How Foreign Educated

Nurses Can Practice in

the US
If you're an International Registered Nurse and you want to practice in the States,
getting licensed is a detailed process, but you can make it happen.
Share3.8K

Heres what youll need to do:

1Meet the educational requirements.

Make sure youve completed the following education and licensing requirements in your
country:

o
o
o

Youve graduated from an accredited Registered Nursing program

Youre licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN)
Youve practiced as an RN for at least two years

*To get licensed in the US, many states require you to complete a Foreign Educated Nurses (FEN)
refresher course. The course consists of 120 hours in the classroom and 120 hours of clinical practice
under the supervision of a licensed Registered Nurse.

2Pass an English language

proficiency test.

Depending on which country youre from, youll likely be required to take one of the tests
below:

You can take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the Test of
English for International Communication (TOEIC) or the International English Language
Testing System (IELTS).

*Most nursing recruiting agencies prefer that their foreign clients take either the IELTS or TOEFL.

Your test results need to be sent directly to the state board youre applying
to, by your test administration.
You may be exempt from taking one of the exams above, if you meet the
three criteria below:

o
o

The country where you went to nursing school was the United Kingdom, Australia, New
Zealand, Canada (except Quebec), or the Republic of Ireland.
The spoken language of your nursing school was English.
Your nursing school textbooks were written in English.

3Pass your National Council

Licensing Examination

Registered Nurse (NCLEX RN).

Youll need to register with Pearson VUE (Virtual University Enterprises) and schedule a
date, and location, to take your NCLEX-RN exam.

4Find a nursing recruiting agency

or US-based employer.

A nursing recruiter can help you secure a position as an RN in the US.

Nursing recruiters can also serve as your US-based employer

helping you secure an immigrant visa and finding you a job at one of the hospitals they
partner with.

5Get an RN immigrant visa/green

card.

To get an RN immigrant visa, youll need the following documents:

Evidence of a US-based employer who will be the petitioner for your

immigrant visa. An RN recruiter can be your petitioner.
A Visa Screen Certificate (VSC). This is issued by The International
Commission on Healthcare Professionals (ICHP), a division of Commission on Graduates
of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS).

Both of these documents must be sent directly to ICHP/CGFNS on your behalf by the issuing authority.

6Get an RN visa interview and

medical examination.

Heres what happens after your visa immigrant petition is approved:

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) sends

your file to the National Visa Center (NVC) for processing.
The NVC will forward your file to the nearest US embassy where your
visa will be issued.
Youll also receive a package from the NVC with the appointment date
for your visa interview, and what you need to bring to the embassy.
Then you need to have a medical exam. Youll find a list of designated
panel physicians you can contact, in your package from the NVC.
Processing your visa could take a few months to a year, or even years,
depending on factors personal to your situation.
After youve gone through your visa interview and medical exam, you
could receive your visa as soon as a few hours, or weeks, after.

7Accept your RN job offer and

take an employment medical
exam.

Heres what will happen when youre getting ready to accept your position as an RN in the
US:

Your employer/RN agency will have secured you an RN position with

one of their client hospitals before your visa interview. Youll need to have provided your
rsum and RN specialty checklist.
Youll also take a second medical exam, this time itll be given by your
employing hospital. The requirements for the exam vary by hospital.

8Get an RN Resuscitation
Certification.

Youll need to take an Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) course, a Basic Life Support
(BLS) course, or a Pediatric Advanced Life Support Course (PALS).

The type of resuscitation certification youll need will depend on your

area of practice, and hospital policies.
You can get these certificates before arriving in the US, but make sure
the provider of these courses is American Heart Association (AHA) accredited.