2005 News

Credentials Certification Deadline Approaching for Trade NAFTA Healthcare Professionals Working in U.S.

CGFNS issues reminder of July 26 deadline extension for qualified workers

PHILADELPHIA, PA — MARCH 29, 2005 — The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) has issued a reminder to selected Canadian and Mexican health care professionals working in the United States about a credentials certification deadline that is fast approaching. The deadline of July 26, 2005 affects registered nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and medical technologists who are working under Trade NAFTA status, and who were employed and licensed in the United States prior to September 23, 2003.

The credentials certification includes an educational analysis, licensure validation, English language proficiency assessment (not required if educated in Canada, outside of Quebec), and in the case of nurses, a passing score on an approved exam of nursing knowledge. The VisaScreen^® program is a credentials certification program administered by the International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP), a division of CGFNS. CGFNS is the only federally approved credentialing organization for all four professions listed above.

According to Barbara L. Nichols, CGFNS Chief Executive Officer, the need for certification of Canadian and Mexican health care worker credentials arises from Section 343 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA), which became effective September 23, 2003. "The rule required that certain Canadian health professionals entering the U.S. to work under Trade NAFTA, or applying for a temporary or permanent occupational visa, must have their credentials certified. In July 2004, the Department of Homeland Security extended the deadline to July 26, 2005, but only for professionals who were already employed and licensed in the United States prior to September 23, 2003," Nichols notes.

Nichols says, "We strongly urge all health care workers whose credentials need to be certified under Section 343 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA) to quickly initiate and follow up on the process, since arranging for transmission of the required documentation from the educational or licensing institution may take several months. CGFNS will work to expedite its review of this category of applications, but can only do so once all required foreign documentation is received."