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

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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.
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