VisaScreen: What is it and Why is it Required?

What is it?

Nurses and other allied health care professionals, not including physicians, seeking entry to the United States as employees in the field of healthcare must obtain a certificate from the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) or an equivalent independent organization. The most common certificate is the VisaScreen Certificate issued by the International Commission on Healthcare Professionals (ICHP), a division of the CGFNS.

The VisaScreen Certificate is made up of three parts, but there is an additional requirement solely for nurses. The first part is an educational review, which ensures that the applicant's education meets all applicable, statutory and regulatory requirements for the intended profession of the applicant, and is comparable to that of a U.S. graduate seeking licensure. To meet the educational requirements for the VisaScreen program, applicants must have successfully completed a senior secondary school education that is separate from their professional education; graduated from a government-approved, professional health care program of at least two years in length; and successfully completed a minimum number of clock and/or credit hours in specific theoretical and clinical areas during their professional programs. Physical therapists must include a self-reported, typewritten summary of their supervised clinical experiences.

The second part of the VisaScreen certificate is the licensure review, which evaluates all current and past licenses for their authenticity and validity. The third part of the certificate is the English language proficiency assessment, which confirms that the applicant has demonstrated the required competency in oral and written English by submitting passing scores on one of the many tests approved by the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Service. Scores from TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) are accepted by the CGFNS.

Keep in mind that applicants who have graduated from a college, university, or professional school located in Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the United States where the language of instruction was English and the language of textbooks was English are exempt from the English language proficiency requirement.

The fourth part of the VisaScreen Certificate is not applicable to U.S. trained nurses, who will only need to satisfy the academic and licensure aspects of the VisaScreen. However, it is applicable to those foreign health care workers who wish to obtain an occupational visa to practice as nurses in the U.S. Foreign nurse applicants must present a CGFNS Certificate or a passing score on the NCLEX-RN exam to provide proof of their nursing knowledge. It is possible for foreign nurses to take the NCLEX abroad in Hong Kong, England, South Korea, Australia, India, Japan, Mexico, Canada, Germany and Taiwan.

Why is it Required?

The VisaScreen requirement came about as a result of the Illegal Immigrant Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRAIRA), which added a new ground of inadmissibility for certain health care workers. The law dictates that applicants are inadmissible unless they present a certificate verifying that their education, training, license, and experience meet all requirements for entry to the United States and that the applicant is competent in both spoken and written English. As a result, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, licensed vocational nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech language pathologists, audiologists, medical technicians, physicians’ assistants, and medical technologists are required to obtain VisaScreen certificates.

Once obtained, the VisaScreen certificate demonstrates the holder’s completion of professional education outside the United States that is comparable to a U.S. education, successful completion of professional examinations, as well as proficiency in the English language. VisaScreen certificates are necessary for TN, H-1B, H-1C, O-1, J-1 extensions, changes of status, new applications and permanent residency. Since it is a ground of inadmissibility, it applies to any entry into the United States.

The VisaScreen Certificate can be presented to a consular office, or in the case of adjustment of status, the Attorney General, as part of a visa application. While an applicant can file an adjustment of status application without a VisaScreen Certificate, if an applicant cannot provide a VisaScreen certificate upon receipt of a request for evidence from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the adjustment application will be denied. Please be aware that it can take months for the issuing entities to provide a VisaScreen Certificate.

If you are a healthcare professional who wishes to practice in the U.S., the counsel and assistance of Shihab & Associates Co., LPA is essential to ensure that all requirements are met in order to work in the field of healthcare.