working in the US

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 9, 2005

You might post this on the International Nursing Forum for more answers??? There are a LOT of smart folks around to help you out. I wish you luck and welcome to allnurses!

bkladybug · Mar 16, 2005

Hi Anyone help me? If you are an international nurse working in the US could you explain the process for application and the best way to go about this? I am an RN from New Zealnd. I have thought of using an agency but I wish to return to a specific area , North Carolina, as thats where my husband is from, and he has a house there. Any suggestions? I do not really ant to go for residency in the US, but if that makes it easier i guess i will.. [/quote']
I am a RN from Holland and you need to talk to CGFNS (commision of graduates of foreign nursing schools). They will ask you to submit your credentials from nursing school "back home" and determine whether or not the education you've completed is the equivalent of a US nursing program.
If it is deemed equivalent then you'll get a crtificate and can just take the NCLEX. If not, you'll have to take the CGFNS exam first, pass that and then move on to NCLEX.
The only way to obtain a working visa as an RN is to have a job offer for which you need to have a BSN. In my experience it was hard to find a job that requires a BSN, mostly it is preferred, but not required.
I ended up applying for residency.......
Good luck

suzanne4, RN · Mar 16, 2005

Forget about what was stated above, since you are married to an American, you do not need to jump thru so many hoops. You will be qualified for a visa by just being married to an American. You just need to apply to the Board of Nrusing where you wish to be licensed. Not sure whether they require a credentials verification or not, otherwise they will then send you a letter that you meet the educational requirements and can sit for the NCLEX exam. Once you receive this letter, submit payment to Pearson-Vue for the exam, and when they receive word from your state, they will issue you the ATT letter. Yuo wil then have 90 days to take the exam.

Things will also depend on if you were trained as a generalist, or as a specialist as they do now under the Australain and British systems. If so, then you will need to make up the needed hours, but that is an easy thing.

Look at some of the postings on the International section, they will be of great value to you.

suzanne4, RN · Mar 16, 2005

I am a RN from Holland and you need to talk to CGFNS (commision of graduates of foreign nursing schools). They will ask you to submit your credentials from nursing school "back home" and determine whether or not the education you've completed is the equivalent of a US nursing program.
If it is deemed equivalent then you'll get a crtificate and can just take the NCLEX. If not, you'll have to take the CGFNS exam first, pass that and then move on to NCLEX.
The only way to obtain a working visa as an RN is to have a job offer for which you need to have a BSN. In my experience it was hard to find a job that requires a BSN, mostly it is preferred, but not required.
I ended up applying for residency.......
Good luck

If the nurse's credentials do not meet up to US standards, then the nurse is not permitted to sit for the CGFNS exam. They must make up the hours first. Very few states actually require the CGFNS exam anymore, the only two that come directly to mind are Michigan and Illinois that will not permit you to even endorse with out at least a few years work experience in the US.

For the others you can endorse to them without the exam.

Hope that this clears up things for you..............