RN License Transfer to Illinois

Learn how to transfer an RN nursing license to Illinois (IL)

Written by Nurses Link on January 17th, 2013

The Illinois Nurse Practice Act that aims at promoting health, protecting life and preventing communicable diseases and illnesses requires all persons working as registered nurses to provide evidence that they are qualified and licensed to practice. It is therefore necessary for registered nurses who have been licensed by other states to apply for a licensure by endorsement to continue rendering their health services in the state. All licensing programs for the state are ran by the Illinois Division of Professional Regulation through its Illinois State Board of Nursing. Licensure by endorsement prevents qualified RNs from retaking their licensure exams to continue working in Illinois. There is a laid down procedure that all candidates seeking licensure by endorsement must follow.

Application

The application forms for endorsement are available from the Illinois Division of Professional Regulation. The Division also allows candidates to apply for a temporary endorsement permit, which expires after six months. This will allow the RN to continue working as they wait for the endorsement license to be processed. The forms for applying for this temporary endorsement are available from the Division and must be filled and returned with the necessary fee charged. The candidate must also submit photocopies of their current nursing license or any other temporary permits. They should also have their fingerprints verified by the Illinois Department of State Police or the Division. After submitting the necessary documents and paying the required fee, the temporary endorsement is issued within 14 days by the Division. Candidates applying for the endorsement license must also fill their application and have their fingerprints verified by the Illinois State Police or by a vendor recommended by the Division. The form must be accompanied by the necessary processing fee charged either paid through a money order or check addressed to the Division. Only finger prints taken within 60 days before the application are considered valid.

Verification

All candidates must submit proof that they graduated from an accredited institution and acquired the RN licensure after passing the exam. The Division will ask for direct verification of the license from the issuant. This is usually done by asking the candidate whose licensing state is a member of NURSYS to visit www.nursys.com and request for verification. Students licensed in states that are not members of NURSYS must verify their license using the CT-NUR form which is available from the Verification of Licensing Agency/Board.

Foreign students

All registered nurses who went to learning institutions out of U.S. are expected to get a credential evaluation report from Educational Records Evaluation Service or Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools. The credential report helps the division to know that the student is licensed in their country and the educational training they received has prepared them adequately to handle nursing duties. Applicants whose first language is not English are expected to take and pass TOEFL or IELTS. To prove their competency in the English language, the applicant taking TOEFL must get a minimum score of 83 for the internet test, 560 for the paper based one and 220 for the computer based test. A student is expected to get a minimum overall score of 6.5 and 7.0 for the spoken band in IELTS. If the board finds any deficiencies in the clinical practice or nursing theory, the applicant must take the required courses before getting the endorsement license.

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