Canadian Nurses
Nonimmigrant

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Visa - Registered Nurse

Definitions

"NAFTA" is the North American Free Trade Agreement

"TN" is Trade NAFTA

"TD" is a Trade Dependent of the Canadian nurse TN visa holder

"Petitioner" is your entity

"Beneficiary" is the Canadian nurse

"Petition" is the Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker

"Applicant" is the Canadian nurse applying for the Trade NAFTA visa

General Information

On January 1, 1994, the United States, Canada and Mexico signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which provides for expedited processing and admission of professionals, including registered nurses, of one country into the other country. In order for the registered nurse to be eligible for a NAFTA visa your entity must be a United States employer hiring a Canadian national (not a landed immigrant) as a registered nurse. The Canadian nurse must be coming to the United States to work for your entity temporarily. In order to qualify for a TN visa, the Canadian nurse must possess the necessary credentials to practice her/his profession. This means that the Canadian nurse must have a valid state (United States) or provincial (Canada) license. Please be advised, however, that where a Canadian nurse possesses a provincial license and the state where your entity intends to employ the nurse requires that s/he possess a state license, a state license will be required before the Immigration and Naturalization Service will issue a TN visa. Further, in order to obtain a state license you must pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Finally, a majority of the states require that you first present a Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) Certificate.

Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS)

The CGFNS has developed a program that consists of three parts including a review of your education, training, license and experience; an exam that will ensure that you have the level of competence in oral and written English that is considered appropriate for a nurse; and the CGFNS Qualifying Exam. The CGFNS uses the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to ensure that you have met the English language proficiency requirement. Please note that if your native language is English; you received your nursing education in Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand or the United Kingdom and the language of instruction was English; and the language of the textbooks used was English you may not be required to pass the TOEFL examination. Upon successful completion of all three elements of the program, you will be granted a CGFNS Certificate.

National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX)      

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing developed the NCLEX, which was designed to ensure that you will be a safe practicing nurse. In order for you to be licensed to practice in any state in the United States you must take and pass the NCLEX.

Your current status?

I am outside the United States

I am presently in the United States in TN Status

I am presently in the United States in a Nonimmigrant Status other than TN Status