California's new memo on NCLEX expiration

As of April 26, 2010, the California Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) no longer accepts applications that do not contain a valid U.S. Social Security Number (SSN). The California Nursing Practice Act provides for a unified examination and licensing application. Once an applicant passes the examination, a license is automatically issued. Under these circumstances, the BRN cannot accept applications for the examination and licensure, without a valid U.S. Social Security Number.

Prior to April 26, 2010, once an applicant passed the NCLEX-RN examination, the applicant was allowed a three-year time period to submit a valid SSN. After that time period had elapsed, the file was considered abandoned and the file was destroyed. Additionally, an applicant was also allowed to request an extension on the file Abandonment Date. This was done as a courtesy to the applicant. As of April 26, 2010, the BRN will no longer grant an extension on the file abandonment date.

An applicant, who has passed the NCLEX-RN exam and is affected by file abandonment and file destruction, still has the following options:

· Once the valid U.S. Social Security Number is obtained, the applicant may re-apply to the BRN. The applicant will not have to retest, because even though the file is abandoned and destroyed, the NCLEX-RN test result is still valid. Applicants do need to submit a new Application Fee Schedule for Examination; a transcript and the fingerprint card. When the Board receives all the requirements (a new application; transcript from school; the fingerprint clearance and a valid U.S. SSN) we needed; the CA RN license will be issued.

· An applicant may request that the California NCLEX-RN test result (NCLEX-RN CANDIDATE REPORT with your picture) be provided to any U.S. jurisdiction; if the applicant wishes to apply to a jurisdiction that does not require the SSN for licensure (There is a $10 fee that must be included with a test result (NCLEX-RN CANDIDATE REPORT with your picture) request). The applicant must contact other U.S. jurisdictions to inquire as to each jurisdiction’s licensure requirements. For a list of U.S. jurisdictions, please visit the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) official Web site.

· To assist an applicant who is requesting a VisaScreen® certificate from the International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP), the BRN will certify the applicant’s California NCLEX-RN test results (there is a $60 fee that must be included with the certification request). Information related to the VisaScreen® certificate requirements may be found on the International Commission on Healthcare Professions official Web site