Skip to main content

Quick Reference Guide 10: Obtaining A CGFNS VisaScreen Certificate for Trade NAFTA (TN) Visa

Image
By
The North America Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA between Mexico, the United States and Canada allows citizens of these countries mobility of talent and professional expertise across North America. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted that there will be more than a million RN openings in the United States by 2024 (Reuters, 2017). A nursing crisis unlike any other in US history.
Because of Canada's highly educated RN pool who are baccalaureate degree holders, Canada is the third country behind the Philippines and India where American hospitals recruit RNs from (Hall, 2009). The CGFNS VisaScreen is one of the requirements to get an approval for a Trade NAFTA (TN) Visa, a non-immigrant work visa that is renewable and valid for 3 years. Only citizens of Mexico and Canada with a US job offer are eligible for a TN Visa.

Here are the steps to complete the CGFNS VisaScreen:

1. Sign up for a CGFNS VisaScreen Account. Fill up an application form and pay the appropriate fees in USD. Indicate that this service is for TN Visa.

2. Print all CGFNS VisaScreen Verification Request Forms for:

Profession Regulation Commission
Be reminded that PRC does not issue license verification less than a year before its expiration. Hand over the CGFNS VisaScreen RN License Verification Form intended for the PRC and pay the appropriate fees. PRC will send the verification forms directly to CGFNS. You may have the option to have this sent through courier.

College of RNs (for Canadian RNs)
Download the license verification request form of your respective Colleges of RNs and pay appropriate fees. Hand over the CGFNS VisaScreen RN License Verification Form intended for the College. The College will send the verification directly to CGFNS. Skip this verification if it does not apply to you.

US State Board of Nursing
Each State BON has a different way of doing verifications. Visit your State Board of Nursing website and download their RN license verification request form. Fill up the fields and pay the appropriate fees in USD. Make sure to indicate that this request is for CGFNS VisaScreen. Send to the State BON:
  • CGFNS VisaScreen RN license verification form intended for the State BON
  • State BON license verification request form
  • Fees in USD payable to State BON
The State BON will send the verification directly to CGFNS through regular US mail.

Nursing School
Hand over the CGFNS VisaScreen Nursing Education Verification Form to your School of Nursing. The School of Nursing will send the verification form directly to CGFNS.

3. Gather required supporting documentation:
  • High School Diploma
  • Transcript of Records and RLE Summary
  • Nursing Curriculum with detailed course descriptions or course syllabus (can be submitted in digital physical format e.g. USB, CD, etc)
  • 2x2 photo taken within the last 6 months (upload photo to your CGFNS account)
4. Pass the required English Proficiency Exam
Click here for the required scores for RNs.

It is recommended to send the CGFNS VisaScreen Verification Forms from the Philippines through a courier. After completing all the requirements, a CGFNS VisaScreen Certificate will be issued and is good for the next 5 years. Once a VisaScreen Certificate is issued, you do not have to renew the English test in the next 5 years. An e-SAVED is made available to extend the authenticated and verified documents within the CGFNS database for a certain number of years with a fee. However, verified RN licenses/registration must be requested for the next VisaScreen renewal as they are only valid for 3 years.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Quick Reference Guide 5: Sample OSCE Scenario

By
The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is the practical or clinical simulation part of the nursing skills and knowledge assessment administered by a College- or an Association-accredited institution (e.g. Touchstone Institute). The entire exam will be composed of 12 scenarios with patient actors and an examiner. We created a scenario to give you a heads up on what happens in an OSCE. Here's the flow of an OSCE scenario about Pain (click on the images): The examiner MAY ask questions to the candidate to test critical thinking skills. Examiners have a rubric to mark the performance of the candidate based on categories and competencies set by the Colleges or the Associations of Registered Nurses. The following images below are categories, competencies and domains in the context of the given scenario above. Below is the list of domains upon which the examiner will base the candidate's global overall rating and will record comments on strengths
2 comments
Read more

5 Helpful Tips to Process Canadian Nursing License Reciprocity

By
The Agreement on Internal Trade Chapter 7 lawfully allows Canadian-licensed nurses to practice nursing across Canada including Québec and the Territories. To be able to practice nursing in a province, the nurse must initially hold a full , unrestricted nursing license not temporary or provisional licenses. Like in the States, you can hold multiple nursing licenses in Canada as well! Yes. With a price. To end the rumors of not being able to practise anywhere in Canada, here are 5 helpful tips to process license reciprocity across Canada: (1) Read the Out-of-Province Reciprocity requirements of the province where you wish to move or practice Learning the reciprocity processes would help you formulate a game plan prior to moving to the province or applying for nursing jobs in that province. This information is available in the College website. Be reminded that there are separate forms for Out of Province or Canadian-licensed Nurse Applicants. (2) Practise the professio
4 comments
Read more

Quick Reference Guide 7: Reciprocity from Canadian RN to US RN Practise

By
The transition of Canada to NCLEX-RN in 2014 widen opportunities of Canadian RNs all throughout North America. Canada is the third country behind India and the Philippines of which American hospitals hire RNs to address the RN shortage in the States (Hall, 2009). It has been noted that US recruiters prefer RNs who hold a baccalaureate degree, the minimum education requirement to practise as RN in Canada (except Québec).  Read the full article conducted by the University of Toronto Lawrence Bloomber School of Nursing here . Unlicensed Internationally-Educated RNs living in Canada may have to submit a licensure by examination application in the States. This QRG applies to Canadian-licensed RNs/Canadian RNs. So how will those Canadian-licensed RNs reciprocate their licenses in the States? Here are useful steps to file for reciprocity in the States: Pre-requisites: Must have passed the NCLEX-RN Must hold an active Canadian RN license within Canada Québec RNs must
Post a Comment
Read more