NCLEX Application Guide for International Nurses

You can begin the U.S. nursing licensure process while living overseas, even if you do not have a U.S. Social Security Number. The first decision is which nursing jurisdiction to apply to, because each sets its own application and licensing requirements.

New York and Illinois are not the only options for applicants without an SSN. Other states and U.S. territories also have routes that may allow applicants to proceed without one. However, permission to apply, take the NCLEX, and receive a license are separate questions, and the conditions can differ.

This guide uses New York and Illinois as two documented examples, then explains the New York application in detail. It is not a complete list of jurisdictions accepting applicants without an SSN. The New York forms and document instructions below should not be used for another jurisdiction.

Requirements and fees checked October 15, 2026.

1. Understand what you are applying for

The NCLEX-RN is the licensing examination for registered nurses. It assesses the knowledge and clinical judgment needed for safe practice. You apply to a nursing regulator for a license and register separately with Pearson to take the examination.

• The nursing regulator reviews your education and other requirements, determines exam eligibility, and issues your license when all requirements are met.
• Pearson handles examination registration, payment, and appointments.
• TruMerit, formerly CGFNS International, provides credential services that some applicants use or their chosen jurisdiction requires. It does not issue your nursing license.

Your licensing jurisdiction and testing location are separate choices. Applying to New York does not mean you must travel to New York for the exam. You can select an available authorized NCLEX test center elsewhere.

2. Applying without an SSN: state and territory options

An SSN is a U.S. Social Security Number. Not having one does not automatically prevent you from starting the NCLEX application process.

Several nursing jurisdictions provide a route for applicants without an SSN. The two examples below are not an exhaustive list or a ranking. Some jurisdictions accept a declaration or affidavit, while others may allow examination eligibility but require additional information before issuing a license.

For any jurisdiction you are considering, check these stages separately:

• Application: Can you submit the nursing license application without an SSN, and is a declaration or affidavit required?
• Examination: Can the regulator approve your eligibility and allow an Authorization to Test to be issued without an SSN?
• License issuance: Can you receive the actual nursing license after passing, or must you first provide an SSN or other required documentation?
• Renewal: What must you provide if you still do not have an SSN when renewal is due?

A list labeled “states that do not require an SSN” may not distinguish these stages. Read the regulator's current instructions before paying an application fee.

Example: New York

An SSN is not required to qualify for a New York nursing license. NYSED confirms this in its official nursing FAQ. If you already have an SSN, however, you must disclose it on your application.

You still need to meet the other licensing requirements. For a nurse educated overseas, these include verification of nursing education and applicable professional licenses, the required New York coursework or approved exemptions, and passing the NCLEX-RN.

New York offers two routes for foreign credential verification: TruMerit's Credentials Verification Service for New York State, or documents sent directly by your school and licensing authorities using the relevant NYSED forms. The steps below explain both routes.

Read New York's nursing FAQ, including the SSN requirement in question 8.

Example: Illinois

Illinois provides an affidavit procedure for applicants who cannot obtain an SSN. You must follow that procedure rather than simply leaving the field blank or entering a number of your own choosing.

International applicants must also meet Illinois requirements for credential evaluation, fingerprint background checks, and English proficiency evidence unless a waiver applies. If your nursing program was not taught in English, review the English examination requirements before planning your NCLEX application.

The official instructions explain how to request the SSN affidavit and describe an assigned number for paper applications. Use only the number specifically provided through that process.

After receiving an SSN, you must provide proof to the department within 10 days. If you still cannot obtain one by your first license renewal, the instructions describe submitting another SSN affidavit with the renewal application.

Read Illinois's instructions for internationally educated nurses.

How should you compare other jurisdictions?

Start with the place where you expect to work. If you already have a hospital offer, ask which nursing license you will need and whether you can apply directly without an SSN. Do not rule out that jurisdiction simply because it is not one of the examples in this guide.

Use the NCSBN Nurse Licensure Guidance tool to identify relevant requirements, then confirm the details with the nursing regulator. For a U.S. territory, consult that territory's board of nursing directly.

If your work location is undecided, compare credential verification, English testing, fingerprints, fees, and the conditions for issuing a license without an SSN. The absence of an SSN requirement alone does not make a jurisdiction the best choice for every applicant.

Ask the regulator: “I am an internationally educated nurse living outside the United States and do not have an SSN. Can I apply by examination, receive an ATT, and obtain a license after passing? What declaration or additional documents do I need?”

A New York license does not automatically authorize you to work in another state or territory. If your future hospital is elsewhere, you will generally need to apply for that jurisdiction's license through endorsement and meet its requirements. Your initial choice can therefore affect later paperwork and costs.

The rest of this guide follows the New York application process.

3. Prepare your New York application information

The following steps follow NYSED RN Pathway 5 for graduates of foreign nursing schools.

Before opening the application, gather:

• Your legal name, date of birth, current address, and an email account you regularly check.
• A valid passport for examination identification and any documents explaining a legal name change.
• A copy of your nursing diploma in its original language.
• Your nursing school's official name, attendance and graduation dates, and registrar contact details.
• Details of professional licenses you hold or previously held, including license numbers and issuing authorities.
• Information and supporting records needed to answer the application's background and disciplinary questions accurately.
• A payment card and a folder for application confirmations, course certificates, and document tracking.

Use consistent name details across NYSED, your credential service if used, and Pearson. If your school or license records show a different name, prepare the documents connecting those names.

4. Complete New York's required courses

Unless you qualify for an exemption, complete approved coursework in infection control and child abuse identification and reporting.

Select providers from NYSED's infection control provider list and child abuse training provider list. Check that you are enrolling in the current course accepted for initial licensure. Keep your completion records and follow the provider's and application's reporting instructions.

Do you need IELTS or TOEFL for New York? The standard New York RN pathway does not list a separate IELTS or TOEFL score as a routine requirement. New York's English proficiency regulation permits an accepted licensing examination taken in English to satisfy the requirement. This does not remove separate English requirements for another jurisdiction's license, an employer, or VisaScreen. See NYSED Part 59.3.

5. Submit Online Form 1 to NYSED

Open Online Form 1 for Registered Professional Nurse licensure and use its application link.

1. Complete your personal, education, professional license, and background information.
2. Follow the application's instructions for applicants without an SSN. If a field prevents you from continuing, contact NYSED rather than entering a number of your own choosing.
3. Include the required copy of your nursing diploma in its original language and any additional documents requested for your circumstances.
4. Pay the $143 license and initial registration fee.
5. Save your Application ID, submitted application, and payment confirmation.

Form 1 is your application. It does not replace official verification from your school or licensing authority. The Form 1 page also provides a link for uploading additional applicant documents after submission.

6. Choose how your foreign credentials will be verified

New York provides two routes. Choose deliberately before paying for a credential service or requesting document deliveries.

Option A: TruMerit's Credentials Verification Service for New York State

Create a TruMerit Connect account through the CVS for New York service page. Select that specific service, enter your education and license details, and complete the document requests and signed, notarized attestation required by your application.

Arrange for the required records to reach TruMerit through its accepted channels. After verification, TruMerit sends a report to NYSED. NYSED makes the licensing decision. Purchasing CVS does not submit Form 1 for you.

Option B: Direct verification to NYSED

New York does not require you to purchase CVS. You can arrange for your school and licensing authorities to send the required documents directly, using the forms below. NYSED notes that this route can be more difficult and time consuming.

CVS for New York, a CES Professional Report, and VisaScreen serve different purposes. Do not purchase a service simply because its name includes “credentials.”

7. If using direct verification, send the correct forms to the correct people

Form 2F: Your nursing education

Download Form 2F and its instructions. Complete Section I and send the entire form to your nursing school's registrar. Ask the school to complete Section II and send the form with your official transcript and any required supporting documents directly to NYSED.

For paper submissions, the school must use a sealed official school envelope. Documents not in English require an acceptable translation. NYSED will not accept Form 2F and the transcript if you submit them yourself.

The Form 2F page currently permits qualifying electronic submissions from institutions or designated providers in the United States, Canada, Brazil, and the Philippines under specified conditions. Do not assume that every overseas school can email a transcript. Schools elsewhere should follow the paper instructions unless NYSED confirms another accepted method.

Form 3F: Your professional licenses

If you hold or previously held a professional license outside the United States and its territories, review Form 3F. Complete and sign Section I, then send the entire form to each relevant licensing authority. That authority completes Section II and sends both pages directly to NYSED. A copy of your license card uploaded by you does not replace this verification.

The current forms list the recipient as:

New York State Education Department
Office of the Professions
Division of Professional Licensing Services, Nurse Unit
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234-1000
USA

Use the address printed on the latest form when arranging delivery.

Keep a simple record of who was asked to send each document, when it was sent, and any delivery reference. Delivery confirmation means the package arrived; it does not mean NYSED has accepted the document or completed its review.

8. Register separately with Pearson

After submitting your state application, use the official Pearson registration instructions to register for the NCLEX-RN.

1. Create or sign in to your Pearson account using an email you control.
2. Select NCLEX-RN and the nursing regulatory body you applied to. For this walkthrough, select New York.
3. Enter your name exactly as required for your examination identification.
4. Find your education program code using the official Program Codes document linked on the registration page.
5. Pay the exam registration fee and save the confirmation.

Pearson registration remains open for 365 days while awaiting eligibility. If eligibility is not granted within that period, the registration and fee are forfeited. Consider document readiness before paying far in advance. Do not create a second active registration for the same examination.

9. Receive your ATT and book the exam

You receive an Authorization to Test, or ATT, after the regulator declares you eligible and Pearson registration is complete. Paying both fees does not itself guarantee an ATT.

Read the start and expiry dates in your ATT email. You must take the exam within that period; do not assume every jurisdiction's ATT lasts the same number of days.

Use the official NCLEX testing location page to reach Pearson's test center search. After receiving your ATT, sign in to select an available center and appointment. A center's presence in the search does not guarantee your preferred date is available.

If travel is required, check entry requirements for that country and wait for appointment confirmation before committing to travel costs. An ATT does not provide permission to enter a country.

At an international test center, follow the official passport and identification requirements. Your identification must be physical, valid, and meet the name, photograph, and signature rules. Resolve name discrepancies before traveling.

If your plans change, follow the rescheduling instructions. International appointment changes require contacting Pearson Candidate Services. The notice period uses business days, so weekends and holidays matter.

10. Budget for the full application

Your budget should include the state application, examination, credential verification if used, and the cost of obtaining and delivering documents. The amounts below were checked on October 15, 2026.

New York license and initial registration: US$143.
Pay this to NYSED when submitting Online Form 1. It is separate from the examination fee.

Pearson NCLEX registration: US$200 at the time of review.
This pays for examination registration. The official NCLEX website announces an increase to US$350 for U.S. licensure beginning February 1, 2027.

International scheduling: US$150, plus applicable tax.
This additional charge applies when booking an international test center. Check the classification and charges for your selected location before paying.

TruMerit CVS for New York: US$425 standard fee, if you choose this route.
Check the price shown when ordering because promotions may apply. If you use direct verification instead, budget for charges from your school, licensing authorities, translators, and delivery services.

Other costs vary.
Allow for required courses, document issuance, translations, notarization where required, courier delivery, study materials, and travel. These are not included in the figures above.

At the fees listed above, NYSED and Pearson charges total US$493 with international scheduling. Adding CVS at its standard fee brings the subtotal to US$918, before tax and other expenses.

Check the official NCLEX fees and refund policy and TruMerit fee schedule before making payment. NCLEX registration and international scheduling fees are nonrefundable.

11. Track the application and resolve missing items

Track NYSED review, credential verification, and Pearson registration separately. If something stalls, contact the organization responsible for that step.

• School documents missing: Ask the registrar whether the complete package was sent through the accepted channel.
• License verification missing: Follow up with the issuing licensing authority.
• TruMerit report pending: Check the account for outstanding requests and resolve them with TruMerit.
• NYSED review pending: Use the official application contact form linked from the NYSED instructions. Include your Application ID and a clear description of the issue.
• No ATT: Confirm both state eligibility and Pearson registration. A payment receipt or credential report alone is not an ATT.

There is no reliable single processing time for every applicant. Missing records, translation issues, and requests for additional education information can change the timeline.

12. After the examination

Official results come from your nursing regulator. Where available, Pearson Quick Results are unofficial and do not authorize nursing practice. Check that your license and required registration have actually been issued before treating the licensing process as complete.

If you do not pass, follow your regulator's retake instructions, register and pay again with Pearson, and obtain a new ATT. NCSBN's policy requires at least 45 days between attempts, and a regulator may impose stricter conditions. See the official results and retake guidance.

Passing the NCLEX does not issue a visa, provide work authorization, or complete VisaScreen. Those are separate processes. If your future hospital is outside New York, check that jurisdiction's endorsement requirements before planning your start date.

Final application checklist

• I checked SSN requirements for application, examination eligibility, license issuance, and renewal.
• I compared the requirements of the jurisdiction where I expect to work, rather than choosing only from the examples in this guide.
• I submitted Form 1 and saved the Application ID and receipt.
• I completed the required courses or obtained the applicable exemptions.
• I chose CVS or direct verification and arranged the correct document deliveries.
• I registered with Pearson using the correct exam, regulator, program code, and identity details.
• I received my ATT and booked within its validity dates.
• I confirmed my appointment, identification, and any travel requirements.