Glossary
US RN licensure is full of acronyms. Search any term you run into — CES, ATT, VisaScreen, NLC, and more.
- Apostille
- An international certification (under the Hague Convention) that authenticates a public document — e.g. a transcript or birth certificate — so it's accepted abroad. Some boards or evaluators require apostilled documents from your home country.
- Authorization to TestATT
- The notice from Pearson VUE that you're cleared to schedule and sit the NCLEX. It's only issued after the Board of Nursing finds you eligible and you register with Pearson VUE. ATTs have an expiry window.
- Board of NursingBON
- The state agency that licenses nurses and sets the rules for that state. Each state has its own BON, which is why requirements differ by state.
- Credentials Evaluation ServiceCES
- A report (most commonly the CGFNS/TruMerit CES Professional Report) that evaluates your foreign nursing education against US standards. Most states require it for internationally educated nurses.
- CES vs. CGFNS Certification →The 12-week CES clock →
- CGFNS International / TruMeritCGFNS
- The organization (rebranded TruMerit) that issues credential evaluations (CES) and the VisaScreen certificate. Note: the CES Professional Report and the separate CGFNS Certification Programme are different products.
- CES vs. CGFNS Certification →
- EB-3 visaEB-3
- An employment-based US immigrant visa (green card) category that many internationally educated nurses use. Demand exceeds the annual cap for some countries, causing multi-year backlogs (see retrogression).
- EB-3 retrogression explained →
- Endorsement
- Getting licensed in a new state based on an existing US RN license, instead of by examination. If you already hold a US license, you apply 'by endorsement.'
- Examination (by examination)
- The licensure path for nurses who have never held a US RN license: you qualify, pass the NCLEX, and get your first US license. This is the path most IENs start on.
- Fingerprinting / Live Scan
- A criminal background check that captures your fingerprints (electronically via Live Scan in the US, or on ink cards from abroad) and submits them to state and federal agencies. Often handled by a vendor like IdentoGO.
- Fingerprinting: do it early →
- Internationally Educated NurseIEN
- A nurse who completed their nursing education outside the US. NCLEX-Navi is built specifically for IENs pursuing US RN licensure.
- IELTS AcademicIELTS
- An English-proficiency exam accepted by most boards to satisfy the English requirement. Boards set minimum overall and per-section scores.
- TOEFL vs IELTS vs PTE →
- Individual Taxpayer Identification NumberITIN
- A tax-processing number for people who can't get an SSN. A few boards accept an ITIN (or a no-SSN affidavit) where others strictly require an SSN.
- Multistate license (and single-state)
- In Nurse Licensure Compact states, a multistate license lets you practice across all compact states — but it requires your primary residence to be in that state. Otherwise you receive a single-state license.
- NCLEX-RNNCLEX
- The National Council Licensure Examination — the standardized exam you must pass to become a licensed RN in the US. Administered by Pearson VUE for the NCSBN.
- NCLEX Next GenerationNGN
- The current version of the NCLEX (since April 2023) with case-study items that test clinical judgment. Same pass/fail purpose; different question styles.
- How NCLEX Next Gen works →
- National Council of State Boards of NursingNCSBN
- The body that develops the NCLEX and administers the Nurse Licensure Compact. It coordinates standards across state boards.
- Nurse Licensure CompactNLC
- An agreement among member states that lets a nurse hold one multistate license and practice in all compact states, subject to a primary-residence rule.
- Nursing Jurisprudence ExamNJE
- A state-specific exam on that state's nursing laws and rules (e.g. the Texas NJE). Required by some states in addition to the NCLEX.
- Pearson VUE
- The testing company that registers candidates for the NCLEX, issues the ATT, and runs the test centers.
- Priority date
- Your place in line for an immigrant visa — generally the date your petition was filed. Your category/country becomes 'current' when the visa bulletin's cutoff date passes your priority date.
- EB-3 retrogression explained →
- Retrogression
- When a visa category's cutoff date moves backward because demand exceeded supply — pushing your wait longer. Common for EB-3 nurses from high-demand countries.
- EB-3 retrogression explained →
- Social Security NumberSSN
- A US identification number some boards require before issuing a license. Requirements vary — some states accept an ITIN or a no-SSN affidavit.
- TOEFL iBTTOEFL
- An English-proficiency exam (internet-based) accepted by most boards. Boards set minimum overall and speaking-section scores.
- TOEFL vs IELTS vs PTE →
- VisaScreen
- A CGFNS/TruMerit certificate verifying your education, license, and English for US immigration (occupational visas). It's for the visa, not the nursing license — many applicants don't need it yet.
- VisaScreen explained →