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1999 News and Alerts Due to the age of these news items, information (including links) may be outdated. Please use the search feature at the top of the page to find more current information on the subject or to find a current link. APRIL 30, 1999 Immigration & Naturalization Service authorizes CGFNS to issue The Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS) published an interim final rule on April 30, 1999, authorizing the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) to issue certificates to foreign physical therapists and occupational therapists under section 343 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. The rule, which takes effect on June 29, 1999, supplements an INS designation of CGFNS in October 1998 to issue certificates under section 343 to foreign nurses. The new INS rule followed a lawsuit filed by CGFNS against INS in May 1998. All certificates will be issued through the VisaScreen®: Visa Credentials Assessment of the International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP), a division of CGFNS. The certificates issued by CGFNS/ICHP verify that an applicant’s foreign education, training, licensure, experience, English language ability, and score on a licensing predictor examination (if applicable) meet all of the requirements of section 343. CGFNS notes that the INS regulations apply only to applicants in the three designated professions seeking permanent resident status, and that VisaScreen® certificates for foreign physical therapists and occupational therapists will not be accepted by INS prior to June 29, 1999. All applicants are strongly advised immediately to obtain information on English language testing from Educational Testing Service at +1 (609) 771 7100 or the English Language Institute (for those professions that may rely on the MELAB) at +1 (734) 763 3452. Upon obtaining a VisaScreen® application packet, please pay immediate attention to the requirement for verification of foreign educational credentials and licenses from the foreign institutional source. To request a VisaScreen® application packet or obtain additional information about CGFNS/ICHP services, contact: International Commission on Healthcare Professions, 3600 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19104-2665 USA; telephone +1 (215) 349 6735 or +1 (215) 349 6736; fax +1 (215) 349 0026. Anyone seeking further information should consult the April 30, 1999, edition of the Federal Register on pages 23174–23178. CGFNS is an immigration-neutral, nonprofit organization based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, and is an internationally recognized authority on the education, registration and licensure of nurses worldwide. CGFNS’s mission is to provide responsible leadership in the delivery of relevant services to the global nursing and health care community. The organization was founded in 1977 through a collaborative effort by representatives from the U.S. Department of Labor; Department of Health, Education and Welfare (now the Department of Health and Human Services); the Immigration and Naturalization Service; and representatives from nursing organizations, including the American Nurses Association and the National League for Nursing. For additional information about CGFNS and its services, contact: CGFNS International, 3600 Market Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19104-2651 USA; telephone: +1 (215) 349 8767; fax: +1 (215) 349 0026. |
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