The pathway
How do you become a nurse in the US with a Russian, Ukrainian or other foreign nursing degree? In New York, NYSED, the State Education Department, sets the licensing requirements, and exam preparation is a separate task the program walks with you. This page shows the five steps in order, who is responsible for each and the official source.
The New York RN licensure pathway and NCLEX-RN preparation are connected but different tasks. NYSED sets the licensing requirements, including the education review and the application, and internationally educated applicants follow the instructions for their category of education and documents. The official NCLEX test plan describes the exam structure. Enrolling in a course does not replace exam registration or authorization to test, and passing the exam is only one part of licensure: confirm the remaining requirements through official channels first.
Graduates of nursing schools outside the United States apply under NYSED Pathway 5. NYSED accepts the education review either as a TruMerit Credentials Verification Service report for New York (TruMerit is the organization formerly known as CGFNS) or directly from your school on Form 2F with a translation. Which route fits depends on your school and documents. Responsible: NYSED and the organizations it names. Result: confirmation that your education meets the state standard. This page is an orientation, not a decision about your eligibility.
NYSED Pathway 5: official source ↗You file the application for a Registered Professional Nurse license (Form 1) with the fee set by NYSED and complete the NYSED-approved coursework on infection control and on identifying child abuse. Responsible: NYSED. Result: an application under review. Internationally educated applicants follow the instructions for their category of education and documents. When something is unclear, ask NYSED rather than assuming a foreign license transfers.
NYSED: official source ↗You register for the NCLEX-RN with Pearson VUE, the test administrator, and wait for the Authorization to Test (ATT), which is issued after NYSED reviews your application. NCSBN, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, owns the exam. Pearson VUE delivers it. NYSED decides eligibility. Result: you can schedule an exam date. Enrolling in a course does not replace registration or the ATT.
NCLEX registration: official source ↗You prepare against the official NCLEX-RN test plan and sit the exam at a test center. This is where the prep course and the free NCLEX-RN webinar fit: questions in English, explanations in Russian, a study routine agreed with your instructor. Results reach you through NYSED, usually within six weeks. A candidate who does not pass receives a Candidate Performance Report and may retest after 45 days, up to eight times a year, unless the state sets stricter limits. Result: a passed exam, one part of licensure.
NCLEX test plan: official source ↗Complete the other requirements NYSED sets for your category, including being at least 18 and the good-moral-character questions, and track your application through official channels. While the application is pending, NYSED can issue a limited permit (Form 5) that allows supervised practice for a limited time. The official requirements page describes who qualifies. Responsible: NYSED. Result: a New York RN license. Processing time is set by the department, not by the program.
NYSED: official source ↗Nursing licensure in the United States is decided state by state: education, document and fee requirements differ. This page describes New York only. If you plan to work in another state, start with its board of nursing.
Before you book the exam, check that you have: the education review for Pathway 5 (a TruMerit report or Form 2F from your school), the NYSED application (Form 1) with the fee, certificates for the infection control and child abuse identification courses, the Pearson VUE registration and, after NYSED review, the Authorization to Test. Documents that are not in English need an English translation under the rules NYSED and the evaluation service publish. The same list applies to international nurses educated outside the United States. Application assistance: the credentialing part of the program helps with the education review and the New York State application. Check every item on the official NYSED page for your category.
| 1. Education review | NYSED |
|---|---|
| 2. Application (Form 1) and mandatory coursework | NYSED |
| 3. Exam registration and Authorization to Test | Pearson VUE / NCSBN · NYSED |
| 4. NCLEX-RN preparation and exam | You. The prep program helps here |
| 5. Remaining state requirements | NYSED |
| Verified against official pages | NYSED and NCSBN, 14 September 2026 |
NYSED, the New York State Education Department, sets the licensing requirements, including the education review and the application process. This page is an orientation. It is not a decision about your eligibility.
No. Passing the exam is one part of the process. Confirm that every other requirement that applies to you is met and track your application through official channels. No individual timeline is promised here.
This website does not promise a timeline. The duration depends on your education review, the completeness of your documents, NYSED processing and when you pass the NCLEX. Use official channels to check the status of your application.
Licensing is decided state by state. In New York the pathway runs through NYSED: an evaluation of your foreign nursing degree, the application, and the NCLEX-RN. Which documents and verification steps apply to your degree is stated on the official NYSED page linked on this site.
Application and examination fees are set by NYSED and the NCLEX administrator, not by this program, and this website does not quote them. Check the current amounts on the official NYSED and NCLEX pages. The preparation course is a separate cost confirmed at a consultation.
Not always. Under NYSED Pathway 5 a graduate of a foreign nursing school can submit the education review either as a TruMerit Credentials Verification Service report for New York (TruMerit is the former CGFNS) or directly from the school on Form 2F with a translation. Which route fits depends on your school and documents. NYSED decides.
Official results come from NYSED, usually within six weeks of the exam, according to NCSBN. In states that take part in the Quick Results service, Pearson VUE shows an unofficial result for a fee two business days after the exam, and whether New York participates is confirmed on nclex.com. A candidate who did not pass receives a Candidate Performance Report and may retest after 45 days, up to eight times a year, unless the state sets stricter limits.
Only with a limited permit. NYSED can issue a limited permit (Form 5) to an applicant whose license application is pending. It allows supervised practice for a limited time and does not replace the license. Who qualifies and for how long is set out on the NYSED requirements page.
No. A nursing license from another country does not transfer to the United States: to work as a nurse in New York you need a New York RN license, which NYSED issues after the education review, the application and the NCLEX-RN. The only earlier option is a limited permit for supervised practice while the application is pending.
NYSED lists five pathways, chosen by where you studied nursing and whether you already hold a U.S. license. Graduates of nursing schools outside the United States apply under Pathway 5. The other pathways cover graduates of New York and other U.S. programs and nurses licensed in another state. NYSED confirms your pathway when it reviews the documents.
TruMerit is the new name of CGFNS, the organization that verifies foreign nursing credentials for U.S. boards, and the service itself did not change. For New York the relevant product is the TruMerit Credentials Verification Service for New York State, one of the two ways NYSED accepts an education review under Pathway 5. The other way is Form 2F sent directly by your school.
The ATT is the permission to schedule the NCLEX. It is issued after NYSED confirms your eligibility and you have registered with Pearson VUE. The validity dates are printed on the ATT itself and are set by the board, so test within them: an expired ATT means registering with Pearson VUE again.
Register on nclex.com, the NCSBN and Pearson VUE site, choose New York as your board, pay the exam fee and wait for the ATT. Once the ATT arrives, schedule a date and test center in your Pearson VUE account. Registration can be done while the NYSED application is still under review, and the ATT only comes after NYSED confirms eligibility.
Three groups. The education verification, either a TruMerit report for New York or Form 2F from your school with certified translations. The license application itself, Form 1, with the fee. Certificates of the NYSED-approved coursework on infection control and child abuse identification. The exact list for your case is on the NYSED requirements page, and the program helps you assemble it in the right order.
Three short steps: your education, your preparation stage and how to reach you. We review the answers and suggest the next step: the free webinar or a conversation with the instructor.