Frequently Asked Questions regarding VisaScreen

Who is CGFNS?
The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) is a non-profit, internationally recognized leader in the education, registration and licensure of healthcare professionals worldwide. CGFNS protects the public in relation to evolving healthcare policies and standards of professional practice for migrating healthcare professionals.

Who is ICD?
The International Consultants of Delaware, Inc. (ICD), is a division of CGFNS, which is a Congressionally-recognized credentialing organization for foreign healthcare workers seeking an occupational visa in the United States.

What is VisaScreen and why do I need it?
U.S. Immigration law now requires that healthcare professionals, other than physicians, complete a screening program in order to qualify for certain occupational visas. VisaScreen, a certificate issued by the International Consultants of Delaware, a division of CGFNS, enables healthcare professionals to demonstrate to consular and immigration officials that their credentials meet the U.S. government's eligibility standards for foreign healthcare professionals. CGFNS is named in the law as an authorized credentialingn organization.

What does VisaScreen review?
VisaScreen for physical therapists is an educational review, licensure review, English language skills assessment and supervised clinical experience assessment. Applicants who successfully complete VisaScreen will receive a VisaScreen Certificate, which can be presented to a consular office or immigration officer when the applicant applies for an immigrant visa or adjustment of status.

What are the VisaScreen requirements for physical therapists and how do I apply?
To apply for VisaScreen, applicants must:

1. Complete the ICD Physical Therapy VisaScreen application.
2. Complete the enclosed forms to send to your physical therapy school(s). Academic transcripts must come directly from the physical therapy(s).
3. Complete the enclosed forms to send to your licensing authority(ies). Validations of all licenses, past and present, must come directly from the licensing authorities.
4. You must successfully complete an English language proficiency test and have the scores directly forwarded to ICD from the testing agency.
5. You must successfully pass either the CGFNS Qualifying Exam or the NCLEX-RNâ examination if you are a nurse.
6. Enclose a copy of your high school diploma or equivalent.
7. Enclose the application fee.

Who is exempt from fulfilling the English language proficiency requirement?
Applicants may be exempt from the English language proficiency requirement if they meet all of the following criteria:

• Country of professional education was Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom or the United States;
• Language of instruction was English; and
• Language of textbooks was English.

Who pays for the program?
The applicant typically pays for the VisaScreen program. The application fee can be paid by an international money order or certified bank check in U.S. dollars, drawn on a U.S. bank and made payable to "ICD," or by one of the following credit cards: Visa, Mastercard or Discover/Novus.

Must I submit my original documents for review?
Yes and no. ICD accepts clear and legible photocopies of secondary school documents for evaluation. However, ICD will only accept original verification from issuing agencies. All validation of registration/licenses and the applicant’s professional school’s transcripts must come directly from the issuing authority to ICD. In addition, since ICD verifies credential authenticity, ICD maintains the right to validate any documentation with the source agency.

What do I do if my educational institution has closed?
ICD only accepts certain documentation from source agencies (such as transcripts and validations of registration/ licensure). If your school has closed or no longer operates, you will need to contact the organization or agency authorized to hold documentation for that institution (such as a ministry of health or the national, provincial or state licensing authority in your country of education). If you are uncertain about where to go, contact ICD directly for assistance.

Do I need to have validations for all licenses I have ever held to complete my VisaScreen application?
Yes. ICD requries all VisaScreen applicants to provide validations of ALL licenses they have held, past and present. The validations must be sent directly to ICD from the issuing authority(ies).

Can I provide a photocopy of my license instead of a validation?
No. ICD requires that official validations of licenses must be completed and sent directly from the issuing authorities.

What do I do if the agency that issued my license is no longer in existence?
ICD only accepts validations of licensure from the source agency. If that agency has closed or no longer operates, you will need to contact the organization or agency authorized to hold documentation for that institution (such as a Ministry of Health or the national, provincial or state licensing authority in your country). If you are uncertain about where to go, contact ICD directly for assistance.

What if my documents are not in English?
A certified word-for-word English translation, signed with a certification of authenticity by the translator, must accompany any credentials not in English. If you cannot furnish a translation of your documents, ICD can provide an official translation of each document for an additional fee. ICD will accept translations of documents submitted by source agencies (such as transcripts and validations) only from the issuing authorities. Otherwise, ICD will translate documents for the appropriate fee.

How does ICD ensure the quality of its evaluations?
To ensure quality evaluations, ICD uses standards developed by a Professional Standards Committee made up of leading educators and practitioners in the field.

Once a VisaScreen Certificate is issued, who receives the original document?
The VisaScreen Certificate is issued directly to the applicant who successfully completed all of the requirements of the program. The applicant then presents it to a consular officer when applying for an immigrant visa, or to an immigration officer when applying for adjustment of status.

I am from a foreign country, but graduated from a college in the United States. Do I still need to apply for the VisaScreen program?
Yes. Although your professional education was completed in the United States, the purpose of the VisaScreen program is to provide a screening program which meets all federal requirements for international healthcare professionals seeking an occupational visa in the United States, irrespective of where the professional education was completed.

What are the passing scores for the TOEFL, TWE and TSE?
For physical and occupational therapists: 560 paper-based TOEFL or 220 computer-based TOEFL; 4.5 TWE; 50 TSE.

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