There is a two-step process for obtaining a registered nurse license here in the United States.

This
process is SEPARATE from the process necessary for obtaining a work visa. For information regard-
ing temporary or permanent visas, contact the U.S. Department of State at http://travel.state.gov/
visa_services.html and the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service at www.ins.usdoj.gov/graph-
ics/index.htm.

First Step:

Contact the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS). CGFNS prescreens
foreign educated nurses wishing to practice in the U.S. Prescreening involves a review of the nurses
education; licensure in the home country; English language proficiency testing; and a predictor exam
that provides an indicator of the nurse’s ability to pass the U.S. national licensure exam (NCLEX).

Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools

3600 Market Street, Suite 400
Philadelphia, PA 19104-2651
U.S.A.
Telephone: 215-222-8454
Fax: 215-662-0425
Web Site: www.cgfns.org

Second Step:

In the U.S., every nurse must meet additional state requirements and take the NCLEX as established
by the State Board of Nursing. Each state has its own Board of Nursing. There are some state boards
of nursing that will accept the Canadian Nurses Association Testing Service (CNATS) or the Canadian
Registered Nurses Examination (CRNE). There are also a few state boards of nursing that will directly
endorse foreign educated nurses who have never take the NCLEX. Because this information can
change, it is necessary to contact the state board of nursing to determine if they have a policy regard-
ing direct endorsement for foreign-educated nurses.

For additional information and contact information for a specific state board of nursing, contact the
National Council for State Boards of Nursing.

National Council of State Boards of Nursing

676 N. St. Clair, Suite 550
Chicago, IL 60611-2921
U.S.A.
Telephone: 312-787-6555
Fax: 312-787-6898
Web site: www.ncsbn.org
 Checklist of Requirements
(please submit photocopies of documents only)

Agency Forms

Application Form
Recruitment Contract
Authorization Letter

Immigration Forms

Draft of DS230, Parts 1 & 2 (forms to be given by agency)

CGFNS

Visa Screen Certificate Application

Authorization Letter
Other(s):

Documents from Applicant

Resumé
CGFNS Certificate
NCLEX Result (if available)
English Test result
PRC License
Employment Certificate(s)
Seminar/Training Certificate(s)
Transcript of Records
Diploma
High School Diploma
Birth Certificate
Marriage Certificate
Biographic Data Page of Passport
6 recently-taken Passport-size photos (sign full name on the front & back of photos)

NCLEX (To be provided to the nurse later).

 Checklist for a Green Card Application
for a Professional Nurse in the US

Documents required for the USCIS 1-140 Petition:

Copy of your CollegelUniversity Diploma

Copy of your College Transcripts
Copy of Nursing License from foreign country
Copy of Resume
Copy of letters from previous employers verifying your experience as a nurse
(if you have them)
Copy of one of the following:
(1) CGFNS Certificate
(2) State License
or
(3) Proof of passing the NCLEX
Copy of Passport, if applicable

Documents that will be required before the interview:

A VisaScreen (healthcare certificate; see www.cgfns.com)

A Passport (for yourself and each family member applying with you)
An original or certified birth certificate (for yourself and each family member applying with you)
Submit original birth certificate or a certified copy of the original, obtained from the issuing government authority. The
original birth certificate or the certified copy of the original must contain the person’s place and date of birth and
names of both parents. Jfthe birth certificate is a certified copy of the original, it must come from the issuing
government authority and it must contain annotation by the issuing government authority indicating that it is an extract
from the official records.

If a birth was never officially recorded, or if it is impossible to obtain a birth certificate because records have been
destroyed or the appropriate government authority wi/! not issue one, you should obtain a certified statement from the
appropriate government authority stating the reason your birth record is not available. Please submit this with
secondary evidence of birth. The secondary evidence must be an original, or a certified copy of the original. For
example, a baptismal certificate contains the date and place of birth and both parent’s names providing the baptism
took place shortly after birth; an adoption decree for an adopted child; or an affidavit from a close relative, preferably
the applicant’s mother, stating the date and place of birth, both parents names, and the mother’s maiden name. An
affidavit must be executed before an official authorized to take oaths or affirmations.
An original or certified marriage certificate
An original or certified divorce decree (if you have been previously divorced)
 Checklist for a Green Card Application
for a Professional Nurse in the US
(page 2)

Police Certificate (required for each visa applicant aged 16 or older)

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES: Philippine-born visa applicants are required to furnish certificates issued by
the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). Foreign-born applicants who have resided in the Philippines for 6 months
or more may be issued NBI clearances upon application either in person or by mail. Applicants should send
requests for certificates together with certified checks or money orders for the fees and postage to the Philippines
National Bureau of Investigation, Taft Avenue, Metro Manila, Philippines. The NBI has its own fingerprint charts and
personal data forms which it will send to the requesting applicant for execution. Most applicants abroad find it more
expeditious to have a relative or friend in the Philippines assist them in obtaining their certificates from the NBJ. The
applicant may also submit a copy of a prior NBI clearance to faCilitate the processing of a new clearance.
Fee:100.00 pesos.

Completed D8-230 form available online at http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/7988.pdf

(for yourself and each family member applying with you)

General Information for the Green Card Application:

Name of Employer: _____________________________

Address of Employer: _____________________________________________________

Documents required for the USCIS I-140 Petition:

A copy of your college/university diploma

A copy of your college transcripts
A copy of your nursing license from your home country
Copy of one of the following: (1) CGFNS Certificate, (2) State License, or (3) Proof of passing NCLEX
A copy of your resumé
A copy of letters from previous employers verifying your experience as a nurse (if you have them)
Copy of Passport, if applicable

Documents required for the USCIS I-485 Application:

A copy of your Visa Screen (if you have already received it)
A copy of Passport (for yourself and each family member applying with you)
A copy of all approved notices and I-94 cards that you have received from the INS if you have
previously been in the US (for yourself and each family member applying with you)
A copy of the birth certificate (for yourself and each family member applying with you)
A copy of the marriage certificate
A copy of the divorce decree (if you have been previously divorced)
A copy of your income tax returns from the last three years (note: if you have not been in the US for
the last three years, simply submit a copy of the tax returns that you have filed since entering the US).

A completed Form G-325, Biographic Form (for yourself and each family member applying with you).
Please see the following link for the G-325. Please print clearly on the form but you do not need to sign
the form at this time. http://www.hammonlawfirm.com/485step_by_step.htm
 PERSONAL INFORMATION

Legal Name: _____________________________________________

Current Home Address: _____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

Country Residing In: _____________________________________________

Best Phone Number: _____________________________________________

Alt Phone Number: _____________________________________________

Email Address: _____________________________________________

Date of Birth: _____________________________________________

City and Country of Birth: _____________________________________________

Marital Status: _____________________________________________

Family Members

Name Birth Date Country of Birth Relationship) (spouse and children)

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________