Quickest Way for Getting Things Done and Licensed in US

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As most of you know, I have been recommending initial licensure in NY for quite some time. And for those of you that did not heed the warning, you now know why.

New York is three easy applications only, next you take the NCLEX exam, then you get a hard license and can endorse to almost any state afterwards. Because of the requirements of the Special Credentials Verification for New York, you do not have to do any of the running around to obtain your documents. CGFNS will obtain them for you....after you sign the release and send them the money.

NY also requires two short classes that can be done on-line, one on Child Abuse, and the other on Infection. Both are available for about $15 each and take only one hour or so.

NY BON application can be found at http://www.op.nyed.gov. You only need to submit "Form 1."

The Special Credentials Verification can be found at http://www.CGFNS.org, as well as the Visa Screen Application.

Once you have received documentation from NY that your credentials have been received and approved, submit payment to Pearson-Vue for the NCLEX exam. http://www.perasonvue.com. They are the ones that will actually send you the ATT letter, upon approval of the Board of Nursing. Be aware that this ATT (authorization to test) is only good for ninety (90) days. You will have onlt that amount of time to get the exam done in, otherwise you will lose your payment and have to start again.

Hope that this helps................ :balloons:

Most importantly, NY will issue you the license without a Social Security Number.

You are very welcome.

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As most of you know, I have been recommending initial licensure in NY for quite some time. And for those of you that did not heed the warning, you now know why.

New York is three easy applications only, next you take the NCLEX exam, then you get a hard license and can endorse to almost any state afterwards. Because of the requirements of the Special Credentials Verification for New York, you do not have to do any of the running around to obtain your documents. CGFNS will obtain them for you....after you sign the release and send them the money.

NY also requires two short classes that can be done on-line, one on Child Abuse, and the other on Infection. Both are available for about $15 each and take only one hour or so.

NY BON application can be found at http://www.op.nyed.gov. You only need to submit "Form 1."

The Special Credentials Verification can be found at http://www.CGFNS.org, as well as the Visa Screen Application.

Once you have received documentation from NY that your credentials have been received and approved, submit payment to Pearson-Vue for the NCLEX exam. http://www.perasonvue.com. They are the ones that will actually send you the ATT letter, upon approval of the Board of Nursing. Be aware that this ATT (authorization to test) is only good for ninety (90) days. You will have onlt that amount of time to get the exam done in, otherwise you will lose your payment and have to start again.

Hope that this helps................ :balloons:

Most importantly, NY will issue you the license without a Social Security Number.

Hi Suzanne,

Can your sanity withstand yet another question about the NY CVS? I'm a Canadian nurse, just passed the NCLEX last week and obtained my RN license through Minnesota. I was hoping to head to Florida but became very frustrated with the licensure requirements given that I don't have a US social security number. In any case, I've been reading through the posts on this topic and just need some clarification, please: am I correct in thinking that the fastest way to work in the US is to get the NY CVS done and then the Visa Screen, given that the NY CVS will have taken care of all my documentation? (I have three degrees other than my BN that I obtained from universities all over Canada, and it will be such a headache if I have to contact all of these schools on my own for supporting documentation, sigh) I take it NY will accept my Minnesota RN license through endorsement, and I can then have Florida accept the NY license through endorsement? (And by this time I'll have a SS number?)

I hope that I haven't confused you with my multi-part question ... thanks so much!

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Unfortunately, since you already have a US license already, you are going to have to obtain all of the documents yourself for the Visa Screen Certificate.

The CVS will be of no use to you..............it is strictly for initial licensure.

Just because you do not have a SSN# as of yet, getting lciensed in Florida should not be an issue. You will have a SSN# before you begin work, and since you are Canadian, you can work in the US as soon as you have the VSC in hand. You are covered by the TN Visa, which is under the NAFTA treaty for others that are reading here. All you will need is a copy of the VSC as well as a job offer and present that at the border. :)

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Unfortunately, since you already have a US license already, you are going to have to obtain all of the documents yourself for the Visa Screen Certificate.

The CVS will be of no use to you..............it is strictly for initial licensure.

Just because you do not have a SSN# as of yet, getting lciensed in Florida should not be an issue. You will have a SSN# before you begin work, and since you are Canadian, you can work in the US as soon as you have the VSC in hand. You are covered by the TN Visa, which is under the NAFTA treaty for others that are reading here. All you will need is a copy of the VSC as well as a job offer and present that at the border. :)

Thanks for the clarification, Suzanne! Much appreciated.

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I have a friend who wants to apply thru NY BON. Does it require a fingerprint card like in CA or just the form 1 and the CVS application? thanks.

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No fingerprint card at present. And Visa Screen Certificate application. Just those three things.

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Dear Suzanne4!

You have a great forum going on here...Congrats!

I am a Canadian Nurse, and, as you probably can guess with my screen name, would be interested in working in Hawaii. After reading a lot of info here, at CGFNS and NCSBN websites, I am still confused as to what to do first.

I know, that I need an ATT from the Board of Nursing before I can take the NCLEX (is this true also for Canadians?). To get the ATT form the BON in Hawaii, they need either a Credentials Evaluation by CGFNS or a CGFNS Certification. This would mean, that I have to more or less send in the same forms to CGFNS as for the Visa Screen forms, which is double the paperwork. Once the BON gives me the ATT then I take the NCLEX and then I can apply for the VISA Screen, which,as mentioned before, uses the same forms and asks the same information????

Am I missing something? This seems a lot of paperwork (and money spent) for getting a TN Visa.

I hope you can bring some light into this matter, and I am looking forward to reading your reply. Thanks a lot.

Mahalo

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In order to get the TN Visa, you must pass NCLEX and have a Visa Screen Certificate. CGFNS also handles the Visa Screen Certificate, so one set of actual documents will be okay, you just need the individual applications as well as the fees. I would definitely go the route of CES and not the exam.

It will hold you up much longer.

All nurses wishing to work in the US must pass the NCLEX-RN exam, no way around that. In previous times, some states actually offered reciprocity to nurses that had taken the Canadian Boards, but that is no longer being offered. And Hawaii was never one of them.

But look on the bright side, you can get a TN Visa as soon as you have your VSC in hand and a job offer, you do not have to wait the two years that most other foreign nurses need to wait.

And thank you for the nice compliment. :wink2:

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Thank you, Suzanne4, for this quick response!

I have a few more questions:

1) Do you suggest to send in the forms to CGFNS or use the internet to submit?

2) I read in another forum, where you suggested to send in the VISA Screen application right away, without NCLEX, etc.

In my case, should I send in the Credentials Evaluation and VISA Screen forms all in one, or separate?

And if I start with the CES, and the CGFNS recieves my Academic Records and Validation of Registration, would I have to resend these requests for the Visa Screen, or would they automatically apply this info to the Visa Screen application?

3) With all the costs nearing 1000 USD can I, when I apply for a job, negotiate this to be reimbursed, or can I write it off on my first US tax return?

Thanks again for your assistance. You give incredibly good advice and Info.

Mahalo

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With CGFNS, the forms will still need to be submitted physically to them, as they require legal signatures on the documents. You can print the forms after filling them in, but they should be mailed in.

You will only need one set of transcripts and the verification form sent in. They can be used for both the CES, as well as Visa Screen Certificate. The applications actually go to two different addresses, but they can both use the same set of documents when they arrive. You will have the same CGFNS number for both.

Best suggestion is to try and get reimbursed for the fees from your employer, they will usually do this. :)

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Hi Suzanne and to everyone. I'm helping out a friend who's still contemplating which state should she apply for. Of course I said that she should go for NY as per your advise. I couldn't convince her yet because everyone that she asks for advise about NY is that they consistently say that it's hard to pass it because there are many "legal" questions integrated to it. Doesn't all state BON follow the same test plan? Even the review centers here don't recommend applying for NY for that same reason. Are there any truth to these? Help me out guys. I don't want my friend to make the same mistake I made. thanks in advance. :rotfl:

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Legal questions? I am not following. It is the same NCLEX where ever you are, there are not different ones for different states. It is a national exam.

It isn't even administered byt the BONs, but a separate company that is contracted by them.

Not sure where they are getting their information, but it is all wrong. I stand by what I am saying, and I have never had anyone have difficulties with getting a license there. And the same documents can be used for the Visa Screen Certificate.

Your friend is free to do whatever he or she wants. Simple question, how many of those advisors over there actually have worked in the US or actually deal with US licensure?

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