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About CGFNS

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Frequently asked Questions
(from CGFNS website)

This information is provided for general educational purposes only. It is not intended to be relied on as legal advice. This information may not have been updated to reflect subsequent changes in the rules or law, if any. Your particular facts and circumstances, and any changes in the rules or law, must be considered to determine appropriate advice. Always consult with the concerned authority to discuss your particular situation.

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Why the Certification Program was created: During the late 1960s, the United States experienced a marked increase in the number of foreign-educated nurses immigrating to the U.S. to practice nursing. U.S. immigration officials had a difficult time identifying which nurses educated abroad, who were applying for occupational visas, met the requirements for licensure as registered nurses in the United States. The reality was that, on average, only 15-20% of foreign-educated nurses were passing the U.S. registered nurse licensure exam, now the NCLEX-RN� examination. * The CGFNS Certification Program was created to serve as a predictor exam and evaluation process for foreign-educated nurses to more accurately forecast which nurses were likely to meet the requirements for licensure as registered nurses in the United States. Program Elements: 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. Program Benefits: 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 (see Para 2 in VisaScreen below). VisaScreenTM.: The International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP), a division of CGFNS, developed VisaScreenTM. This is an accredited Visa credential assessment and helps applicants to qualify for an occupational visa. The CGFNS certification is a critical component of the VisaScreenTM. Visa Credentials Assessment: ICHP will want you to submit either the proof of receiving the CGFNS certificate or achieving a passing score in the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX � RN Examination). Hence, by getting the CGFNS certificate, you have crossed a major hurdle in your effort to go abroad to work as a nurse. Once you have received your CGFNS certificate, then, it is the ideal time to start the work on immigrant visa petition. Benefits of CGFNS qualified nurses to prospective Employers: Anyone with an interest in selecting candidates who have a high probability of success on the NCLEX-RN� examination will find the program highly beneficial. Nurse applicants, U.S. Boards of Registered Nurses, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, universities and employers all make use of the CGFNS Certification Program. Once you get the CGFNS certificate, you have more chances of passing the NCLEX-RN exam and get a license to work as a registered nurse. (About 88-92% of those nurses who have secured the CGFNS certificate has passed the NCLEX-RN exams.) To appear for an NCLEX-RN exam in most of the states in USA, one of the eligibility norms is to have a CGFNS certificate. Once you achieve the CGFNS certificate, your employer will also have a greater confidence on your working skills. There is every possibility of getting better pay.

	IPS Services is currently working along two broad lines to help Nurses and prospective Employers alike. CATEGORY ONE Working on building up a strong Resource-Pool of highly competent and qualified nurses. These nurses would have undertaken our In-Center Course for the Qualifying exams and would essentially be taken under our wing from day one of their having been identified by us as prospective candidates for placement by our affiliates in the USA. CATEGORY TWO On a more immediate basis: Identifying those nurses that have passed the Qualifying exams (presumably attached / registered with other Establishments), and are awaiting placements Overseas. Since this involves nurses that have in all probability been trained elsewhere,we utilize defined criteria to assess their level of competence further before we actually offer nurses in this category placements in the USA.

		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. What is the CGFNS International Certification Program? The CGFNS International Certification Program is a three-part program designed to predict an applicant's likelihood of passing the NCLEX-RN� examination and becoming licensed as a registered nurse in the United States. The three parts of the program include a credentials review, a Qualifying Exam of nursing knowledge and an English language proficiency examination. Applicants must successfully complete all three parts of the Certification Program in order to earn the CGFNS Certificate. What is the CGFNS International Qualifying Exam? The CGFNS Qualifying Exam is a one-day examination that tests your knowledge and understanding of nursing as it is taught and practiced in the United States today. The CGFNS Qualifying Exam uses objective, multiple-choice questions and is designed by testing experts to help you predict your likelihood of passing the U.S. registered nurse licensure examination, which is called the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses, or NCLEX-RN� examination. The CGFNS examination is divided into two different exam booklets: Nursing, Part 1 and Nursing, Part 2. Nursing, Part 1 includes 150 questions and is given in the morning session. You have two hours and 30 minutes to complete this portion and then have a lunch break. After lunch, you take Nursing, Part 2 which is composed of 121 questions. You have two hours to answer these questions. Which states require the CGFNS International Certification Program/Qualifying Exam? The CGFNS International Qualifying Exam is required by a majority of U.S. State Boards of Nursing and predicts success on the NCLEX-RN� examination. You will need to check requirements with the state board of nursing of the state in which you intend to practice. Does CGFNS International recommend that applicants use a preparation course for the exam? CGFNS International does NOT require that applicants who want to sit for the CGFNS International Qualifying Exam must have first taken a preparation course. CGFNS is aware that many organizations are offering preparation courses for the CGFNS Qualifying Exam. Some of these organizations may claim that they have been authorized by CGFNS to offer this preparation course, or that they represent CGFNS or the National Educational Examinations Authority (NEEA). CGFNS has authorized no individual or organization to conduct preparation courses for the Qualifying Exam. NEEA is CGFNS' only representative in China. NEEA has authorized no individual or school to represent it or to conduct preparation courses for the Qualifying Exam in China. Any organization or school which conducts preparation courses for this exam is not authorized to do so by either CGFNS or NEEA. I took the TOEFL exam three years ago. Are my scores still applicable? No. TOEFL, TOEC and IELTS scores are only valid for two years. Also, the CGFNS International Qualifying Exam and English language exams must be taken within two years of each other for both scores to be valid.