Foreign Educated Requirements

Requirements for Applicants Educated in a Foreign Country (Including Canada and *Puerto Rico)

Foreign Educated Professional or Practical Nurses Must Meet the Following Requirements (1 through 4):

1. Validation of Educational Requirements
2. Validation of English Language Skills
3. Validation of Practice
4. Passed NCLEX-RN® or NCLEX-PN® OR State Board Test Pool Examination (SPTPE)

IMPORTANT:  All information from any of the selected agencies listed in #1, Educational Requirements and #2, Language Validation, must be sent dire​ctly to AZBN from the agency.

​​1. Validation of Educational Requirements

• Request an application from Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools International (CGFNS) to obtain one of the following:
  
  
  1. CES Professional Report.
  2. Verification of VisaScreen ® Certificate.
  3. Verification of CGFNS Certification (Option not available for practical nurses).

OR

• Request an application from International Education Research Foundation (IERF) to complete an educational equivalency report.

OR

• Request or download an application from Educational Records Evaluation Services (ERES) to complete an Education Equivalency Report.

OR

• Request or download an application from Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. to complete an education equivalency report, specifically a ‘licensing for nursing, basic report’.

OR

• If educated in Canada, have the Canadian licensure board submit a passing score on the English language version of the CNATS or CRNE (Canadian Licensure Exam) AND verification of Canadian licensure status directly to AZBN.

Exception – RN endorsement applicants who have completed their basic nursing education in a foreign country are exempt from the educational requirement if they have obtained a BSN or graduate degree in nursing from an approved program in the United States AND worked at least 960 hours in the five years prior to applying for AZ licensure, but they will not be eligible for a multistate compact license without a credential evaluation service report addressing their basic nursing education.

Contact Information for agencies listed above

2. Validation of English Language Skills

(If you are an exam applicant you MUST meet the English Language requirement BEFORE taking the NCLEX Exam.)

Exemptions from Validation of English Language Skills requirement:

• If you have graduated from a nursing program in a country or territory where the principle language is English (i.e. Australia, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada (excluding Quebec), Ireland, Trinidad, Tobago, South Africa, Ghana, Jamaica, Barbados, or United States territory) you do not need to validate your English language skills.

OR

• If you have been employed as a nurse for 960 hours or more within the past 5 years in a country or territory where the principal language is English (see countries/territories above) you do not need to validate your English language skills.
• If the principal language of the country where your nursing program was given is a language other than English, you are required to obtain one of the following options:
  
  
  • Internet-based (iBT) Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 84 and a minimum speaking score of 26. To have results sent to AZBN use the code 9680 when completing the application.

  OR

  • International English Language Test Service Academic Examination (IELTS) with a minimum score of 6.5 on the Overall Band Score with a minimum of 6.0 on each module.

  OR

  • Pearson test of English Academic Exam with a minimum score of 55 overall and a minimum score of 50 on each section.

  OR

  • Visa Screen Certificate from CGFNS.

  OR

  • ​ A CGFNS Certificate

Contact Information for agencies listed above

3. Validation of Practice

Have met one of the following practice requirements:

1. Practiced as a nurse for 960 hours or more in the past 5 years or
2. Graduated from a nursing program and obtained a degree within past 5 years or
3. Completed an Arizona Board approved refresher course in the past 5 years or
4. Obtained an advanced nursing degree in the past 5 years (i.e. LPN to RN, RN to BSN, masters, or doctorate).

4. Passed NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN or State Board Test Pool Examination (SBTPE) **

** If you have passed the SBTPE in Canada between certain dates, you will have met the testing requirement.

* Applicants educated in Puerto Rico

• Applicants who have graduated before 9/15/06 AND their nursing program has a program code assigned by the National Council State Board of Nurses, are eligible to apply for licensure by exam and endorsement. They are NOT required to complete validation of education or language requirement.
• Applicants who have graduated after 9/15/06 are required to request a report from CGFNS/IERF/or ERES (validating their educational requirements) be sent directly to AZBN as well as Validation of English Language requirement. 

​Additional Information​

• Nurses educated in a foreign country and have not passed NCLEX or SBTPE must apply for licensure by examination.
• Applicants who have passed NCLEX but were NOT issued a license need to apply for licensure by exam.  You do not need to re-test.
• Applicants who meet all the requirements except the social security number can be issued a license in AZ, if they sign and complete the affidavit at www.azbn.gov/Applications  under Other Form Downloads.
• Applicants living abroad who have met all the license requirement except proof of lawful presence can be issued a license in AZ if they sign and submit the affidavit www.azbn.gov/Applications under Other Form Downloads.