If you already posses the CGFNS exam you can be sponsored for a green card straight away as soon as you have been offered a job in the USA. There are currently a very limited number of States where they operate an interim permit which means that you can work as an RN based on your CGFNS pass (together with a green card and language exams if appropriate) whilst you prepare and sit for the NCLEX exam. Illinois is one such State.
Stateside Nursing would not recommend that you apply to sit CGFNS unless you specifically want to work in one of the limited number of states where it is a pre requisite. The NCLEX exam will usually supersede the CGFNS except for these few States. For the latest information please contact Statesides office.
If you have no real preference about which State you want to work in then you will need to sit the NCLEX exam rather than CGFNS before you start work with your US employer.
To be made eligible to sit NCLEX you may need to apply to the CGFNS organisation for their CES credentialising report. This will look into your history of nursing, your nursing training and even your secondary schooling but the good news is it is not an exam. Again it will depend on which State you are applying through as to their specific requirements.
For the latest advice and specific requirements for the State you want to work we suggest you contact Statesides office so we can discuss you individual circumstances.
If you are not registered with us and want to apply for the CGFNS exam the address is:-
CGFNS
3600 Market Street
# 400
Philadelphia
PA 19104-2651
USA
Tel: 215-349-8767
Fax: 215-662-0425
Email: [email protected]
http://www.cgfns.org
The CGFNS exam can be taken in London, Edinburgh or Dublin, as well as many other countries. It is held two or three times a year during the months of March, August and November. The deadline for applying for this exam is approximately three months prior to the exam.
The cost to take the CGFNS exam is $295.
Do not be misled into taking the CGFNS exam unnecessarily!