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What is CGFNS? Credentials evaluation for nurses

CGFNS, now called TruMerit, checks foreign nursing credentials for US boards; its CES Professional Report costs US$485.

Checked November 15, 2026
Two nurses in scrubs talking in a hospital corridor
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Short answer: CGFNS International, now named TruMerit, is a US organization that checks the education and licenses of nurses trained outside the United States and reports to state boards of nursing and US immigration. Its main report for boards, the Credentials Evaluation Service (CES) Professional Report, costs US$485, and TruMerit says 70% of these reports are issued within 7 business days once all documents arrive, which takes 14 weeks on average.

A timeline of a TruMerit (CGFNS) CES Professional Report: apply and pay US$485, wait an average of 14 weeks for schools and regulators to send documents, then 70% of reports issue within 7 business days, then the report goes to your board

CGFNS and TruMerit: one organization, two names

CGFNS stood for Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools. On December 18, 2024 it changed its legal name to TruMerit, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Its website is now trumerit.org, and its own pages say "TruMerit (formerly CGFNS International)".

You will still see the old name. The applicant portal is called "CGFNS Connect", and some boards and job ads still write CGFNS. They mean the same organization.

TruMerit describes its purpose as programs and services "that verify and promote the knowledge-based practice competencies of healthcare professionals". For nurses, it does three main things:

  • Credentials evaluation: checks that your documents are real and that your education compares to US nursing education.
  • The Qualifying Exam: a test some boards require before the NCLEX-RN.
  • VisaScreen: a certificate that US law requires for many foreign health workers seeking an occupational visa.

The main services for nurses

Service What it is for Fee (TruMerit fee schedule)
CES Professional Report A detailed evaluation of your nursing education and licenses for a state board US$485
Credentials Verification Service for New York State The New York version, sent to the New York State Education Department US$425
TruMerit (CGFNS) Certification Program Credentials review plus the Qualifying Exam; the certificate is valid for life US$495
VisaScreen Visa credentials assessment for US immigration US$740

Common extras for the CES report: an English Language Proficiency Report for boards that ask for one (US$125), each extra report recipient beyond the one included (US$175), and an optional expedited review (US$425). TruMerit warns that expedited review "does not guarantee" a report within 10 days. The CES fee covers two non-US licenses and two academic credentials; each extra one costs US$125.

Your schools and licensing bodies must send documents straight to TruMerit, not through you. License validations must be signed within the last three years, and TruMerit notes some boards want them dated within nine months.

Which boards ask for which report

Each board decides. TruMerit's own state pages say, for a registered nurse seeking a first US license:

Board Service TruMerit lists
Texas CES Professional Report
New York Credentials Verification Service for New York State
Illinois Certification Program Verification Letter, or CES Professional Report, or VisaScreen Verification Letter
California CES, marked "may be required by Board of Nursing"
Georgia CES for applicants who worked under 500 hours, and for multistate applicants

Some boards accept other evaluators too. The Texas Board of Nursing, for example, lists four approved credential evaluation providers, with TruMerit among them. Always check the current rule on your board's own website before you pay. The full US pathway for one country is in Philippine nurse to the United States.

How long it takes

TruMerit publishes two numbers. Gathering documents from schools and regulators takes 14 weeks on average. After everything arrives and is validated, 70% of CES reports are issued within 7 business days. For VisaScreen, 90% of certificates issue within 3.5 business days once documents are complete.

The slow part is usually the documents, not the review. An application stays open for 12 months. If your documents have not arrived by then, it expires, and reopening it costs extra.

What CGFNS is not

  • It does not issue a nursing license. Only a state board does.
  • It is not the NCLEX. You register for the NCLEX separately: see How do you register for the NCLEX?.
  • It is not the only VisaScreen issuer. USCIS also authorizes International Education Evaluations (IEE) to issue certificates for nurses.

We describe the official steps only. For visa questions, ask an immigration attorney or the official agency.

What to do next

  1. Choose your state board and read its rules for internationally educated nurses.
  2. Find out which TruMerit service that board names, then open one TruMerit Connect (CGFNS Connect) account.
  3. Ask your school and regulator early to send documents, because that step takes the longest.

Common questions

Is the CES report accepted everywhere in the US?

TruMerit says its reports are "accepted by all 50 state nursing boards". That is TruMerit's claim, and a board can still ask for a different service, so confirm with your board.

Do I need VisaScreen to take the NCLEX?

Not as a rule. VisaScreen is the screening US law requires for occupational visas. For registered nurses, VisaScreen itself requires proof of passing the Qualifying Exam or the NCLEX-RN. A few boards, such as Illinois on TruMerit's list, accept a VisaScreen letter as one of several options for licensure.

Does TruMerit work for Canada?

For Canada, TruMerit works with the National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS) and Canadian regulators.

Prep from our team

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