Visa Screen

World Immigration

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To all of you that hope to work in the US:

1. Complete Visa Screen paperwork as soon as possible. This will be a requirement starting in July, so think how much busier CGFNS is going to get.

2. Whoever tells you not to worry about English, just go to California and take the NCLEX exam, is 100% wrong. Sure, you can get a license but none of the hospitals are hiring without you being able to pass your English exams. Especially the "Speaking" section. Unless your idea of working in the US is to be doing something other than being a nurse. Plus then you would no longer have 2 years of current work experience.

3. So please keep all of this in mind when you decide to listen to a recruiter. You should come first, not putting money in their pockets. Think of what you really want to be doing....................

4. Finally, in order to get a Visa Screen certificate to take to the Embassy, you must have English skills equivalent to that of a native speaker. It can be done, but you will have to put the time and effort into it.

Good luck to all of you and may you be successful in your goals.

Perhaps what this person has is a temporary license and not a full one? I know I crossed the border with a temp license from the NC BON although I did have all the appropriate paperwork like the VSC, diplomas, offer of employment etc. etc. etc.

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CA does not issue a temporary license if that is the place of initial licensure as a foreign nurse that does not have a SSN#. They will issue a temporary license provided that the nurse was issued a license in another state in the US. But it is only a temporary license and is not a hard license. It is only a piece of paper that folds to fit in your wallet.

Temporary licenses are fine, that is not the issue. The issue here is that the nurse does not have the Visa Screen Certificate, nor do they have the English series that is required. If they trained in Montreal in french, they do not have the language exemption that other Canadians can get.

No TN Visa will be issued without the VSC. That is the problem that this nurse is having. She apparently did not know about the VSC. But no exceptions will be made to this requirement, as it is from US immigration, not a BON.

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What exactly do you mean by a "hard license" how would I know if I have a "hard lisence" and not a temporary one?

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
What exactly do you mean by a "hard license" how would I know if I have a "hard lisence" and not a temporary one?

my understanding is temp license if valid for a short period of time ie a couple on months where as hard license is valid for whatever BON asks for ie 2 years or could be longer until renewal

:welcome:

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I took my NCLEX in June and passed, got my license in the mail and it is valid until Jan 2008. In the forms that come with it, it says that its valid for a short time until your next bday (my bday is in January) and then i have to renew every year. (Im talking about the state of Texas, don't know what its like in other states) according to the forms, I dont have to submit any CEUs until after the 1st renewal. Then within the year I have to do 20 CEUs.

Does anyone know if you can do CEUs without actually practicing? I mean having a job?

My concern is that say I go through the whole VSC stuff and it takes months to get approved, I'm scared I will lose my nursing lisence because I wont be practicing, and if i must practice to get CEUs, then i wont have any because while i wait to get approved for a visa, i can't work. Does that make any sense?

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Specializes in Med-Surg,OPD ER,School/Clinic,Teaching.
I took my NCLEX in June and passed, got my license in the mail and it is valid until Jan 2008. In the forms that come with it, it says that its valid for a short time until your next bday (my bday is in January) and then i have to renew every year. (Im talking about the state of Texas, don't know what its like in other states) according to the forms, I dont have to submit any CEUs until after the 1st renewal. Then within the year I have to do 20 CEUs.

Does anyone know if you can do CEUs without actually practicing? I mean having a job?

My concern is that say I go through the whole VSC stuff and it takes months to get approved, I'm scared I will lose my nursing lisence because I wont be practicing, and if i must practice to get CEUs, then i wont have any because while i wait to get approved for a visa, i can't work. Does that make any sense?

Practice requirement and CEU requirement are two different things.

Please check with your state BON to verify what they require for renewal.

Some require both, others only one of the choices above, still a combination of both, and the best part, some states neither require any of the choices previously mentioned(optional).

By the way, why can't you practice?

IMHO, it would also be best to get licensed in a state that doesn't require anything for license renewal(No US SSN, CEUs, Practice requirement, etc.), so if such option is available, I'd take it...

God bless!

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well i can't practice while i'm in the process of getting a visa TN. and it may take months to get it approved. Meanwhile my RN license is just sitting there. :o

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A TN Visa gets issued immediately when you can present the Visa Screen Certificate at the border with the job offer letter, etc. Does not take months to get it, there is no pre-application process for it.

CA only issues a temporary license if you do not have a SSN#. It is good for only 6 months. And it is a piece of paper that you can fold and place in your wallet. A hard license is similar in size to a driver's license or credit card and is a hard card; does not bend and cannot be folded.

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The hard license is not the requirement that will delay anyone, not having the Visa Screen Certificate is the hold-up for you.

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ok well i'm from texas and my license is the size of a drivers license and its paper. Is that temporary? and then after the first renewal (january/my DOB) will i get a hard one then?

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hello,

I passed NCLEX and couldn't pass Toefl for 3 times. Now i'm taking IELTS.

Can anyone tell me, whether at least 6.5 scores are required for every IELTS section and 7 for speaking or average score of listening,reading,writing could be 6.5.For Ex, if i got 6 on listening, 7 on reading and 6.5 on writing,is it ok?

Thank you.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
hello,

I passed NCLEX and couldn't pass Toefl for 3 times. Now i'm taking IELTS.

Can anyone tell me, whether at least 6.5 scores are required for every IELTS section and 7 for speaking or average score of listening,reading,writing could be 6.5.For Ex, if i got 6 on listening, 7 on reading and 6.5 on writing,is it ok?

Thank you.

http://www.cgfns.org/files/pdf/apps/VS%20Handbook%20Web.pdf

If you check out page 14/15 on this link it shows passing required and what is accepted as pass

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