2004 News

Department of Homeland Security Approves CGFNS to Continue Certifying Foreign-Born Health Care Workers

CGFNS is Only Organization to Screen All Seven Occupational Types to Help Ensure Quality of Health Care and Access to Health Workers

PHILADELPHIA, PA — DECEMBER 17, 2004 — The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) and its division, the International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP) were approved by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to continue certifying internationally-born health care workers in seven occupations covered under section 212(a)(5)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The approval is valid for five years and comprises a visa credentials assessment certification for nurses (registered and licensed vocational nurses), physical therapists, speech-language pathologists and audiologists, medical technologists, medical technicians, occupational therapists and physician assistants.

CGFNS was notified that its application was approved in November. Prior to the recent approval of its "I-905" application, CGFNS operated under the authority of interim and final rules previously issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and its predecessor, the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

"CGFNS is pleased with the Government’s five-year authorization to continue to provide a certification service for health care workers seeking U.S. employment. The Government’s recognition of our 27 years of experience in certifying the credentials of internationally educated health care workers is gratifying. No other organization in the country certifies the sheer number of health care workers, and across as many occupational types," said Barbara L. Nichols, Chief Executive Officer of CGFNS. "We have issued over 30,000 VisaScreen Certificates to foreign-born health care professionals seeking to work in the United States in the past eight years."

The "VisaScreen^®: Visa Credentials Assessment" is issued after a complete evaluation of a professional’s credentials to verify that he or she meets the minimum professional requirements. The International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP), a division of CGFNS, administers this screening process. The VisaScreen Certificate must be presented before a U.S. Embassy or Consulate will issue a visa to the applicant, or before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will change or adjust a health worker?s status to live and work as a professional in his or her field in the United States.

The VisaScreen program is comprised of three parts: a credentials review of the applicant’s entire professional education and all registration/licensure that the applicant has held and currently holds; successful completion of either the CGFNS Certification Program or the NCLEX-RN? (for registered nurses, or comparable exams for the other covered health care professions); and successful completion of designated examinations demonstrating English language proficiency.