CGFNS International - global credibility in credentials evaluation

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Due to the age of these news items, information (including links) may be outdated.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.

JUNE 21, 2004

CGFNS statement on Visa Assist Program Inc.

CGFNS has recently become aware that an organization calling itself Visa Assist Program Inc. (VAPI), of Largo, Florida, is claiming that it has:

“filed all the required forms and documentation (I-905) with the DHS and is providing Certified Visa Certificates for not only nurses, but other health care professionals as well. As of July 26, 2004, the Certified Visa Certificate is mandatory for all foreign health care providers who wish to enter, work or remain employed legally in the United States. The purpose of this letter is to inform you that our certificate and certification will be equivalent to that of CGFNS/ICHP for licensure within all States.”

This claim falsely implies that VAPI has been authorized by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to issue VisaScreen^® or similar certificates to foreign health care workers. In fact, VAPI has not been authorized by DHS to evaluate the credentials of, or issue certificates to, foreign health care workers. CGFNS reported this false and misleading claim to the Department of Homeland Security on June 16, 2004, when DHS confirmed that the only authorized credentialing organizations at present are NBCOT, FCCPT and CGFNS/ICHP.

In the months leading up to VAPI’s claim to authorized status, CGFNS discovered that VAPI had copied and used CGFNS’s copyrighted materials on VAPI’s Web site, falsely implying that VAPI was affiliated with CGFNS or authorized by CGFNS to use the copyrighted materials. CGFNS contacted VAPI and requested that VAPI cease and desist from copying and using CGFNS’s materials. VAPI recently removed CGFNS’s copyrighted materials from the VAPI Web site.

CGFNS wants all health care professionals and all health care organizations to understand that it has no relationship whatever with VAPI; that it has not authorized VAPI to use CGFNS’s forms or its Web site; and that DHS has confirmed that VAPI has not been authorized to issue certificates to foreign health care workers under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

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.