The VisaScreen and Healthcare

The VisaScreen and Healthcare Practitioners…Why is it so hard to pass? By: Nicole C. Dillard, Esq. VisaScreen Program 是專門評估healthcare professionals是否達到美國政府對此類專業人事的要求. VisaScreen Program包括了學曆, licensure validation及語言等方麵的評定. 以下我們會為你介紹有關VisaScreen Program的信息. The VisaScreen or Visa Credentials Assessment, is a program offered by the International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP), a division of the Commission on Graduate of Foreign Nursing School, enabling healthcare professionals to meet this requirement by verifying and evaluating their credentials to ensure that they meet the government minimum requirements. Generally, it is an assessment of an applicant’s education to ensure that it is comparable to: a U.S. graduate in that same profession; verification that all licenses, both past and present, are still valid; determine an individuals’ English-language proficiency; verification for nurse applicants that the nurse has either earned a CFGNS Certificate or passed the national Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses; for Physical Therapists, review of a self-reported summary of clinical experiences in addition to a review of tran information; and for Occupational Therapists, review of the name and credentials of the supervisor of their OT fieldwork, as well as the nature and depth of the field work, submitted by the authority (not the applicant). Pursuant to the Illegal Immigration Reform and Responsibility Act of 1996, the statute requires that certain non-U.S. healthcare professionals successfully complete a screening program prior to receiving an occupations visa, such as the H-1B, H-B, TN status and permanent (green card) visas. In 2003, the USCIS required healthcare professionals including nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, physician assistants, medical technicians, medical laboratory technologists, speech language pathologists, and audiologists who are seeking temporary or permanent occupational visa as well as those who are seeking TN status, are required to obtain a VisaScreen certificate as a part of the visa process. The VisaScreen program is comprised of an educational analysis, licensure validation, English language proficiency assessment, and in the case of nurses, an exam of nursing knowledge. The licensure review evaluates initial and current and past licenses to assure they are valid and unencumbered. The English language proficiency assessment confirms that the applicant has demonstrated the required competency in oral and written English by submitting scores on tests approved by the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services. Only those applicants who have graduated from a college, university, or professional training school located in Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, the United States are exempt from the language requirement. Currently to fulfill this English language requirement, applicants must take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), plus the Test of Written English (TW) and Test of Spoken English (TSE); or, the Test for International Communications (TOEIC), plus TSE and TWE; or the International English Language Testing Service (IELTS); or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT (Internet Based Testing). The passing scores for the English proficiency tests are listed below: Option #1 Option #2 Option #3 Option #4 Healthcare Profession TOEFL Test of English as a Foreign Language TWE Test of Written English TSE Test of Spoken English TOEIC Test of English for International Communication TWE Test of Written English TSE Test of Spoken English IELTS International English Language Testing Service IELTS Spoken Band TOEFL iBT Total & Speaking Section Registered Nurse (RN) 207 (540) 4.0 50 725 4.0 50 6.5 (Academic) 7.0 83 / 26 Practical/Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN) 197 (530) 4.0 50 700 4.0 50 6.0 (General) 7.0 79 / 26 Physical Therapist 220 (560) 4.5 50 89 / 26 Occupational Therapist 220 (560) 4.5 50 89 / 26 Speech Language Pathologist and Audiologist 207 (540) 4.0 50 725 4.0 50 6.5 (Academic) 7.0 83 / 26 Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Medical Technologist) 207 (540) 4.0 50 725 4.0 50 6.5 (Academic) 7.0 83 / 26 Clinical Laboratory Technician (Medical Technician) 197 (530) 4.0 50 700 4.0 50 6.0 (General Training) 7.0 79 / 26 Physician Assistant 207 540() 4.0 50 725 4.0 50 6.5 (Academic) 7.0 83 / 26 Scores written in parenthesis refer to minimum passing scores for the paper based version of the TOEFL examination Nurse applicants who wish to obtain an occupational visa to practice as nurses in the United States must present a CFGNS Certification Program Certificate or passing score on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). Once the applicants has successfully completed all elements of the VisaScreen program, the applicant is awarded a VisaScreen Certificate, which can be presented to a consular office or, in the case of adjustment of status, the Attorney General as a part of a visa application. ______________________________________________________________________________ 本文由範毅禹律師事務所提供 本律師事務所精辦各類勞工應聘及專業移民申請 (包括H-1，L-1，EB-1，EB-2，NIW，勞工卡，綠卡等申請)。所有申請由多位美籍律師及擁有15年經驗的範毅禹律師親自處理，我所並特設中英移民網站。內有最新移民新聞資訊及由律師主持的移民問答集，歡迎讀者流覽查詢。 www.Fan-Law.com CALIFORNIA : Fan, Fitzpatrick & Thompson, LLP. 370 E. Glenarm St., Pasadena , CA 91106 Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] MARYLAND : Fan, Fitzpatrick & Thompson, LLP. 230 North Washington Street, Suite 400 , Rockville , MD 20850 Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]