FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE VISA SCREEN REQUIREMENT
Who is CGFNS?
The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) is a non-profit,
internationally recognized leader in the education, registration and licensure
of healthcare professionals worldwide. CGFNS protects the public in relation
to evolving healthcare policies and standards of professional practice for
migrating healthcare professionals.
Who is ICHP?
The International Commission on Healthcare Professions is a division of CGFNS.
CGFNS launched ICHP in 1996 to administer its VisaScreen
TM program, which is a federally-approved screening program for foreign
healthcare workers seeking an occupational visa in the United States.
What is VisaScreen TM 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 TM, 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.
What does VisaScreen TM look at?
VisaScreen
TM does an educational review, licensure review, English language skills
assessment and predictive examination for nurses. Applicants who
successfully complete VisaScreen TM will
receive a VisaScreen TM 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.
If I am a registered nurse, do I need to complete the CGFNS Qualifying
Exam and the NCLEX-RN examination in order to complete my
VisaScreen TM application?
No. You only need to
successfully complete either one of the exams.
What are the VisaScreen TM requirements?
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:
Who pays for the program?
The applicant typically pays
for the VisaScreen TM program. The application
fee can be paid by an international money order or certified bank check
in U.S. dollars, drawn on a U.S. bank and made payable to "ICHP," or by
one of the following credit cards: Visa, Mastercard or Discover/Novus.
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 will 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.
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/ licensure). If your school has closed or no longer operates,
you will 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.
Do I need to have validations for all licenses I have ever held
to complete my VisaScreen TM application?
Yes. CGFNS requries all VisaScreen TM 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).
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.
What do I do if the agency that issued my license is no longer in existence?
CGFNS only accepts validations
of licensure from the source agency. If that agency has closed or no longer
operates, you will 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.
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 will accept
translations of documents submitted by source agencies (such as transcripts
and validations) only from the issuing authorities. Otherwise, ICHP will
translate documents for the appropriate fee.
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.
What is the difference between a CGFNS Certificate and the
ICHP VisaScreen TM Certificate?
The VisaScreen
TM Certificate is a result of successful completion of the
ICHP VisaScreen TM 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/licensure
review, a qualifying examination of nursing knowledge, as well as an English
language proficiency assessment, designed specifically for first-level,
general (registered) nurses seeking licensure in the United States.
Once a VisaScreen TM Certificate is issued,
who receives the original document?
The VisaScreen
TM 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.
My VisaScreen TM Certificate does not contain
my picture, the signature of the CGFNS president and CEO, or an expiration date.
Is it still valid?
In January, 2004, CGFNS began to
include the signatures of the organization's President and Chief Executive
Officer, as well as an expiration date on VisaScreen
TM Certificates. VisaScreen TM Certificates
were first issued in conjunction with the issuing of three interim rules by the
DHS on October 1998, April 1999, and in January 2001. Therefore VisaScreen
TM Certificates issued during these periods
and prior to January 2004 would not contain signatures or expiration dates,
however will remain valid.
Some VisaScreen TMcertificates may also include a
photograph of the applicant (which CGFNS has included when a photo was available),
but the majority of certificates do not. CGFNS has added these features with the
aim of making the certificate more resistant to various forms of fraud.
I am from a foreign country, but graduated from a college in the United States.
Do I still need to apply for the VisaScreen TM program?
Yes. Although your professional
education was completed in the United States, the purpose of the VisaScreen
TM 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.
What are the passing scores for the English language proficiency examinations?
:
|
|
Option #1 |
Option #2 |
Option #3 |
|||||
|
Healthcare Profession |
TOEFL |
TWE |
TSE |
TOEIC |
TWE |
TSE |
IELTS |
IELTS |
|
Registered Nurse (RN) |
540 (207)* |
4.0 |
50 |
725 |
4.0 |
50 |
6.5 (Academic) |
7.0 |
|
Practical/Vocational Nurse
(LPN/LVN) |
530 (197) |
4.0 |
50 |
700 |
4.0 |
50 |
6.0 (General Training) |
7.0 |
|
Physical Therapist |
560 (220) |
4.5 |
50 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Occupational Therapist |
560 (220) |
4.5 |
50 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Speech Language Pathologist and Audiologist |
540 (207) |
4.0 |
50 |
725 |
4.0 |
50 |
6.5 (Academic) |
7.0 |
|
Clinical Laboratory
Scientist (Medical Technologist) |
540 (207) |
4.0 |
50 |
725 |
4.0 |
50 |
6.5 (Academic) |
7.0 |
|
Clinical Laboratory
Technician (Medical Technician) |
530 (197) |
4.0 |
50 |
700 |
4.0 |
50 |
6.0 (General Training) |
7.0 |
|
Physician Assistant |
540 (207) |
4.0 |
50 |
725 |
4.0 |
50 |
6.5 (Academic) |
7.0 |
What healthcare professions does ICHP certify?
Under the current Bureau of
Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) 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.
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 BCIS, noting that it has statutory
authority to certify all healthcare professions other than physicians.
BCIS continues to disagree.
Do I need a VisaScreen TM Certificate if I
am a Canadian entering the United States on a "TN" visa?
Yes. Certificates are
required for healthcare workers entering the United States on permanent
and temporary, including the "TN" Visa categories.
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 U.S. citizen. Do I need to obtain a VisaScreen
TM 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 TM Certificate.
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 TM Certificate.
I am a nurse who holds a CGFNS Certificate. Do I still need to apply
for the VisaScreen TM Certificate?
Yes. The
VisaScreen TM 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 TM 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 will 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 TM program.