HOT TOPIC / How Tanzanian Nurses Can Work in the USA: Complete Step-by-Step Guide (CGFNS, NCLEX & Visa) / BenjaVibe.

🇹🇿 ➜ 🇺🇸 Complete Process: Tanzanian RN going to Work in the USA

There are 3 big stages

1. Qualification Recognition (U.S. must accept your education)
2. Passing the U.S. Nursing License Exam (NCLEX-RN)
3. Immigration & Visa Sponsorship

You cannot skip any stage.

STAGE 1 — Verify Your Nursing Education (CGFNS), currently know TRUMERIT

This is the MOST IMPORTANT stage.
Before America allows you to write NCLEX, they must confirm:

“Is this nurse truly trained like a U.S. nurse?”

This is done by an organization called:

TRUMERIT / CGFNS — Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools

Every foreign nurse must go through them first.

Step 1: Create CGFNS Account / TRUMERIT

Website:
👉 https://www.cgfns.org / https://www.trumerit.org/

They will open an online file for you.

Step 2: Apply for CES Professional Report

This is the exact report required for Tanzanian nurses.

(CES = Credential Evaluation Service)

Cost: about $365 – $485

Step 3: Documents Needed

The nurse does NOT upload most documents herself.
They must come directly from institutions.

You will request:

From Nursing School (VERY IMPORTANT)

The school must send directly to CGFNS:

• Academic transcript
• Course breakdown (hours theory + clinical)
• Diploma / Degree verification

(If the nurse sends it herself → CGFNS rejects it)

From Tanzania Nursing and Midwifery Council (TNMC)

TNMC must send:

• License verification
• Proof nurse is registered and in good standing

English Requirement

USA requires proof you can communicate with patients.

You must pass ONE:

• IELTS Academic (most common)
• OR TOEFL iBT

Most agencies prefer:
IELTS Academic Overall 6.5 (no band less than 6.0)

Waiting Period

3 to 6 months normally.

After approval:
👉 TRUMERIT / CGFNS sends your report to a U.S. State Board of Nursing.

STAGE 2 — Apply for NCLEX-RN (U.S. Nursing License Exam)

This is the real U.S. nursing exam.

You are NOT a U.S. nurse until you pass NCLEX.

Step 4: Choose a State Board of Nursing

Important:

You don’t apply to “America”.
You apply to one specific state (Texas, New York, Illinois, etc).

Most international nurses choose:

• Texas
• New York
• Illinois
• Florida

(They are easier for foreign nurses.)

Step 5: Apply to the State Board

You send:

• Passport copy
• TRUMERIT / CGFNS CES report
• Application fee ($150-$300)

The Board reviews and then gives:

ATT (Authorization To Test)

This is your permission to sit NCLEX.

Step 6: Register with Pearson VUE

Website:
👉 https://www.pearsonvue.com/nclex

Pay: $200

Step 7: Book NCLEX Exam

Pay:150$ ( international student fees )mandatory

Good news:

You DO NOT need to go to America to write NCLEX.

You can write in:

• Kenya (Nairobi)
• India
• Dubai
• Philippines

(Most Tanzanians go Nairobi)

Step 8: Study & Pass NCLEX

This is a critical thinking exam, not memorization.

Topics:

• Med-surg
• Pharmacology
• Maternity
• Pediatrics
• Psychiatric nursing
• Patient safety

If you fail → you can repeat after 45 days.

After Passing

Now you officially become:

U.S. Registered Nurse (RN) 🎉

But… you still cannot travel yet.

You need immigration.

STAGE 3 — VisaScreen + U.S. Immigration (EB-3 Visa)

Now comes the part most nurses misunderstand.

Passing NCLEX ≠ permission to enter USA.

You need a work visa sponsorship.

Step 9: VisaScreen Certificate (VERY IMPORTANT)

Also done by CGFNS.

This is what U.S. immigration requires — not the hospital.

Documents required:

• NCLEX pass
• English exam (IELTS/TOEFL)
• License verification
• Education verification

Cost: about $540

Without VisaScreen → U.S. embassy will deny visa.

Step 10: Find a U.S. Employer (Hospital Sponsor)

You cannot self-sponsor.

You need:

• Hospital
  OR
• Recruitment agency

The employer files immigration petition:

EB-3 (Schedule A) Green Card

This is NOT a temporary visa.
It is permanent residence (green card).

You go to USA as an immigrant worker nurse.

Step 11: Employer Files Petition (I-140)

Hospital/agency handles:

• Lawyer
• Immigration petition
• Fees (usually they pay)

Processing time:
~ 12 – 24 months (varies yearly)

Step 12: NVC + Embassy Interview

After approval:

You will attend interview at:

📍 U.S. Embassy — Dar es Salaam

You bring:

• Passport
• VisaScreen
• Medical exam
• Police clearance
• Job offer letter

Step 13: Travel to USA ✈️

After visa approval:

You enter USA as:

Permanent Resident Nurse (Green Card Holder)

You start working immediately in the hospital.

Total Timeline (Realistic)

👉 Average total: 2 – 3 years

Important Mistakes Tanzanian Nurses Make

❌ Paying fake agents promising “direct job”
❌ Trying to go on tourist visa and convert (illegal)
❌ Skipping English exam
❌ Sending their own transcripts to CGFNS
❌ Thinking NCLEX alone gives visa