Julia333

Hi again Suzanne! Would you mind telling what city do you live in the US? Is it the state of New-York or the city of New York where you practice? I haven't decided yet where to go yet. Any suggestions? I am absolutely new to all this. Just found out about this opportunity a month ago. Seems to be challenging. Bye-bye!

Hi, Suzanne and the rest of you! What I was trying to do is figure out if I was eligible to qualify as a RN or ADN with CGFNS. My nursing diploma looks ok as it was a 3 year nursing diploma program. BUT! In Russia (in the past) we had 2 types of secondary school diplomas: one obtained after 8 years of secondary education (which is the type I have) and the other was given after 10 years of education. I know two Russian nurses who had 8 year based secondary school diplomas who had a lot of troubles with CGFNS. One of them (it was 6 years ago) had to take GED even thou she graduated from the university and had an academic degree. The other one just recently has got her NY license, but CGFNS do not approve smth since she has only 8 years of pre-nursing education. As I heard she was going to sue CGFNS. What I wanted to know is if my diploma is ok or I have to study, but Ms Meladee from nurseimmigrationusa.com told me that if I go to school and get those 2 more years to get a complete secondary school diploma (10 years), then CGFNS will consider my nursing diploma as a technical one and qualify it as an apprentiship. (!!!??) She suggested I go to high school and then again to some american RN school!!! I tried to call CGFNS but my spoken English is not so fluent and I have to stay late at night to make those calls due to time difference. Kinda tough. I just wanted to make things clear for me when I will have to file for the Visa Screen, if I would qualify to work in the US with my diplomas. And I am afraid they will reject my high school diploma, thou I know some girls (from the net) who just sent those 8 year high school diplomas and worked for them. Well, I just don't know if I have to get 2 more years of high school (which is really a pain since I work in a hospital) or just leave as it is. And those words about exemption if you completed your school more than 10 years ago. I can't understand what they mean by that.

Dear Anna thank you very much for posting! But really I can't understand the meaning of "was told that for the visa screen if my schooling was over 10 years it was exempt". What does this sentence means in practice? Like, you don't have to send them photocopy of your high school diploma with transcipts or you don't have to fill out all the blanks referring to to pre-nursing education and just state: entered school at 1981 and comleted it in 1991? It's a little bit hard to make phone calls to CGFNS from Russia due to daytime differences, So I try at this point to collect the information on this site. Very helpful, endeed. Thank you!

Could you please clarify me on the following: CGFNS Applicant Handbook, 30th edition Instructions on completion of an application form page 6, Item 10. Pre-Nursing Education List the primary, intermediate and secondary schools you attended, the countries in which the schools were located, and the datesyou enrolled in, and completed. Also, include a clear photocopy of your senior secondary school diploma or external examinationcertificate. In many instances, if it has been more than ten years since you completed your secondary school education this requirement may be waived. Does this really mean that if I finished my secondary school in 1991 I don't have to send them the photocopy of my secondary school diploma and what I need is only to fiil out blanks at what school I got my secondary education? Or still they could send a letter asking for that diploma? And what they actually mean by saying, " In many instances, if it has been more than ten years since you completed your secondary school education this requirement may be waived." What requirement? If anyone know tell me please. It is very important for me to know what it is all about. Thank you.

The problem is that I only finished 8 years at secondary school (and I have a 8 year secondary school diploma. At that time in Russia we studied only for 10 years at secondary school total (now it is 11) to get a diploma of complete secondary education. After that I took a 3 year nursing diploma progam at a fully accredited nursing school at a hospital and got a RN diploma. when I began filing with CGFNS it turned out that they demand now a complete secondary education diploma (which is 10 years of education for Russia) + nursing diploma. So I lack just 2 years to have that diploma. Now it has become known that they do not accept an incomplete secondary education diploma (that is 8 years of education at high school). In their instructions they say that those who don't have an equvalent in academic records could get them by finishing GED. But in Russia we don't have GED. Well, my question is could I, for instance, complete my secondary education by taking 2 years at evening high school? It would look like: icomplete secondary school diploma + nursing diploma + complete secondary education diploma. Would they accept this? It would actually mean that instead of finishing GED, I would finish our local high school. Is it possible? Will they then qualify me for their validation and exams? It is very important for me, because I work at a hospital and taking evening classes will not be an easy thing, especially if turns out that CFNS will turn me down with my applications. Could I get my secondary school diploma in a Russian school instead of taking GED? Some say that if I went to a nursing school before I had got my secondary education they will evaluate my diploma as an apprentiship or LPN. They say that a nursing education should be post high school education. But it is totally unfair! Could you please enlighten me on this? I know that you know everything! Thank you and have a good day!!