How long does it take for PRN to complete the process of getting qualified nurses to the U.S.?

The average time is 10 to 18 months from the time all the credentials have been submitted to the INS lawyer by the applicant and the sponsor/employer. PRN is only the coordinator and facilitator for the documents to be processed but it is the INS here in the U.S. and the U.S. Embassy in the foreign country (where the nurse will be coming from) that determine the length of time for the whole process. Nurses are being sponsored not on a working visa status but as employment based immigrant visa (EB3) which is good for both the nurse applicants and the Facility.

What are the credentials necessary for foreign nurses to be sponsored by a Healthcare Facility?

The INS requires that a foreign nurse pass the following tests:

• CGFNS (Commission on Foreign Nursing Schools)
  This is a not-for-profit, immigration neutral, internationally recognized authority on education, registration, and licensure of nurses worldwide. It is a credentials review and a nursing qualifying exam designed for first-level, general nurses educated and licensed outside the United States. The CGFNS Qualifying Exam is required by over 80% of U.S. State Boards of Nursing and predicts success on the NCLEX-RN examination. Appication fee is $185.00 and sent to CGFNS, 3600 Market St., Suite 400 Philadelphia, PA 19104-2651 U.S.A. Exams are given in foreign countries like the Philippines three times a year. (November, March and July).
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• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
  This is to be taken as soon as CGFNS is passed. The exams can be taken at the Sylvan Learning Center in Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines. The fee is $110
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• TSE (Test in Spoken English)
  This is also to be taken at the Sylvan Learning Center. The fee is $125
  
  * The CGFNS, TOEFL, and TSE consist the ICHP the visa screen that the INS require from all nurse applicants to be able to qualify to be sponsored by prospective employers. It is best for nurses to take review classes to pass these exams.
  
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Who interviews the nurse applicants prior to being accepted in the Healthcare Facility who sponsored them?

Our President and DON, Lucy R. Babaran., B.S.N., M.B.A., goes home to the Philippines on a quarterly basis to interview the applicants based on the needs of the Healthcare Facility and INS requirements. However, the Facility can send their HR representative to the foreign country when all the applicants have been credentialed as to their qualifications and have passed all the required exams as mandated by the INS.

We maintain an office in the Philippines where nurse applicants can ask for assistance from our trained staff during the entire process of the immigration and sponsorship. Our local office in the Philippines gives monthly seminars to nurse applicants to explain the requirements necessary prior to application. The local office in Manila accepts the application from the nurses and assists them in preparing documents for submission to various agencies like the CFGNS, TOEFL, TSE credentials and other paper works.

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What is the first step in the immigration process where the employer gets involved with?

The INS lawyer requires that the employer gives a job offer letter to the nurse applicant stating the terms and conditions of employment such as the position offered, salary for that particular level, benefit package, as well as state specific functions and responsibilities expected for the position offered. The employer can specify the basic qualifications that they expect from the applicant (an R.N. that has successfully passed the examinations required for certification by the CGFNS). When the offer is accepted by the applicant in the foreign country like the Philippines, the contract is forwarded to the INS lawyer in the U.S. by PRN for further processing. Filing of petition is immediately done by the INS lawyer in behalf of the applicant to initiate the immigration/sponsor-ship process.

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Sponsorship of Foreign Nurses | Necessary Credentials | Required Documents
Process for Getting Qualified RN
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