Credential Verification Service for New York State
Who is this service for?
The following health care professionals educated outside the United States who wish to practice in New York State:
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What does this service do?
The Credential Verification Service for New York State verifies the authenticity of foreign educational and licensure credentials.
In order to begin this verification, CGFNS must first receive a completed application from the applicant and full payment of the application fee. CGFNS does not, and cannot, begin the verification until it has received all the required materials forming a completed application. A completed application requires the completion of the following three forms:
A form is needed for each post-secondary (tertiary) school and the licensing authority that issued your first license/registration. Payment of the application fee is required to complete an application.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE VERIFICATION PROCESS DOES NOT START UNLESS YOU HAVE SUBMITTED COMPLETE AND ACCURATE INFORMATION REQUIRED BY THE APPLICATION AND AUTHORIZATION FORMS. ANY ERROR IN OR MISSING INFORMATION IN YOUR APPLICATION AND AUTHORIZATION FORMS, SUCH AS A MISSPELLED NAME OF A SCHOOL OR AN INCOMPLETE, OUTDATED OR WRONG MAILING ADDRESS, WILL CAUSE DELAY IN STARTING THE PROCESS, WHICH MAY BE CONSIDERABLE.
Once CGFNS has determined that an applicant has submitted a complete and accurate application (as described above), CGFNS will then begin the verification process by sending each post-secondary (tertiary) school and licensure authority the authorization forms you completed for verification of your educational attendance and licensure. The verification documents must be mailed directly to CGFNS from the schools and licensure authorities. You may not forward these documents to us.
For practical nurses only, proof of completing secondary school is required and this documentation can be sent from you to CGFNS.
The schools and licensure authorities have 180 days from CGFNS’s first mailing to them to complete and verify the educational and licensure forms. The timeframe for Canadian applicants is 90 days. After the expiration of this time period, CGFNS prepares and sends a report to the New York State Education Department (“NYSED”). This report only addresses the authenticity of the documents submitted to us and is not an analysis or determination regarding your education’s sufficiency or whether you have met New York’s licensure requirements. If the schools(s) and licensure authorities have not responded within the required time period, CGFNS will also report that fact to NYSED.
You do not receive a copy of this report. You may check the status of your application at https://www.cgfns.org/cerpassweb/login.jsp. Once we have submitted our report to NYSED your status will display “Report Issued”.
DISCLAIMER:
CGFNS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR AN APPLICANT’S KNOWLEDGE OF THE LICENSING REQUIREMENTS OF NEW YORK, OR OF ANY OTHER STATE IN WHICH HE/SHE SEEKS TO PRACTICE. THE APPLICANT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR KNOWING AND COMPLYING WITH SUCH REQUIREMENTS AND FILING THE NEW YORK STATE LICENSURE APPLICATION FORMS WITH NYSED.
ALSO, CGFNS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DECISION BY NYSED APPROVING OR REJECTING AN INDIVIDUAL’S APPLICATION TO PRACTICE NURSING IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK. THAT DECISION LIES SOLELY AND COMPLETELY, WITH NYSED.
How do I apply?
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Apply online Use the online application system to:
New users create an account here Returning users login here |
or 2. Download and mail Application handbook includes:
Download the handbook (PDF) (November 2011) Download the requirements (PDF) (April 2011) |
What about immigration and visas?
CGFNS offers other services for health care professionals who are not U.S. Citizens, including VisaScreen®: Visa Credentials Assessment, administered by the International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP), a division of CGFNS.
U.S. immigration law now requires that registered nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, physician assistants, clinical laboratory technicians (medical technicians), clinical laboratory scientists (medical laboratory technologists), speech language pathologists, audiologists and licensed practical or vocational nurses complete a screening program to qualify for occupational visas or temporary, permanent (green card) visas and Trade NAFTA status. The VisaScreen®: Visa Credentials Assessment enables health care professionals to meet this requirement by verifying and evaluating their credentials to ensure that they meet the government’s minimum eligibility standards. VisaScreen® comprises an educational analysis, licensure validation, English language proficiency assessment and, for registered nurses, passing either the CGFNS Qualifying Exam® or the NCLEX-RN® to demonstrate nursing knowledge. Once the applicant successfully completes all elements of VisaScreen®, the applicant receives a VisaScreen® certificate, which can be presented, as part of a visa application, to a consular office or, in the case of adjustment of immigration status, to the U.S. Attorney General.
If you need a VisaScreen® certificate, please complete a VisaScreen® application. Information is located online at https://www.cgfns.org/sections/programs/vs/default.shtml.
Please note that documents obtained by CGFNS for the Credential Verification Service for New York State may be used for the VisaScreen® program. However, since New York requires only verification of your initial license/registration, you will need to use the forms in the VisaScreen® application to validate your license/registration/diploma with all the licensing authorities where you have ever held a license.
