|
2004 News and Alerts Due to the age of these news items, information (including links) may be outdated.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. DECEMBER 17, 2004 Department of Homeland Security gives approval for CGFNS CGFNS is the only organization to screen all seven occupations to help ensure quality of health care and access to health workers The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) and its division, the International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP) were approved by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to continue certifying internationally-born health care workers in seven occupations covered under section 212(a)(5)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The approval is valid for five years and comprises a visa credentials assessment certification for nurses (registered and licensed vocational nurses), physical therapists, speech-language pathologists and audiologists, medical technologists, medical technicians, occupational therapists and physician assistants. CGFNS was notified that its application was approved in November. Prior to the recent approval of its I-905 application, CGFNS operated under the authority of interim and final rules previously issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and its predecessor, the Immigration and Naturalization Service. “CGFNS is pleased with the Government’s five-year authorization to continue to provide a certification service for health care workers seeking U.S. employment. The Government’s recognition of our 27 years of experience in certifying the credentials of internationally educated health care workers is gratifying. No other organization in the country certifies the sheer number of health care workers, and across as many occupational types,” said Barbara L. Nichols, Chief Executive Officer of CGFNS. “We have issued over 30,000 International Commission on Healthcare Professions VisaScreen® certificates to foreign-born health care professionals seeking to work in the United States in the past eight years.” The VisaScreen®: Visa Credentials Assessment is issued after a complete evaluation of a professional’s credentials to verify that he or she meets the minimum professional requirements. The International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP), a division of CGFNS, administers this screening process. The International Commission on Healthcare Professions VisaScreen® certificate must be presented before a U.S. Embassy or Consulate will issue a visa to the applicant, or before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will change or adjust a health worker?s status to live and work as a professional in his or her field in the United States. The VisaScreen®: Visa Credentials Assessment is comprised of three parts: a credentials review of the applicant’s entire professional education and all registration/licensure that the applicant has held and currently holds; successful completion of either the CGFNS Certification Program or the NCLEX-RN® (for registered nurses, or comparable exams for the other covered health care professions); and successful completion of designated examinations demonstrating English language proficiency. 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. |
|
