Arizona Board of Registered Nurses

Nurse Immigration USA is an Arizona Corporation providing services to hospitals and other healthcare employers who wish to direct hire foreign educated nurses from the Philippines and some other qualifying countries.  Our current clients in Arizona are University Medical Center in Tucson and Gambro Dialysis Centers, Western Division, with centers in Arizona.  This letter is written in support of changes in regulation that will allow the board to utilize other credentialing agencies in addition to the CGFNS to review the transcripts and national licensure of foreign educated nurse applicants.

We have experienced delays and increased costs, which directly affect the nurse and the Arizona employer due to inefficient processes at the CGFNS.  Our company has provided three example-credentialing companies to the Board staff.   Each of these agencies has the ability to customize requirements for Arizona that would provide safeguards from fraud and counterfeit transcripts and license submissions.  These companies are, in most cases, priced significantly lower than CGFNS and have a two-week turnaround or a higher price can be paid for rush review.

Although, ultimately the foreign educated nurse, who will require work authorization, will need to process a Visa Screen, it is advantageous for the nurse to sit for NCLEX in advance of the Visa Screen.  For example, some employers prefer to file as a sponsor, when the nurse in a known NCLEX passer.  The I-140 petition for the employment based immigrant visa can be filed with either a CGFNS certificate or licensure in the state of the employer sponsor.  Since the CGFNS exam is given three times per year at various global test sites, it can take more than 6 months to apply for the test, sit for the exam and then two months later receive the exam results.  The receipt of the certificate can be several more months, resulting in often one year delay meeting the requirements to file the I-140.  The NCLEX is given 5 to 6 days per week, depending upon test site hours.  The results are quickly available and the letter of passing is acceptable for immigration purposes.

  In addition, there are some foreign educated nurse applicants for Arizona licensure by exam or by endorsement, who have a visa category with full work authorization.  Examples would be nurses who have won the green card as a result of the diversity lottery and nurses who are spouses of a US citizen or resident.  These nurses need only to obtain their license in order to begin employment as a Registered Nurse.  This type of applicant would also benefit by the option of another credentialing agency.

Sincerely,

Meladee M. Stankus, RN MS