The CGFNS (Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools) Certification Program is designed specifically for first-level, general nurses educated and licensed outside the United States who wish to assess their chances of passing the U.S. registered nurse licensing exam, the NCLEX-RN examination, and attaining licensure to practice as registered nurses within the United States.
The program is comprised of three parts: a credentials review of the nurse’s education, registration and licensure; the CGFNS Qualifying Exam, a one-day qualifying exam testing nursing knowledge; and an English language proficiency exam. Upon successful completion of all three elements of the program, the applicant is awarded a CGFNS Certificate.
In order to be eligible for the program, a nurse must be educated and hold both initial and current registration/licensure as a first-level, general nurse as defined historically by the International Council of Nurses (ICN).
A first-level nurse is called a registered or professional nurse in most countries. A second-level nurse, often called an enrolled, vocational, practical nurse or nurse assistant, is not eligible to be licensed as a registered nurse in the U.S., and therefore, is not eligible for the Certification Program.
A general nurse must have obtained theoretical instruction and clinical practice in a variety of nursing areas. A nurse who specialized in one area without being educated and registered/licensed as a general nurse is not eligible for the Certification Program.
Attaining a CGFNS Certificate helps applicants in three ways:
● First, the certificate will help applicants meet state requirements for the registered nurse licensure exam. Most states require a CGFNS Certificate from nurse educated abroad before they can take the NCLEX-RN examination.
● Second, CGFNS Certificate holders consistently have a higher rate of success on the NCLEX-RN examination than internationally educated nurses who do not hold a CGFNS Certificate. Passing the CGFNS Qualifying Exam can help applicants to feel reasonably assured of success on the NCLEX-RN examination.
● Finally, the CGFNS Certificate helps applicants to qualify for an occupational visa. CGFNS was named in section 343 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) of 1996 as an organization qualified to administer a screening program for healthcare professionals who are seeking an occupational visa. The International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP), a division of CGFNS, developed VisaScreenTM: Visa Credentials Assessment to meet the requirements of section 343. For foreign-educated nurses who do not hold a U.S. license by examination, passing a predictor exam, such as the CGFNS Qualifying Exam, is a requirement of section 343.
As a company, we handle navigating around the CGFNS application and making the necessary payment.
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