Can I apply to take English language proficiency tests through CGFNS?

You must register with the testing organization. Contact details can be found at www.cgfns.org/sections/programs/vs/vs-english.shtml.

Can CGFNS International give any “consideration” when the English score is only one point away from passing?

No. No exceptions can be made due to U.S. Federal and State Board regulations.

I took the TOEFL^® exam three years ago. Are my scores still applicable?

No. TOEFL^®, TOEIC and IELTS scores are only valid for two years. The CGFNS Qualifying Exam^® and English language proficiency tests must be taken within two years of each other for both scores to be valid.

I have the VisaScreen^® certificate but haven’t received my CGFNS certificate. I am told that my IELTS result was delayed and my Certification Program application expired. What do I do now?

Contact CGFNS to review exam results. You may need to retake and pass both the CGFNS Qualifying Exam^® and the English language proficiency test within two years of each other. See the chart at http://www.cgfns.org/sections/programs/cp/cp-english.shtml.

What are the passing scores for the English language proficiency tests?

The passing scores for the English language proficiency tests are located in the VisaScreen^® Application Handbook PDF and the VisaScreen^® Requirements PDF.

I applied for VisaScreen^® three months before my IELTS expired. Is there a rule that I need submit NCLEX^® scores before IELTS?

No there is no rule. However, applying for VisaScreen^® only three months before your English language scores expire may prove a problem. Not only do you need to pass IELTS, we must have received all of your documents to be reviewed. If you are missing documents or not all of them have arrived and have been evaluated before your IELTS expires, you may have to retake the English language proficiency test in order to meet VisaScreen^® requirements.

Who is exempt from the English language proficiency requirement for a VisaScreen^® certificate?

To be exempt from the English language proficiency requirement for VisaScreen^®, you need to meet all of the following criteria:

1. Country of entry-level professional education was in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada (except Quebec), New Zealand, Ireland or the United States and
2. Language of instruction and textbooks was English

In Quebec, who is exempt from the English language proficiency test, and therefore qualifies for the 212(r) Certified Statement?

To be exempt, you need to meet the following criteria:

1. You graduated from one of the designated nursing schools in Quebec: McGill University in Montreal, Vanier College in St. Laurent, John Abbott College in Sainte Anne de Bellevue, Dawson College in Montreal and Heritage College in Gatineau
2. You passed the NCLEX-RN^® and
3. You have a current, unrestricted license in one of the five U.S. designated Section 212(r) states: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan or New York

Do I need to take the English language proficiency test to renew VisaScreen^® even though I am English and went to an English-speaking school in Quebec?

The English language proficiency test requirement can be waived if you can demonstrate employment in the health care profession that is designated on your ICHP VisaScreen^® certificate in the United States for at least 27–36 months, including nine months of the year before the date you submit the renewal application. You will need to have your employer submit an employment summary on corporate letterhead with the appropriate signature for the English requirement to be waived.

When I check my status, it states I owe an additional fee for the CGFNS Language Report: English. What does this mean?

If you are applying to a state that requires the CGFNS Language Report (an English proficiency report included with CES Report for select State Boards of Nursing), there is an additional fee to prepare an English language proficiency report regarding your status. If you are not English-exempt, you will need to take the English exam and have the scores sent to CGFNS so that we can include it with your CES Report.