• NEW MEXICO Licensure Application By Examination - If you want to inquire on the status of your application, click on the link below and use the contact form. Provide a good email address and a brief description of your inquiry. Also, be sure to include your file number on the form.

  New Mexico Contact Form

• New Mexico Board of Nursing Announces Revised Licensure Procedures.

  (Read More)         Summary of Changes

• ATT - You must create a web account and register for the NCLEX-RN with Pearson Vue in order to receive an ATT. The ATT does not come from the state board of nursing but from Pearson Vue.

  The exam registration and the license application to a state board of nursing are separate and distinct actions. They also have separate fees. Pearson Vue is a private company which has the contract to administer the exam for NCSBN, of which the state board is a member. The state board merely accepts application for a license by examination and declares the applicant eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN based on submitted credentials.

  Once you receive the ATT, schedule the exam through the Pearson Vue NCLEX Candidate website. The state board notifies Pearson Vue of your eligibility to sit for the exam. We recommend you register for the exam with Pearson Vue two weeks after sending your application to the state board of nursing. Click on the NCLEX-RN tab (scroll to bottom of page) to see a demo on how to create a web account and register for the exam with Pearson Vue.

• For its 30th anniversary (1977-2007), the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing School (CGFNS) is showcasing 18 nurses whose success stories personify the theme Dreams Fulfilled in its 2007-2008 calendar. December 2008 of this calendar features Ann H. Adams, Founder and CEO of NC STAFFING and ENTRALINK.

  (Read More)

Who is ICHP?

The International Commission on Healthcare Professions is a division of CGFNS International. CGFNS launched ICHP in 1996 to administer its VisaScreen program, which is a federally-approved screening program for foreign healthcare workers seeking an occupational visa in the United States.

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What is VisaScreen 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, a program offered by The International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP), a division of CGFNS International, 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 Federal law as a qualified provider of such a screening program.

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What does VisaScreen look at?

VisaScreen includes an educational review, licensure review, English language skills assessment and passage of one of two approved examinations for registered nurses (CGFNS International Qualifying Exam or NCLEX-RN). Applicants who successfully complete VisaScreen will receive a VisaScreen Certificate, which can be presented to a consular officer or, in the case of adjustment of status, the Attorney General as part of a visa application

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If I am a registered nurse, do I need to complete the CGFNS International Qualifying Exam and the NCLEX-RN^® examination in order to complete my VisaScreen application?

No. You only need to successfully complete either one of the exams.

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What are the VisaScreen requirements?

1. Complete the VisaScreen application.
2. Complete the forms to send to your nursing school(s). Academic transcripts must come directly from the nursing school(s).
3. Complete the forms to send to your licensing authority(ies). Validations of all licenses, past and present, must come directly from the licensing authorities.
4. Pass an English language proficiency test and have the scores directly forwarded to CGFNS/ICHP from the testing agency.
5. Pass either the CGFNS International Qualifying Exam or the NCLEX-RN® examination if you are a registered nurse.
6. Send a copy of your high school diploma or equivalent.
7. Pay the appropriate application fee. You can apply for the VisaScreen Program in one of three ways:
   • Apply online at www.cgfns.org
   • Download VisaScreen Program Handbook and Application from www.cgfns.org.
   • Request a copy of the VisaScreen Program Application from CGFNS International by mail or phone.

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Who is exempt from fulfilling the English language proficiency requirement?

Applicants may be exempt from the English language proficiency requirement for VisaScreen if they meet all of the following criteria:

• Country of entry-level professional education was Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom or the United States;
• Language of instruction was English; and
• Language of textbooks was English

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Who pays for the VisaScreen program?

The applicant typically pays for the VisaScreen 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.

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Must I submit my original documents for review?

Yes and no. CGFNS/ICHP accepts clear and legible photocopies of secondary school documents for evaluation. However, CGFNS/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 CGFNS/ICHP. In addition, since CGFNS/ICHP verifies credential authenticity, CGFNS/ICHP maintains the right to validate any documentation with the source agency.

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What should I do if my educational institution has closed or the agency that issued my license is no longer in existence?

CGFNS/ICHP only accepts certain documentation from source agencies (such as transcripts and validations of registration/ licensure). If your school or licensing 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 of education). If you are uncertain about where to go, call the CGFNS/ICHP Customer Service Department.

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Do I need to have validations for all licenses I have ever held to complete my VisaScreen application?

Yes. CGFNS/ICHP requires all VisaScreen applicants to provide validations of ALL licenses they have held, past and present. The validations must be sent directly to CGFNS/ICHP from the issuing authority(ies).

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Can I provide a photocopy of my license instead of a validation?

No. CGFNS/ICHP requires that official validations of licenses must be completed and sent directly from the issuing authorities.

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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, CGFNS/ICHP can provide an official translation of each document for an additional fee. CGFNS/ICHP will accept translations of documents submitted by source agencies (such as transcripts and validations) only from the issuing authorities. Otherwise, CGFNS/ICHP will translate documents for the appropriate fee.

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How does CGFNS/ICHP ensure its evaluations?

To ensure quality evaluations, CGFNS/ICHP consistently uses standards developed by the specific profession as the foundation for the assessment of an applicant's qualification.

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What is the difference between a CGFNS Certificate and the ICHP VisaScreen Certificate?

The VisaScreen Certificate is a result of successful completion of the CGFNS/ICHP VisaScreen program, which meets all federal requirements of a screening program for healthcare professionals seeking certain occupational visas in the United States. The CGFNS International Certificate is a result of successful completion of the CGFNS International 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.

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Once a VisaScreen Certificate is issued, who receives the original document?

The VisaScreen 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 officer or attorney general (when applicable) as part of a visa application.

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My VisaScreen 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 International began to include the signatures of the organization's President and Chief Executive Officer, as well as an expiration date on VisaScreen Certificates. VisaScreen 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 Certificates issued during these periods and prior to January 2004 would not contain signatures or expiration dates, however will remain valid. VisaScreen certificates may also include a photograph of the applicant (which CGFNS/ICHP has included when a photo was available). CGFNS/ICHP has added these features with the aim of making the certificate more resistant to various forms of fraud.

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I am from a foreign country, but graduated from a college in the United States. Do I still need to apply for the VisaScreen program?

Yes. Although your professional education was completed in the United States, the purpose of the VisaScreen 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. However, there is a streamlined process for foreign-born healthcare professionals educated in the U.S.

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What are the passing scores for the English language proficiency examinations?

The passing scores for the English language proficiency examinations are located in the VisaScreen application and the VisaScreen Requirements.

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What healthcare professions does CGFNS/ICHP certify?

Under the current United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) regulations, CGFNS/ICHP can certify registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech language pathologists and audiologists, medical technologists, medical technicians and physicians' assistants.

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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 International issue me the necessary certification?

USCIS has chosen to limit the number of occupations for which certificates can be issued. USCIS anticipates that additional occupations, and perhaps additional organizations, will be added.

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Do I need a VisaScreen 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 Trade NAFTA "TN" Visa categories.

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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 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 Certificate.

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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 Certificate.

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I am a nurse who holds a CGFNS Certificate. Do I still need to apply for the VisaScreen Certificate?

Yes. The VisaScreen 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 program is that nurses must have passed either the CGFNS International 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 program.

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