Time & Cost
How soon can I get a work in the US?
Calculating the time and cost
Are you seeking employment opportunities as a Registered Nurse (RN) in the United States? Have you decided on whether you would like to immigrate or just work temporarily? If both your answers are “yes,” then read on.
After determining the type of visa you will acquire, next is to identify the exact documents and proper requirements needed. Obtaining the correct documents and passing the necessary requirements will speed-up the processing. Though, you have to realize that every single application goes through multi-processes and that there is a quota to the number of visas issued annually worldwide.
Obtaining the proper documents includes satisfying the licensure requirements, which means passing the required examinations. Below are information which can help you calculate the amount of time and money each applicant for an immigrant visa devotes through the application processes.
Exam Timetable
Preparations for CGFNS, NCLEX and the English examinations can vary from three to five months. An applicant can take the review courses one at a time, or take a combination depending on his/her schedule.
The CGFNS application process takes from 3 to 6 months. The most common cause of delay is the waiting involved in getting the school response and proper licensure documents. The CGFNS review for eligibility and authenticity of documents is also a delaying factor.
The CGFNS exam is one day, and is given three times a year only. The results can be obtained two to three months after the exam. These results are not mailed to the nurse until after the expiration date for application of the next exam, which means if an applicant failed the first exam he/she can retake on the third schedule of exam.
The TOEFL exam and other English language exams (to check the other examinations needed for licensure, click here ) can be taken before or following the CGFNS Qualifying Exam, however they have to pass these exams within a 2-year period from the start of the Visa Screen application.
Scores of English examinations are forwarded to CGFNS by the examining institution which takes approximately 5 to 6 weeks after the exam.
Visa Processing Timetable
A US employer’s immigrant petition for an RN takes 90 to 180 days to process at the USCIS. While the petition is underway, the RN is obtaining his/her visa screen certificate.
When the immigrant petition is approved, the USCIS will send a notice of approval to the applicant and at the same time notify the National Visa Center, who will then issue the RN with an immigrant visa number.
When the RN receives the immigrant visa number, medical exams and interview at the US embassy in Manila follow. Spouse and dependent children visa processing also takes place.
The overall process may take between 10 months to two years, depending on the state that the RN will immigrate to.
Major Costs
Below is a list of major costs associated with obtaining nursing licensure and immigrant visa:
Examination Cost:
CGFNS Qualifying Exam - $295 (1st time application) - $250.00 (retake application)
TOEFL/TWE - $130.00
TSE - $125.00
IELTS – Php 8,800.00
Other Fees:
VisaScreen Certificate - $325 .00
Medical Examination Fee – $ 95.00
Click on the following topics:
Visa Backlog | Work, Live in US | Visa Screen | Visa Category | Time & Cost
Know the latest USCIS processing dates. Click here
