How to apply to Illinois Board Of Nursing

Individual State Board of Nursing can choose to waive the English Exam as a requirement for licensure if the applicant is from a country whose nursing education was conducted in English. 

IL is one of them and the Philippines is one of those countries w/c qualifies for the English exam to be waived as a req't for licensure to IL.

However, you need to verify it.  There were instances before that there were applicants to IL that did not even asked if that req't can be waived for them.  Hence, they still did the TOEFL when some that asked were able to have it waived for them. 

Smart thing to do is to ask them to waive it for you.  You can do that by simply writing a cover letter stating why they they should waive it for you.   Just write a simple letter stating that your nursing education was done in the Philippines and that your textbook were written in English and mode of teaching was done in English as well.  Nothing fancy.  Keep it simple, brief and straight to the point.
 
Include that letter when you mail your application to CGFNS for the CES report.  CGFNS will then mail the CES report to them with a note that your nursing education was conducted in English so that IL can complete your application with them w/o the English exam anymore.

CGFNS CES: http://www.cgfns.org/sections/programs/ces/

IL BON application packet and instructions: http://www.idfpr.com/dpr/apply/Rn.asp

**2-page instructions for foreign RNs found on their website: In English

P.S. They are separate applications and therefore separate fees as well.  You need to submit both applications to compete the whole process.

Not to discourage you....  Are you sure and committed to go to the US even if it might take some time ??

There are lots that have given up or on the verge of it and they were ahead of you by at least 3-5 years. 

Just want to make sure you are aware as I do not want you to complain in the future on why the State Boards, CGFNS, Pearson-Vue are keeping on accepting applications and letting everyone still take the NCLEX and why employers are still petitioning foreign nurses and accusing them of just taking money from you. 

@ Manie :

Hello

I wonder why you have taken your NCLEX-RN under the state board of California where in fact your petitioning facility is based in Illinois.  Or you could have searched for an employer that is based in California, so things like this could have been prevented.

As of the moment, I suggest that you stay foot with California, then when it is about to get expired, just email Ms. Lisa Chan and ask for a year extension like what others are doing.  Process your endorsement to Illinois only when American dream is soon to come true.

America is gloomy more so for nurses that are newly petitioned. Note that thousands of filipino nurses with PDs earlier than 2006 are still waiting in vain. This means newly petitioned nurses will have to wait for at least 2-3 years or even longer for chances of getting greencards. This is not to dishearten you, but a sad reality.

I further suggest that instead of shedding some amount with Cali to Illinois endorsement process, why not just divert your financial resources in applying somewherelse where chances are great and where future is brighter.  Then when US dream is apparent, only then make some concrete actions to include endorsing your license to state board of Illinois.

Good Luck and God Bless you Manie.

Note:

These are just my personal views.

So, manie you already passed the NCLEX under CA and just endorsing to IL?

If that's the case, I missed that.  I agree then with nurseidol.

Also, you do not need to actually have the licensure from IL for your petitioner in IL to start the petition for you.  They can use the NCLEX pass letter to start the petitioning process even if the petitioner is in IL. 

Thanks to all the replies..
 
Yes my case was approved already by uscis and my priority date is april 08. My petition was filed in Illinois and I signed already a hospital working contract on which my lawyer asked me to do so. My sis lived in Illinois that's why I've chosen to work in Illinois in the future.
 
can i ask if Illinois grant a permanent license after passing all the requirements for endorsement even w/o ssn?
 
Thank you very much I appreciated all the advises provided
 
More power!

Thanks to all the replies..
 
Yes my case was approved already by uscis and my priority date is april 08. My petition was filed in Illinois and I signed already a hospital working contract on which my lawyer asked me to do so. My sis lived in Illinois that's why I've chosen to work in Illinois in the future.
 
can i ask if Illinois grant a permanent license after passing all the requirements for endorsement even w/o ssn?
 
Thank you very much I appreciated all the advises provided [image]
 
More power!

-manie

Yes, they do.  However, they require the SSN  already when renewing it. 

Please, double check on their website if they allow that req't (SSN on renewal) again to be waived if you have a valid reason to be not able to give it by then.  If I remember it right, still not able to get a US SSN for reasons of still not being able to go to the US due to retrogression is one of the valid reasons I've read.

Pls. just double check it on their website.

ok thank you very much t-cell & nurse idol for all the infos & advises

God Bless and More power for both of you

Good luck, Manie and don't forget to keep us updated here.

hello im a newbie. i live in the philippines. my aunt lives in chicago illinois. she said she can petition me after i take all my exams. the problem is i dont know where to start. i already read instuctions in http://www.idfpr.com/dpr/apply/Rn.asp but its quite confusing in my part since im still starting. please help me on what to do. whats the first step? do i need to take cgfns in illinois or just apply for ces? is ielts okay or do i need to take tofl? and is ielts and cgfns pre requisite for  me to apply nclex in illinois? please healp me in this. im very confused...

hello im a newbie. i live in the philippines. my aunt lives in chicago illinois. she said she can petition me after i take all my exams. the problem is i dont know where to start. i already read instuctions in [url] but its quite confusing in my part since im still starting. please help me on what to do. whats the first step? do i need to take cgfns in illinois or just apply for ces? is ielts okay or do i need to take tofl? and is ielts and cgfns pre requisite for  me to apply nclex in illinois? please healp me in this. im very confused...

-reginamc

Hi reginamc and welcome to the forum.

Illinois does not require taking the CGFNS certification (CGFNS exam+transcript eval+English exam), just the CES (transcript eval) w/c is also done by CGFNS.

As previously explained from the previous posts, applicants from the Phils. can ask for the English exam requirement to be waived.  Instructions on how to do it is likewise explained from the previous posts above. Kindly refer to it.

Hope, that lessens your confusion and just ask ff-up questions if there are still things you need clarification on. 

hello t-cell thank you for your reply.

sir may i know if where i can download the ces needed. i saw it in http://www.cgfns.org/sections/programs/ces/but i dont know what to download. after i download the form sir what am i going to do next?

does it mean that i dont need to take ielts too? or i just need to waive my english exam? or do i still need to take it?

hello t-cell thank you for your reply. [image]
sir may i know if where i can download the ces needed. i saw it in [url] i dont know what to download. after i download the form sir what am i going to do next?
does it mean that i dont need to take ielts too? or i just need to waive my english exam? or do i still need to take it?
-reginamc

Regina, pls. calm down.  Please do not get too excited so that you won't miss any instructions from the applications you will be completing. I even feel you haven't really read fully the posts posted on this thread.  So, calm down and think that you are just starting basically from zero and then there is the retrogression to contend to so this will be a long process. 

As I previously posted, you can just ask the IELTS req't to be waived.

First thing to do is to download the application packet and the 2-page instructions specific for foreign RNs both of w/c are already linked above and print them, then read the instructions carefully.

As stated from the 2-page instruction, they accept both types of CES but recommend the Full-Education Report (the one with the higher fee) if you have plans in the future to attend graduate school in the US like going for Masterals and higher. 

The difference in the fees is about $50, if that's not too stiff for you, I personally would recommend to apply for the Full-Education Course-by-Course report just in case you may need it as a req't in the future.

You also do not need the $75 CGFNS English report since you are qualified to have the IELTS req't to be waived.  Just include a 1-page simple request letter I mentioned on the 2nd post of this thread when you submit your application for CES to CGFNS.

Just follow the instructions from the application packet to IL and to CGFNS' CES, complete their requirements, fill-up the forms, pay the fees and submit both applications.

You and Manie may want to PM each other as well.  Manie may be applying via endorsement but he or she is still have to do majority of what a foreign RN applying for initial licensure to IL.

Hi, reginamc.

If you still need additional assistance, I recommended something to you via PM.  Pls. check your PM inbox. 

Please keep us updated here with your journey, ok.   Good luck and God bless.

hi..

i am already license here in California, but i am currently applying for endorsement in Illinois, as i have more opportunities there. is it really true that Illinois waived the English proficiency requirement for Filipino educated RN? i already pass an application for CES report, do i need to send a letter stating that our medium of instruction in the phil. is english and we are utilizing english textbooks or CES will automatically state it on my CES report when they review my credentials.

thanks and more power.

Rev,

hi..
i am already license here in California, but i am currently applying for endorsement in Illinois, as i have more opportunities there. is it really true that Illinois waived the English proficiency requirement for Filipino educated RN? i already pass an application for CES report, do i need to send a letter stating that our medium of instruction in the phil. is english and we are utilizing english textbooks or CES will automatically state it on my CES report when they review my credentials.
thanks and more power.
Rev,

-jayrfastdrip

Hello and welcome to the forum, jay. 

If you haven't passed your application for the CES report, I would have recommended that you included a cover letter with it to remind them of that.  Since you already passed the application form, then you really don't have a choice but to wait it out to find out.  Next best thing to do I would suggest is to directly contact CGFNS to find out directly from them. 

If you don't mind, where in IL you plan to re-locate?

hi t- cell,

i am planing to relocate at Algonquin, Illinois. and i already send an email to CGFNS and they said that they will state on the CES report whether our nursing education in the Philippines was in english or not, and if we are utilizing english textbooks. so no need to remind them of that.i hope the Board of nursing will waived it for me,and  also for those applicant who is seeking for Licensure in illinois. thank you so much..

hi t- cell,
i am planing to relocate at Algonquin, Illinois. and i already send an email to CGFNS and they said that they will state on the CES report whether our nursing education in the Philippines was in english or not, and if we are utilizing english textbooks. so no need to remind them of that.i hope the Board of nursing will waived it for me,and  also for those applicant who is seeking for Licensure in illinois. thank you so much..

-jayrfastdrip

If CGFNS will state that on their CES report then it's almost sure that IL will waive the IELTS req't, so don't worry. Your licensure in IL is in the bag !!

Good luck with your re-location and keep us updated.  Hopefully, in the near future you can come back here and share your insights on your experiences in IL specially as compared to CA.