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03/11/2004 HEALTHCARE IMMIGRATION ALERT
VISASCREEN TELECONFERENCE SUMMARY
Last summer, CIS announced that the Visa Screen clearance
requirements would be extended to nonimmigrant workers, including TNs and
H-1Bs. (First reported by Hammond Law Group's Immigration Alerts,
here:
http://www.hammondlawfirm.com/alerts/08.05.03healthcare_alert.htm).
The new Visa Screen requirements for nonimmigrant workers takes effect July
26, 2004.
Because of
the uncertainty and confusion that we have heard from clients, Hammond Law
Group recently held a free teleconference for all clients and friends of the
firm. We were joined in our presentation by Donna Richardson, CGFNS'
Director of Operations and Amos Sydnor, CGFNS' Manger of Credentials. The
conference lasted about 90 minutes. Approximately
100 hospitals, lawyers, nurses, recruiters, and administrators signed up for
the conference, some from as far away as the Philippines.
A few
interesting information pieces came out of the conference and we thought
that we'd summarize them here.
-
CGFNS
will be offering two Special Administrations of the CGFNS Certificate
Program Qualifying Exam in 2004 for Trade NAFTA Nurses. The deadline
date for the May 12, 2004 special administration of the qualifying exam
is April 2, 2004. The deadline date for the June 9, 2004 special
administration of the qualifying exam is May 5, 2004.
|
May 12, 2004
Exam |
June 9, 2004
Exam |
Exam
Location |
Center
No.
|
Exam
Location
|
Center
No.
|
|
Detroit, MI
|
#580
|
Chicago, USA
|
#501
|
|
Toronto, Ont.
Canada
|
#915
|
Miami, FL
|
#530
|
|
Atlanta, GA
|
#570
|
Houston, TX
|
#510
|
|
Houston, TX
|
#510
|
Vancouver, BC Canada
|
#920
|
-
Donna Richardson identified the eleven states
which allow licensed Canadian nurses to endorse into the United States
without passage of the NCLEX-RN exam: CT, DE, IN, KY, CA, ME, NM, NY, NC,
PA, and VA. Effective July 26, 2004, TN holders in these states will
require the Visa Screen.
-
CGFNS is implementing software which will
allow its customer service personnel to point out, via internet link,
exactly the deficiency in a pending Visa Screen application.
-
CGFNS's staff has doubled in the last two
years.
-
We were reminded that English examinations
"expire" two years after passage date.
-
Donna Richardson also explained what CGFNS
officers look for when evaluating a foreign education. The key
components of the educational review are:
-
The nursing education must have been
competed after secondary (high) school;
-
The nursing education must be distinct from
secondary school;
-
The nursing school must be approved by that
country's regulatory body;
-
Both theoretical and practical experience
must be gained through the schooling; and
-
The education must be for a "generalist" RN,
which usually means the education covers a mix of skills such as
medical/surgical, pediatrics, obstetrics, and psychological.
-
In any jurisdiction that the nurse has
practiced, her license must not have been suspension or revoked.
-
Among other things, CGFNS sees it role as
performing functions which the state are ill-prepared and under-budgeted
to perform, such as familiarity with overseas institutions.
-
There are
approximately 11,000 Maria Lopez's in CGFNS' database!
Our clients and friends early feedback is that
the conference was very informative and helpful. We look forward to
continuing to having these events in the future. Please let our team know
of any issues which may be of interest to to you.
Finally,
Sherry Neal will shortly be publishing a white paper on recruitment and
retention strategies. The white paper will cover many of the topics that
Sherry spoke about during the teleconference.
It should be
posted on our website shortly -- so be on the lookout for it!
Once again we'd like to thank Donna and Amos
for their time and expertise.
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