I sat the exam, I had to wait a few weeks for the results, only then could I submit my application to the state board of nursing and this took about 5-6 weeks for them to process my results from CGFNS and give me authorization to test for the NCLEX. (I had also had to sit an online course on child protection) .Once I was able to find an appt for the exam in my city and receive my pass result, did I receive my license. All up I started the process in Jan, and received my license mid November. CGFNS require both your nursing council and the university where you studied to submit official paperwork.

Are you in New Zealand now or still in the US?

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Specializes in Gen Surg & Cardiac.

Hi Bree,

That was so informative, thank you. I am NZ now, and applying for the residence visa next month. Since my boyfriend is a Kiwi and we want to be together it makes more sense for me to stay here since, as you know, it is very hard to obtain a US work permit. My dream is to become a nurse and I am currently working as a health care assistant at a nursing home.

The goal of my research is to see if it is viable to go to school in NZ and the barrier of becoming a registered nurse in the US after going to school here is the only piece holding me back in making the decision. I have struggled to find answers both here and Stateside since I am not a student yet and can only go by current course descriptions. A professor at Massey told me the NCLEX changes every year depending on how many immigrant nurses the US wants to employ. And several NZ sources have informed me that maternity/obstetrics is not under the current nursing council-approved curriculum.

When did you graduate from your school in Wellington? What was the CGFNS exam like? Is it similar to the NCLEX?

Have a lovely day,

Elsa

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

The NCLEX doesn't change every year. It changes every 3 years and has nothing to do with immigrant employment. CGFNS exam is only required by a handful of states so if your state doesn't need it don't do it

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Specializes in Gen Surg & Cardiac.

Hi Silverdragon,

Thanks for your response. When was the last time the NCLEX changed? Is there only one version of the CGFNS test? Every state I am interested in moving back to requires it (or a similar service).

Cheers,

Elsa

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
Hi Silverdragon,

Thanks for your response. When was the last time the NCLEX changed? Is there only one version of the CGFNS test? Every state I am interested in moving back to requires it (or a similar service).

Cheers,

Elsa

Here is some info on NCLEX changes Passing Standard | NCSBN

CES report is what most states require and that is just a breakdown of your transcripts to see if it meets US state requirements. Which state are you looking at?

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Hi Elsa,

It sounds like the Massey lecturer has given you some quite bizarre advice regarding the NCLEX exam, and all I can say is there was definitely maternity education within my course, and you may end up getting placed on a surgical gynae ward - so there is definitely a place for learning gynae/obstetrics. If this is the area you want to get into, if you get NZ gynae/obstetrics experience and then want to work in the US in the same field, your experience will prove invaluable and far superior to supposed clinical and theory hours that you did at uni.

I graduated end of 2010 and the CGFNS exam was very similar to the NCLEX. Perhaps the NCLEX was less specific and more scenario based. i.e. - you need to have a more general knowledge base and ways to interpret data/clinical information in order to select the correct answer. However the CGFNS exam was supposedly a way to assess if you have the knowledge to pass the NCLEX.

If you are going to be NZ for the next while, I would say go for it - if nursing is your dream. You can worry about the logistics of getting to the states when the time comes to it. It will probably change in a few years any way so what I tell you know may not be relevant in a couple of years :) I would say since you already have US citizenship, then transferring over your qualification eventually will be the easy part. So far my NZ education has not been a barrier as I am officially licensed as a RN in the state of PA, so now am just working on that visa ;)

Bree.

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