FasihoEnglish tests for US nurses: VisaScreen and licensing are different
A practical checklist for the May 2026 VisaScreen update, your profession, and your state board’s separate rules.
Applies to: United States · VisaScreen and state-board checks
Identify each organization in your pathway
Your employer, state nursing board, education evaluator, and immigration credentialing service may ask for different evidence. Create a separate checklist for each one. A test that meets one organization’s rules does not automatically satisfy another’s.
TruMerit, formerly CGFNS, publishes the VisaScreen English requirements. Its accepted options include TOEFL iBT, Academic IELTS, and OET, alongside other tests. Minimums depend on profession, and at-home exams are not accepted for this service. Check the current VisaScreen table.
The May 12, 2026 change matters
TruMerit states that exams taken before May 12, 2026 use the previous criteria, while exams taken on or after that date use the updated criteria. An older blog’s nursing score table may therefore be the wrong target for your test date. Read the official update and then find your profession in the current score table.
Current VisaScreen RN targets
For registered nurses in the May 12, 2026 table, the checked source lists:
| Test | Requirements shown for RNs |
|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT | Overall 4.5; Speaking 4.5; Reading, Listening, and Writing 3.5 each. |
| IELTS Academic | Overall 6.5; Speaking 7. The table does not list separate Reading, Listening, or Writing minimums. |
| OET | Listening 320; Reading 340; Writing 350; Speaking 360. |
These are VisaScreen RN targets, not UK NMC or state-board rules. Other professions and earlier test dates can have different criteria. Confirm the current official table and delivery conditions.
Make a booking checklist
- Write your profession exactly as the application lists it: RN, LPN/LVN, or a particular allied-health role.
- Record the accepted exam, every required section score, and the permitted delivery mode from the official table.
- Check your state board’s own application instructions separately.
- Confirm report delivery, validity, and any exemption directly with the organization assessing your evidence.
- Save the source link and the date you checked it.
Prepare for the communication task
After confirming eligibility, select one exam for focused practice. Keep a weekly note of which skill is causing the biggest gap. For Speaking, record an answer and check whether a listener could understand your main point without guessing. For Writing, compare the response with the actual task instructions before editing vocabulary.
Use short drills to correct one problem, then return to a timed section to test whether that improvement transfers. A polished practice response is useful evidence for your study plan; it is not a licensing or immigration decision.
Questions & answers
Can I use the UK NMC score table for VisaScreen?
No. The organizations assess different pathways. Use the current VisaScreen table for your profession and test date.
Does passing an English test grant a US nursing license?
No. English evidence is only one part of the relevant process. Your state board determines licensing requirements.
Do these RN targets apply to every healthcare profession?
No. The example is the current VisaScreen registered-nurse row. Check the official row for your profession, your test date, and any separate state-board policy.
Official sources
Checked October 8, 2026. The receiving organization’s current policy controls acceptance. Fasiho practice feedback is not an official exam score or an eligibility decision.
Put your target into practice
Choose the exam your application accepts, then work on one skill at a time.