Published
for those of you wishing to work in the us and obtain a green card, these are the steps that you should follow:
1. apply for visa screen certificate (this will be the most time consuming,
and can be done before you take any of your exams) http://www.cgfns.org
there is a separate area for nurses form canada or mexico who are covered under the nafta treaty. look towards the bottom of the list to see this one.
2. complete application for cgfns exam (if you are going to take it)
hint if you submit a complete set of your transcripts with the school verification form, this will cover the complete requirements for visa screen as well as the exam. deadline for exam is approximately 90 days before the exam. this is the date that all data must be recieved by cgfns in their office, which includes verification from your nursing board, as well as transcripts. there are no exceptions, if anything is late, and you will have to wait another four months for the next exam time. the exam is only given in 6 locations in the entire us, if you are planning on taking it there.
importantthe verification from your nursing school as well as your license verification must be sent in an envelope with the appropriate seal over the flap as well as the person's signature who sealed the envelope over the flap. if either of these are missing, it will not be accepted.
3. contact the bon (board of nursing) in the state where you are interested in getting your license. you are not committed to working in this state once you get your license. once accepted by them, you will receive a letter called "authority to test", usually referred to as att. you must have this letter in your hand before you register to take the nclex exam. you do not need to take the exam in the state where you will be licensed.
passing nclex does not automatically give you your license. until you actually have been assigned a number, you do not have a license in the us. so please do not list a us license for visa screen if it is not in your hand or you will delay your processing . also any reference to your "current" license means the license where you are currently working, not the one that you will receive in the us.
hope that this helps you and answers many questions for you in advance.
good luck with reaching your dreams and goals......
:balloons:
Dear Suzanne,
My Father is a practicing surgeon in Indonesia and wants to live here in the US because all of his family lives here. He heard that RN is a very good and promising career in US compared to MD so he's thinking of getting the RN license. However, we don't have any idea how to start and who to get info from. Most of the cases I read are foreign nurses to become US nurses. He's here in the US right now under tourist visa. also, he doesnt have social security number. Do you know anything that can help us?
Thank you so much for your help
Eva
He would need to complete at least a two year nursing program. He will not receive any credit for the hours that he has put in towards his medical degree for the actual nursing classes.
His best bet may be one of the private schools to get into. They are more expensive but usually do not have much of a waiting list.
He can try contacting Pima Medical Institute in Mesa, Arizona. They have a new program beginning in July, not sure if their class is full yet. You can get their info from the internet.
Hope that this helps. Please let me know if you need any more assistance.
Which island was he practicing on?
There are a lot of foreign MDS already in the US as RNS. But most had obtained their nursing school prior to coming to the US. One option could be to go back home, obtain a nursing course then take the NCLEX. In the Philippines, MDS taking up nurses have a shortened program. I dont know if this exist in your country too. Since your father is here as a tourist, he has to consult an immigration lawyer how he can change his status from tourist to student if he plans to take up nursing in the US. welcome to all nurses.
Dear Suzanne,My Father is a practicing surgeon in Indonesia and wants to live here in the US because all of his family lives here. He heard that RN is a very good and promising career in US compared to MD so he's thinking of getting the RN license. However, we don't have any idea how to start and who to get info from. Most of the cases I read are foreign nurses to become US nurses. He's here in the US right now under tourist visa. also, he doesnt have social security number. Do you know anything that can help us?
Thank you so much for your help
Eva
California does not have any specific programs for that at the moment. They would need to complete at least a two year program if they can do it on a student visa here, then even an ADN would be beneficial. But most CA programs have long waiting lists. There are several private programs in AZ that are just beginning.......not sure of their waiting lists right now....tuition is about $30,000 for the two year program.
thanks for the info.
California does not have any specific programs for that at the moment. They would need to complete at least a two year program if they can do it on a student visa here, then even an ADN would be beneficial. But most CA programs have long waiting lists. There are several private programs in AZ that are just beginning.......not sure of their waiting lists right now....tuition is about $30,000 for the two year program.
hsnicol
22 Posts
So I am guessing that going thru NY would be a waste of time for me? I am not sure how to figure out which are private run nursing schools, any ideas? I have been searching it up on the Net but as I am not sure of the names I do not know which are which.
Every school that I have contacted does not have space to take on someone for just those subjects, that is what is so frustrating as I accept that I will have to do these subjects again but I can't find anywhere that will actually let me do them.....
So any help in this direction would be greatly appreciated:)