Aunurse1

Not sure what isn't accurate about what I said. The job position needs to be a specialty position to qualify. "Specialty position" is defined as a job that requires "A theoretical and practical application of a body of specialized knowledge; and The attainment of a bachelor’s or higher degree in the specific specialty (or its equivalent) as a minimum for entry into the occupation in the United States." http://canberra.usembassy.gov/e3visa.html That's where it does specifically say that. My employer's legal department was unwilling to sign for my e3 as the nursing position only "required" a 2 year associates degree even though it preferred a bachelors. This is the main point I was trying to get across as the person asking is also a nurse. The e3 visa can be difficult to attain working as just an RN. Edit: Also from the same website Q: I have a degree and have found a job in a related profession in the U.S. Do I qualify for the E-3 visa? A: The job will qualify provided that it requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a specialty occupation. It is not enough that an E-3 applicant holds a particular degree; the job itself must also require a bachelor-level or higher qualification. For example, someone with a degree in Business Studies planning to work as a Personal Assistant would not be eligible for the E-3 unless the job actually required a bachelor-level qualification.

https://www.cgfns.org/cerpassweb/contactUsAfterHours.jsp That's their contact information with the hours but it's in US Eastern Time so you will have to adjust accordingly. You will be on hold for awhile and I'm not sure how much they will actually assist you unless you have already paid. Did I mention they're a bad service? They explicitly state they want clinical placement hours and theoretical hours in your education in those specific fields. This is in order to equate your degree to an american degree. I highly doubt they would be willing to work around those requirements but calling and asking wouldn't hurt. Good luck!

From New York's board of nursing website (http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/nurse/nursing.htm) it does say you will need to go through CGFNS in order to apply for a nursing license. In order to sit the Nclex you will first need to complete cgfns' requirements. For the general requirements you can go here http://www.ezstaffing.com/nurse_intl_cgfns.html#11. Warning though, just because you do the requirements it does not mean you will be accepted even if you are currently an RN. Specifically, make sure you are currently licensed and you meet CGFNS' education requirements. These can be found here http://www.cgfns.org/files/pdf/req/vs-requirements.pdf. In America they require their nurses to have both clinical and theoretical hours in subjects that are not required as an Australian RN, such as clinical/theoretical hours in Maternal/Infant Care. If you do not have the hours don't bother applying until you do, or you'll be in my situation where I have to pay a "renewal fee" on my cgfns application since I need more times to get those additional hours. Just prepare yourself, CGFNS can be a real headache with their service and the amount of time it takes. The best success stories I've heard has taken 3 months and that's with meeting everything perfectly. Others like me are nearly a year into it and still working on it. It's the first step, if you get passed it you'll be on your way. I wish you the best :) CGFNS' website can be found at http://www.cgfns.org (This is where you will apply and find out any additional information) EDIT: I failed to mention about working visas in the US. The two you will be most interested in is the H1-B and E-3 visa. Both of these have their own slew or requirements that does not guarantee you acceptance. E-3 visa is the best route as it is specifically for Australians with a specialty occupation. The most difficult part of the e-3 visa is providing proof of a job position in the US. You will need to attain a job offer or sponsorship of some degree from an employer related to your degree requiring a minimum of a bachelors. This can be difficult for obvious reasons and also most general RN positions in USA state a minimum of an Associates degree (2year). Even if a bachelors is "preferred", in those situations you will not qualify for the e-3 as it must be a "specialty" position with a 4 year minimum.

Thanks so much for the info, I really appreciate it. I'll be looking into those programs asap. On another note, does anyone have any advice on making an official complaint against CGFNS? I am absolutely appalled at their service (which I have paid $540 to NOT receive). First, they have delayed me over 6 months in getting my nursing licence, and now they are telling me I am missing these clinical hours, when only last week they emailed me saying that everything was accepted and all I needed was NCLEX. Clearly they have no idea what they are doing, and frankly I don't see how they are even qualified to judge my credentials when all they do is screw up constantly. Oh, and just today I checked my application status and after weeks of saying "Meets all program requirements" one of my credentials now says "Received but not accepted". This is getting ridiculous now, I am at breaking point. They have now caused me a great deal of emotional pain and loss of income due to not being able to start working for an extra 6 months (and now even more). So I'm looking into making a complaint with BBB (Better Business Bureau). Any advice from anyone who has done this before would be great. Thanks.

How do you swap Email? It won't let me PM them

I'm having a similar issue being an Australian RN trying to work in USA. I'm missing clinical hours in maternity for CGFNS. Could you contact me if you know someone I could contact at Deakin University to get these hours? Thanks for any help :) Sorry for reviving an old thread

Thank you that would be a huge disaster if that happened. I'll contact them and make sure they say it's ok before enrolling into anything.

I'm applying in Kentucky. Would I contact the board of nursing to see if it is accepted here?

I graduated from Monash University in Australia with a BSN and am trying to work in the United States where I am currently living. However, CGFNS has informed me I still need clincial hours in maternity. I've read a few places people go through Deakin to get these hours. If anyone has been through this before could you please tell me who I need to get in contact with. Thank you!

Unfortunately it IS required in order for me to work in the state of Kentucky. The Kentucky Board of Nursing requires that all foreign educated applicants seeking license have a visascreen certificate.

Hello, I'm an Australian RN and currently living in the USA with my husband(American). I've been trying to go through CGFNS for 6months now. I've now recently found out that I may need additional clinical hours in midwifery in order to get my visascreen which is required to get my nursing license in Kentucky. Is there anybody who's managed to get clinical hours without returning to their home country or know of a way to achieve this?

Thank you for your help it was a good idea. However, even at these hospitals it seems the job positions require at least an Associates degree not a BSN so it doesn't satisfy the LCA form for the e-3 visa.I figured Nursing was considered a specialty profession but in the United States all the RN positions only require an Associates degree. To make it even more frustrating when I talked to an employer they said they usually only hire people with a bachelors. So it seems I can't get the e-3 visa because of a technicality. I don't see how a registered nurse can even use the e-3 visa unless they are going to a management or nurse practitioner position. I don't understand why the consulate didn't bother to mention it isn't possible to get an LCA as a registered nurse.

Hello I'm back again I got a job offer for a position as a psych nurse at a childrens hospital but now the employer is telling me they can't fill out the LCA as the position only requires an associates degree not a bachelors. Apparently most positions in the US are the same as this except for nursing unit management positions which I am not experienced enough for. How is it possible for me to attain an e3 visa when there are no positions that match the requirements? (BSN is only preferred not required). Any continued help would be great. I'm desperate.

I am a qualified Registered Nurse currently working in Australia. I have a Bachelor of Nursing and have been working in Australia for almost a year. I am applying for a VISA to work in the United States as I am engaged to a man that lives in Kentucky. For the E3 VISA application I need a job offer (LCA) from the hospital I want to work at but the hospital won't give me a job unless I have a VISA. I am looking for any information about this from people who may have already completed this process as it all seems very confusing. I also need to sit the NCLEX exam but I have been unable to apply due to a lack of Social Security number (required to fill out the application). Any help will be appreciated. Thanks