2003 News
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8 JULY 2003
CGFNS marks success of Credential Verification Service of New York State
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 US$275, effective 1 January 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 an online application system of the CGFNS website on 3 February 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®: Visa Credentials Assessment and Credential Verification Service for New York State), simply by logging onto the CGFNS website anytime, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The new web application system allows applicants to apply to CGFNS services online, 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.
