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Citizenship: Or are you looking for … US Registered NursesYou are eligible to work as an RN anywhere in the United States. However, you need to be licensed in the state where you'd like to work. Individual states are responsible for issuing their own license to practice. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to contact the licensing body in the state in which they wish to work, in order to confirm the specific requirements for that state. Please see the information below. In general, however, if you currently hold a license to practice in one US state, endorsement is often possible. Please contact the appropriate state licensing body for more information. Registered Nurses from Canada or MexicoUnder NAFTA, RNs who are citizens of Canada or Mexico are eligible for TN visas to work in the United States. Under NAFTA, Canadians receive TN-1 visas and Mexicans receive TN-2 visas. However, in July 2004, the US Department of Homeland Security instituted a VisaScreen program which must be completed before a registered nurse (and several other types of healthcare professionals, except physicians), who are in non-immigrant status can work in the US. The VisaScreen requirements override any previous state reciprocity rules for Canadian or Mexican RNs. Contrary to what the name suggests, the VisaScreen has nothing to do with a security check. The VisaScreen program is offered by The International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP), which is a division of CGFNS. VisaScreen duplicates the CGFNS certification process for foreign RNs. It includes an educational review, licensure review, English language skills assessment (most Canadians are exempt), and predictive examination for nurses. Its purpose is to confirm the verification/evaluation of an RN's credentials to ensure that s/he meets the US government's minimum eligibility standards. What exactly is required for the VisaScreen? • The applicant must complete
the VisaScreen application. These can be found on
the CGFNS
website.
• The applicant must include
a passport-sized photo (as of January 1, 2006).
• The applicant must complete
the forms (that come with the VisaScreen application)
and send these to her/his nursing school. The nursing
school must fill in information on the form and send
a transcript directly to ICHP.
• The applicant must complete
the forms (that come with the VisaScreen application)
and send them to his/her licensing authority/authorities.
Validations of all past and present licenses
must be sent directly to ICHP by the licensing authority/authorities.
• If not exempt (most Canadian
RNs are), the applicant must successfully complete
an English language proficiency test and have the
scores directly sent to ICHP by the testing agency.
(Scores are valid for two years.)
• RN applicants must pass
either the CGFNS Qualifying Exam or the NCLEX-RN
exam.
• The applicant must attach
a copy of her/his high school diploma. A clear photocopy
is permissible.
• The applicant must enclose
the application fee (by international money order/certified
bank check in US funds, or Visa, MasterCard, or Discover/Novus
card). Canadians and Mexicans who graduated from a US nursing school must also complete the VisaScreen process. Once the VisaScreen certificate is obtained, Canadians can apply for a TN-1 visa at Class A US Ports of Entry; Mexicans must apply for their TN-2 visa at a US Consulate. Documents required:
*Items 2 and 3 are parts of the requirements that are verified under the VisaScreen. The VisaScreen certificate is valid for five years. For more information, see the CGFNS website, or particularly: Registered Nurses from Outside North AmericaNon-North American nurses will also need to complete the VisaScreen process as described above for Canadians and Mexicans. Additionally, however, you are required to have a US work visa before being allowed entry to the US and employment in the US, and usually sponsorship is required. Those who are not citizens of Canada or Mexico are not covered by NAFTA visa policies. Please contact the nearest US Embassy or Consulate to inquire about obtaining a US work visa.
Updated on August 30, 2007. Discuss This ArticleHave something you'd like to say? Tell us what you think! Read and post comments for this article. Like this article? Read more! Browse our archive of 1,503 career resources. Also, see our master index of all MedHunters articles! Find a JobChoose your career: MedHunters is the world's biggest healthcare job board. Our job directory has 17,107 jobs with 2,498 hospitals and other direct employers. We want you to find your next job on MedHunters. Need Help? Call us at 1-888-884-8242, email us at info@medhunters.com or sign up now. Have an article or story for MedHunters? Email us today at submissions@medhunters.com. |
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