2003 News

CGFNS Marks Success of Credential Verification Service

PHILADELPHIA, PA — JULY 8, 2003 — In February 2001, the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) created a new, customized program for the New York State Education Department which would independently collect and verify credentials of foreign-educated health care professionals who are seeking licensure in New York State. In the two years since the creation of the Credential Verification Service for New York State (CVS), the program has proved to be a huge success.

Since the program’s inception, CGFNS has successfully verified the credentials of approximately 7,000 applicants for the New York State Education Department. The program has grown rapidly, and CGFNS has tripled its operational staff for the service due to the increased demand for verifications.

CGFNS has also raised the fee for the service to $275 (US Dollars), effective January 1, 2004, in response to rising operating costs from the increased demand and a marked increase in the fees paid by CGFNS to foreign institutions to obtain the necessary documentation for license verification and educational transcripts. Despite this fee increase, CGFNS’s fee remains lower than those charged by other independent Credential Verification organizations. As the service continues to expand, CGFNS continuously evaluates the efficiency and integrity of the program, and remains committed to providing the same high standard of service that foreign-educated health care professionals worldwide have come to expect and depend upon.

As part of CGFNS’s ongoing commitment to providing a high standard of service to its applicants, the Commission launched a new, interactive portion of the CGFNS web site, www.cgfns.org, on February 3, 2003. Applicants now have the ease and convenience of the internet at their fingertips as they apply for CGFNS services (such as the Certification Program, Credentials Evaluation Service, VisaScreen Program, and Credential Verification Service for New York State), simply by logging onto the CGFNS web site anytime, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The new web application system allows applicants to apply to CGFNS services on-line, check the status of their applications, make changes and updates to their information and pay for services. Applicants will find many benefits to using the web application system, such as shortened communication response time, faster application processing time and increased access to information about the status of their application.

The New York State Education Department requires that foreign-educated registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants obtain independent verification of the authenticity of their credentials from a State Education Department approved Credential Verification service. CGFNS, a world leader in evaluation of international health care credentials, was authorized by the New York State Education Department to provide such a service.

The CVS program independently collects and verifies the authenticity of an applicant’s educational and licensure/registration credentials. Once verified, the credentials are forwarded to the New York State Education Department to be evaluated as part of the applicant’s licensure application. CGFNS assumes no responsibility for, and makes no analysis or determination as to the comparability or sufficiency of the applicant’s education or that the applicant has met any licensure requirements.

CGFNS is an immigration-neutral, not-for-profit organization based in Philadelphia, PA, USA, and is an internationally recognized authority on education, registration and licensure of nurses and other health care professionals worldwide. CGFNS’s mission is to provide responsible leadership in the delivery of relevant services to the global health care community. The organization was founded in 1977 through a collaborative effort by the U.S. Departments of Labor, State, and Health, Education and Welfare (now the Department of Health and Human Services); the Immigration and Naturalization Service; and nursing organizations, including the American Nurses Association and the National League for Nursing.

For additional information about CGFNS and the Credential Verification Service for New York State program, contact: Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools, P.O. Box 8628, Philadelphia, PA 19104-8628 USA; telephone: (215) 349-8767; fax: (215) 349-0026.