Obtaining a US Nursing License as a Canadian

Which State Should You Apply To?

You should start by asking yourself: ‘where do I want to work?’

 Since Canadians do not have a Social Security Number (SSN), you can only apply to certain states for your first license. After you get your first license and start working, you will have a SSN, and then almost all other states will be open for you to apply to. 

In our experience, these states are the easiest for Canadians to apply to and do not require a SSN: 

Arizona

Connecticut 

Colorado

Illinois

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Texas

Washington 

New York 

Minnesota and Michigan are the fastest in terms of license processing. Marta’s Minnesota license was issued in about two weeks. The rest of the listed states all have various processing times. Logan’s New York license took ten weeks to receive. 

The Trusted License Guide provides estimates on processing times. You can also sometimes view these times on the actual Board of Nursing website or by calling the board yourself. They also provide all the steps and documents needed to apply to each state. They are a fantastic recourse.

Which Application do I Select?

The best advice we can give you before you apply directly to a board of nursing is to call them. We cannot stress enough how valuable it is to call the board of nursing you are applying to. Here is an example of what you may ask them:

“Hi, I am a Canadian educated Registered Nurse (with/without) my CGFNS Visa Screen Certificate. I am looking to apply to *insert state*. I have already written my NCLEX. I want to apply for a nursing license. Which application should I select?”

“What information and forms are required to complete my application?”

Inform them that you do not have a Social Security Number, this will help them determine what additional forms are required.

Here are the numbers for the Licensing departments of the above states:

Arizona 602-771-7800	Connecticut 860-509-7603	Colorado 303-894-2430	Illinois 1-800-560-6420	Massachusetts 617-973-0900
Michigan 517-241-0199	Minnesota 612-317-3000	Texas 512-305-7400	Washington 360-236-4703	New York 518- 474-3817

Licensing websites can be confusing. As Canadians, we do not always fit into their traditional application categories. It is essential to call the state licensing department where you are applying before submitting your application.

Following these steps will guarantee success with the correct application. The application fees are nonrefundable, and you will be stuck paying additional fees should you choose the wrong one and further delay your license processing by weeks or even months.

Documents You May Need

Each state will have different requirements in terms of documents you must provide. Here are the most common documents:

CGFNS Visa Screen Verification Letter

Some states will ask you for your CGFNS Visa Screen Certificate. CGFNS sends this verification to the board of nursing you are applying to. You can find this service in the shopping cart when you access your account through CGFNS.org

The cost for this is $100 USD. Processing can take 2-3 business days.

Background Check With Fingerprinting

A common request will be for a background check through fingerprinting. This can be completed in Canada through various fingerprinting companies.

We used a service called Canadian Fingerprinting in Toronto. They charged $50 per fingerprint card. They provide you with the completed fingerprint card that you will then mail to the nursing board through a courier such as FedEx or UPS. We cannot live-scan fingerprints in Canada, but hardcopy of fingerprints are accepted.

Mailing fingerprints can be expensive. You can anticipate spending anywhere from $60-$100 depending on the state.

Verification of Nursing License

The state you are applying for will need to verify your original licensure and proof of NCLEX examination. You must contact your province’s board of nursing website. For CNO, you can request it online here by logging in and following the prompts.

School Transcripts

You may be required to send official university or college transcripts to the state board of nursing.

Make sure you clarify if the board wants physical or electronic copies. The price your school charges can vary. Physical copies can run anywhere from $50-$100. Electronic official transcripts from a service like MyCreds are usually only $15.

The school must mail physical transcripts directly to the board of nursing. If the board accepts electronic copies, add the correct email address when accessing MyCreds.

CGFNS CES Report

Some states require in-depth details regarding your education that your CGFNS Visa Screen does not provide, such as course outlines or clinical placement information. 

This additional document is a Credential Evaluation Service or CES report, costing $400 USD. It can take 3+ months for this service to issue the report. In order to avoid delays in your license processing, make sure to ask the board of nursing if you need to provide a CES report.

It may be beneficial to apply to an alternative state that does not require a CES report, as these are costly and can add months to your license processing timeline.

Nursys Verification

If you have other US nursing state licenses, you must submit verification of those from Nursys directly to the board. The cost is $30 for each state sent. 

For example, if you are applying for licensure in Texas but have a Washington and Connecticut license, you need to send Texas verification of that through Nursys. 

Nursys is a US-based database only. It does not have any information on your Canadian nursing licenses. 

Can my Travel Nurse Agency Help me With State Licensing?

Each travel nursing agency has a department that specializes in helping travellers apply for nursing licenses. In our experience, travel nurse agencies are unfamiliar with the differences between Canadian-educated nurses and these applications. Contacting the nursing board directly for the most up-to-date information is best.

We have had other nurses share their experiences of travel agencies giving wrong information to Canadian nurses about US licenses. One agency told a nurse she needed to re-write her NCLEX to apply. A different agency told a nurse she could not apply to Massachusetts without an SSN – which is not true.

Marta and I both hold multiple state licenses, and now have an easier time when applying to additional states. Marta still encounters problems with some states requiring additional information. For instance, Washington DC did and resulted in a 2 month delay on receiving her license. 

Conclusion

We hope this information is helpful and will guide you in your applications. We advise you to apply for one license first. After you have one US license, the rest will be easier to obtain as you can apply through “endorsement”.

That first state license will always be the hardest to get, so extend that patience you had with CGFNS to the board of nursing you are applying to.

Here are some other posts to get you started on travel nursing: