Who is CGFNS?
The Commission on Graduates
of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) is a nonprofit,
internationally recognized leader in the education,
registration and licensers of healthcare professionals
worldwide. CGFNS protects the public in relation
to evolving healthcare policies and standards of
professional practice for migrating healthcare professionals.
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Who is ICHP?
The International Commission
on Healthcare Professions is a division of CGFNS.
CGFNS launched ICHP in 1996 to administer its VisaScreen
program, which is a federally approved screening
program for foreign healthcare workers seeking an
occupational visa in the United States. |
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What is
VisaScreen and why do I need it?
U.S. Immigration law now requires that healthcare
professionals, other than physicians, complete a
screening program in order to qualify for certain
occupational visas. VisaScreen, a program offered
by The International Commission on Healthcare Professions
(ICHP), a division of CGFNS, enables healthcare
professionals to meet this requirement by verifying
and evaluating their credentials to ensure that
they meet the government's minimum eligibility standards.
CGFNS is named in the new law as a qualified provider
of such a screening program. |
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What does
VisaScreen look at?
VisaScreen does an educational
review, licensers review, English language skill
assessment and predictive examination for nurses.
Applicants who successfully complete VisaScreen
shall receive a VisaScreen Certificate, which can
be presented to a consular office or, in the case
of adjustment of status, the Attorney General as
part of a visa application. |
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Do I need
to complete the CGFNS Qualifying Exam and the NCLEX-RN
examination in order to complete my VisaScreen application?
No. You only need to successfully
complete either one of the exams.
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What are
the VisaScreen requirements?
Complete the VisaScreen application. Complete the
enclosed forms to send to your nursing school(s).
Academic transcripts must come directly from the
nursing school(s). Complete the enclosed forms to
send to your licensing authority(ies). Validations
of all licenses, past and present, must come directly
from the licensing authorities. You must successfully
complete an English language proficiency test and
have the scores directly forwarded to ICHP from
the testing agency. You must successfully pass either
the CGFNS Qualifying Exam or the NCLEX-RN examination
if you are a nurse. Enclose a copy of your high
school diploma or equivalent. Enclose the application
fee. |
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Who is exempt
from fulfilling the English language proficiency
requirement?
Applicants may be exempt
from the English language proficiency requirement
if they meet all of the following criteria: Country
of professional education was Australia, Canada
(except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom
or the United States; Language of instruction was
English; and Language of textbooks was English.
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Who pays
for the program?
The applicant typically pays
for the VisaScreen program. The application fee
can be paid by an international money order or certified
bank check in US dollars, drawn on a US bank and
made payable to "ICHP," or by one of the following
credit cards: Visa, Mastercard or Discover/Novus.
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Must I submit
my original documents for review?
Yes and no. ICHP accepts
clear and legible photocopies of secondary school
documents for evaluation. However, ICHP shall only
accept original verification from issuing agencies.
All validation of registration/licenses and the
applicant's professional school's transcripts must
come directly from the issuing authority to ICHP.
In addition, since ICHP verifies credential authenticity,
ICHP maintains the right to validate any documentation
with the source agency. |
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What do
I do if my educational institution has closed?
ICHP only accepts certain
documentation from source agencies (such as transcripts
and validations of registration/ licensers). If
your school has closed or no longer operates, you
shall need to contact the organization or agency
authorized to hold documentation for that institution
(such as a ministry of health or the national, provincial
or state licensing authority in your country of
education). If you are uncertain about where to
go, call the ICHP Customer Service Department. |
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Do I need
to have validations for all licenses I have ever
held to complete my VisaScreen application?
Yes. CGFNS requires all VisaScreen
applicants to provide validations of ALL licenses
they have held, past and present. The validations
must be sent directly to CGFNS from the issuing
authority(ies). |
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Can I provide
a photocopy of my license instead of a validation?
No. CGFNS requires that official
validations of licenses must be completed and sent
directly from the issuing authorities. |
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What do
I do if the agency that issued my license is no
longer in existence?
CGFNS only accepts validations
of licensers from the source agency. If that agency
has closed or no longer operates, you shall need
to contact the organization or agency authorized
to hold documentation for that institution (such
as a Ministry of Health or the national, provincial
or state licensing authority in your country). If
you are uncertain about where to go, contact the
CGFNS Customer Service Department for assistance.
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What if
my documents are not in English?
A certified word-for-word
English translation, signed with a certification
of authenticity by the translator, must accompany
any credentials not in English. If you cannot furnish
a translation of your documents, ICHP can provide
an official translation of each document for an
additional fee. ICHP shall accept translations of
documents submitted by source agencies (such as
transcripts and validations) only from the issuing
authorities. Otherwise, ICHP shall translate documents
for the appropriate fee. |
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How does
ICHP ensure its evaluations?
To ensure quality evaluations,
ICHP consistently uses standards developed by the
specific profession as the foundation for the assessment
of an applicant's qualification. |
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What is
the difference between a CGFNS Certificate and the
ICHP VisaScreen Certificate?
The VisaScreen Certificate
is a result of successful completion of the ICHP
VisaScreen program, which meets all federal requirements
of a screening program for healthcare professionals
seeking certain occupational visas in the United
States. The CGFNS Certificate is a result of successful
completion of the CGFNS Certification Program, which
is a program consisting of an educational and registration/licensers
review, a qualifying examination of nursing knowledge,
as well as an English language proficiency assessment,
designed specifically for first-level, general (registered)
nurses seeking licensers in the United States. |
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Once a VisaScreen
Certificate is issued, who receives the original
document?
The VisaScreen Certificate
is issued directly to the applicant who successfully
completed all of the requirements of the program.
The applicant then presents it to a consular office
or attorney general (when applicable) as part of
a visa application. |
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I am from
a foreign country, but graduated from a college
in the United States. Do I still need to apply for
the VisaScreen program?
Yes. Although your professional education was completed
in the United States, the purpose of the VisaScreen
program is to provide a screening program, which
meets all federal requirements for international
healthcare professionals seeking an occupational
visa in the United States, irrespective of where
the professional education was completed. |
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What is
the passing scores for the TOEFL, TWE and TSE, as
well as the MELAB exams?
For registered nurses (RNs):
540 paper-based TOEFL or 207 computer-based TOEFL;
4.0 TWE; 50 TSE; 79 overall MELAB; 3+ oral MELAB.
For licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and Licensed
Vocational Nurses (LVNs): 530 paper-based TOEFL
or 197 computer-based TOEFL; 4.0 TWE; 50 TSE; 77
overall MELAB; 3+ oral MELAB. For physical and occupational
therapists: 560 paper-based TOEFL or 220 computer-based
TOEFL; 4.5 TWE; 50 TSE. |
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What healthcare
professions does ICHP certify?
Under the current Immigration
and Naturalization Service (INS) interim regulations,
ICHP can certify registered nurses, licensed practical
nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists,
speech language pathologists and audiologists, medical
technologists, medical technicians and physicians'
assistants. |
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I am a foreign-educated
healthcare worker (not in one of the professions
mentioned) who is subject to the provisions of Section
343. I have all the necessary paperwork to immigrate
to the United States. Why can't CGFNS issue me the
necessary certification?
INS has chosen to limit the
number of occupations for which certificates can
be issued. INS anticipates that additional occupations,
and perhaps additional organizations, would be added
when a final rule is promulgated. CGFNS has consistently
expressed its disagreement with this approach to
INS, noting that it has statutory authority to certify
all healthcare professions other than physicians.
INS continues to disagree. |
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Do I need
a VisaScreen Certificate if I am a Canadian entering
the United States on a "TN" visa?
No. Certifications are not
required for healthcare workers entering the United
States on a temporary or "non-immigrant" visa, including
the TN (Trade NAFTA) category. Click here to check
the TN VISA requirements. However, if you decide
to adjust your visa status and seek permanent residency,
you shall be required to go through a federally
approved visa-screening program, such as the VisaScreen.
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I am a foreign-educated
healthcare professional who is seeking to obtain
my permanent residence status based on my relationship
(e.g., spouse or minor) to a US citizen. Do I need
to obtain a VisaScreen Certificate?
No. Foreign-educated healthcare
professionals who seek permanent residence status
based on their relationship to an American citizen
are not subject to Section 343 and do not need to
obtain a VisaScreen Certificate. |
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I am a foreign-educated
healthcare professional in a non-clinical occupation
(such as medical teachers or researchers, administrators
of healthcare facilities, medical consultants, etc.).
Do I need to obtain certification under Section
343?
No. Healthcare professionals
coming to the United States to perform services
in non-clinical healthcare occupations that do not
provide patient care are not required to obtain
certification under Section 343. However, healthcare
professionals who are indirectly involved in the
performance of patient care (such as supervisory
nurses, etc.) must obtain certification under Section
343, such as the VisaScreen Certificate.
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I am a nurse
who holds a CGFNS Certificate. Do I still need to
apply for the VisaScreen Certificate?
Yes. The VisaScreen Certificate
is required for all healthcare professionals (except
physicians) who are seeking an immigrant visa or
a change in status to permanent residency. One of
the requirements of the VisaScreen program is that
nurses must have passed either the CGFNS Qualifying
Exam or the NCLEX-RN¨ examination. Since you already
have the CGFNS Certificate, you shall not have to
take another nursing exam to obtain your visa, and
your transcripts on file may be used for the educational
evaluation element of the VisaScreen program. |
