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Category: Nurses
  1. How can a foreign national nurse get an H1B visa?
  2. Are nurses who are citizens of Canada or Mexico eligible for the TN visa?
  3. What is the difference between a "CGFNS Certificate" and a "VisaScreen Certificate"?
  4. If a nurse who is a citizen of another country gets her/his R.N. degree from an accredited U.S. school and has a nursing license from the state in which s/he is working, will s/he still need to have a VisaScreen Certificate?
  5. There are companies that contract nurses to various medical facilities throughout the United States but may not know exactly where the nurse will be placed at any given time. May these companies still file I-140s for nurses?
  6. Is there any way I can avoid taking the CGFNS exam and still get the I-140?
  7. If I get a CGFNS certificate abroad but do not have a state nursing license, can I complete consular processing and enter the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident?
  8. If I file the I-485 before getting the VisaScreen Certificate, will USCIS wait to issue the advance parole (AP) and employment authorization document(EAD) until they receive the VisaScreen Certificate?
  9. Do I need to have a current license in my home country to qualify for either the CGFNS Certificate or VisaScreen Certificate?
  10. If I have an EAD and a valid state nursing license, can I work as a nurse while I’m waiting for the I-485?
  11. How do I get state licensure as a registered nurse?



  1. How can a foreign national nurse get an H1B visa?
    Not all nurses can get an H1B visa. To qualify for H1B status, and individual must be offered a job that requires a Bachelor’s degree. Many registered nursing jobs do not require a Bachelor's degree. USCIS will generally approve an H1B petition if: the nurse works as a supervisor; the state where the nurse will work requires a Bachelor's degree in nursing to get a license; the nurse is an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse or has additional, specialized training or experience needed for the job; or the nurse that is applying can show that the particular nursing position for which they are applying requires a Bachelor’s degree.
    Category: Nurses
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  2. Are nurses who are citizens of Canada or Mexico eligible for the TN visa?
    Yes, nursing is a "Profession” under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). A registered nurse who has a state/provincial license and has an employer who will sponsor him/her could come to the U.S. on nonimmigrant TN visa status.
    Category: Nurses
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  3. What is the difference between a "CGFNS Certificate" and a "VisaScreen Certificate"?
    “CGFNS” Certificates are issued after individuals successfully finish the CGFNS Certification Program. The Program is designed specifically for first-level, general nurses who finished their education and are issued their license outside the United States who want to see how they will do on the U.S. registered nurse licensing exam, the NCLEX-RN® examination, which allows them to practice as registered nurses within the United States. The program has three parts: reviewing the credentials of the nurse's education, registration and licensure; the CGFNS Qualifying Exam, a one-day qualifying exam to test nursing knowledge; and an exam to test the nurse’s knowledge of English. Nurses who do not have a state licensure in the state where they want to work must have a CGFNS certificate to file for immigration status. Also, many state boards of nursing require the CGFNS Certificate for state licensure.
    The “VisaScreen Certificate” is necessary for consular processing or adjustment of status. The document must be presented to a consular office or, in the case of adjustment of status, the USCIS, as part of a visa application. The VisaScreen Certificate shows that the holder (the nurse) completed a screening program for health care professionals (other than doctors) to be able to get certain occupational visas. Screening includes:
    • an examination of the applicant's education to make sure that it is similar to a U.S. graduate in that same type of job;
    • making sure that the person applying has valid and unrestricted licenses;
    • English language exam; and, for nurses, proof that the nurse has either earned a CGFNS Certificate or passed the NCLEX-RN® Examination.
      Since July 26, 2004, any nonimmigrant nurse who wants to come to the United States must
    Category: Nurses
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  4. If a nurse who is a citizen of another country gets her/his R.N. degree from an accredited U.S. school and has a nursing license from the state in which s/he is working, will s/he still need to have a VisaScreen Certificate?
    Yes, even though a nurse has studied in a U.S.-accredited school will still need to get a VisaScreen Certificate to show that the U.S. Nursing degree and state licensure equate to a U.S. Degree in Nursing.
    Category: Nurses
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  5. There are companies that contract nurses to various medical facilities throughout the United States but may not know exactly where the nurse will be placed at any given time. May these companies still file I-140s for nurses?
    The contracting company may wish to file the I-140 showing the state where the nurse is licensed or will be licensed as the location where the nurse will work, rather than choosing a particular hospital or other health care facility.
    Category: Nurses
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  6. Is there any way I can avoid taking the CGFNS exam and still get the I-140?
    According to the rules, you do not need to take the CGFNS exam if you have either a valid, full and unrestricted nursing license from a state in the U.S. to get the I-140 approved or a certified copy of a letter from the state board of nursing from the state where you plan to work which proves that you have passed the NCLEX/RN exam and can be given a license to practice nursing in that state. Most of the time, however, you will still need the VisaScreen Certificate to get green card status and for the USCIS to approve your I-485 application.
    Category: Nurses
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  7. If I get a CGFNS certificate abroad but do not have a state nursing license, can I complete consular processing and enter the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident?
    In most cases, yes, as long as you also have the VisaScreen Certificate.
    Category: Nurses
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  8. If I file the I-485 before getting the VisaScreen Certificate, will USCIS wait to issue the advance parole (AP) and employment authorization document(EAD) until they receive the VisaScreen Certificate?
    Most of the time, there is no delay in issue the EAD and AP. USCIS would typically give out the employment authorization document and advance parole document applications.
    Category: Nurses
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  9. Do I need to have a current license in my home country to qualify for either the CGFNS Certificate or VisaScreen Certificate?
    In order to be eligible for the CGFNS Certificate Program, a nurse must be educated and hold both initial and current registration / licensure as a first-level, general nurse as defined by the International Council of Nurses (ICN). A nurse does not need a current license to register for the VisaScreen Certificate, but as a practical matter most nurses will have their license by that point.
    Category: Nurses
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  10. If I have an EAD and a valid state nursing license, can I work as a nurse while I’m waiting for the I-485?
    Yes, you can.
    Category: Nurses
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  11. How do I get state licensure as a registered nurse?
    Each state has a State Board of Nursing that sets the eligibility requirements and gives licenses to qualified registered nursing applicants. Each state has its own rules for giving licenses to foreign-born applicants, and the rules are often different from the ones that USCIS and DOS use. You can see the rules for applying in different states on the National Council State Boards of Nursing website.
    Category: Nurses
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