To be admissible to the U.S. as a permanent resident, the foreign-trained nurse needs a certificate of competency. To obtain the certificate of competency, the nurse must pass both the Commission of Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) Qualifying Exam and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)& (TSE) exam or International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The CGFNS exam is given three times a year at more than 40 exam centers throughout the world. Alternatively, the nurse must have a full and unrestricted license to practice professional nursing in the state of intended employment, which entails the nurse passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) examination and attaining licensure as a registered nurse. Although some States doesn't require CGFNS but NCLEX (such as California) the majority of states, however, require foreign-trained nurses to first take the CGFNS Qualifying Exam. You will be taking the NCLEX exam upon your arrival to the U.S.. This exam is a similar exam to CGFNS.