The Credentials Verification Service for the Nursing Council of New Zealand (CVS-NCNZ) provides an easy, direct and secure way for internationally qualified nurses (IQNs) to have their credentials authenticated and verified. Completing the CVS-NCNZ a requirement before you may apply for registration as a nurse with the Nursing Council of New Zealand (NCNZ).

For the CVS-NCNZ, CGFNS:

• receives, reviews and retains all documents IQNs must provide for the NCNZ, including:
  • identity documents
  • educational transcripts and academic verification forms
  • license/registration verification
  • employment verification, and
  • English language test results.
• ensures the IQNs’ documents are authentic
• ensures the IQNs’ documents are all sent to NCNZ along with CGFNS’ verification report.

For additional questions about the NCNZ application and nursing standards in New Zealand, visit the NCNZ website.

Nurses educated outside of New Zealand, except for those registered in Australia, who wish to apply for registration with the Nursing Council of New Zealand (NCNZ) must create a fee account with CGFNS, purchase the CVS-NCNZ and complete the application process before they may apply to the NCNZ.

If you still have an open application with NCNZ from before October 14, 2019, you do not need to apply to CVS-NCNZ.

To complete a CVS-NCNZ application, follow these steps:

1. Create a CGFNS account here.
2. Complete your CGFNS Profile in the Applicant Portal.
3. Apply to the CVS-NCNZ.
   • • Check your likely eligibility against the New Zealand standards found here.
     • Place an order for the CVS-NCNZ.
     • Pay the fee of $300 USD to CGFNS.
   • Follow the instructions regarding which documents must be submitted to CGFNS for verification.
   • Once CGFNS has received and authenticated all required documents, CGFNS will provide you with online access to an applicant copy of your Credentials Verification Service report. You will have 30 days to review the report and approve it to be sent by CGFNS to the NCNZ.
   • You will then have a further 30 days to apply to the NCNZ after your report is received by them.

CGFNS’ CVS-NCNZ fee is $380 USD. This fee is separate from the NCNZ’s registration application fee of $485NZ.

To apply for the CVS-NCNZ, you will need to supply various identity documents as well as documents concerning your education, employment history, license/registration, and English-language proficiency. Specific document requirements can be found here.

Once CGFNS receives all your documents, it will take approximately 30 days for CGFNS to verify your credentials and generate a report. You will then have 30 days to review the report and authorize CGFNS to send it to the NCNZ. Once that happens, you will then have a further 30 days to apply to the NCNZ for registration.

Once you purchase an order for the CVS-NCNZ, you have 12 months to ensure all your documents are sent to CGFNS or the order will expire. You can re-activate an Initial CVS Order within 12 months of the expiry date by purchasing a Re-activation order. This may only be done once per initial CVS Order.

To check the status of your order:

• Sign into the CGFNS Applicant Portal.
• Navigate to the Application Status Tracker option of the top menu bar.
• Locate your {CVS-NCNZ} order and take note that your status indicates {Waiting for Documents}.
• Select the View Order Requirements link associated with your order.
• View the outstanding requirements for your order, and where there is a link to a document request form, download the required form and send to the appropriate primary source institution.

No. Once CGFNS has issued your report, you must decide whether to authorize CGFNS to release it to the NCNZ. NCNZ will not accept documents that are part of the verification process sent directly from the applicant.

Once CGFNS completes your CVS-NCNZ report, you will receive an email notification. You will then need to log in into the CGFNS Applicant Portal. Once signed in:

• Navigate to the Application Status Tracker option on the top menu bar.
• Locate your {Credentials Verification Service: Nursing Council of New Zealand} order and see whether your status indicates {Report Pending Approval by Applicant}.
• Select the View Order Requirements link associated with your order.
• Locate the link to your CVS-NCNZ report and download your applicant copy.
• Review your report.
• Indicate in the status tracker section of your order that you are approving your report to be sent to NCNZ. If you do not accept the report, indicate the reason why.

You have 30 days to review your report and respond once it becomes available or your order will expire.

CGFNS verifies and authenticates your required documents and issues upon your authorization a report to the NCNZ. NCNZ then assesses your application, including the report from CGFNS, and decides on your nursing registration.

Only nurses registered in Australia may apply directly to NCNZ.

All IQNs educated outside of New Zealand must first complete the CVS-NCNZ. This process results in a report which CGFNS must be authorized to send to NCNZ before you apply to NCNZ for registration.

No. CGFNS does not require CVS-NCNZ applicants to take the Qualifying Exam.

No.

No. For more information about applying for registration in New Zealand under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act 1997 on the NCNZ website.

NCNZ standards state that nurses applying for registration must have at least 1,800 hours of nursing experience. If you do not have at least 1,800 hours of experience as a registered or enrolled nurse at the time of application to CGFNS, you may still apply to CGFNS’ CVS-NCNZ, but your report will not be issued to NCNZ until you have a minimum of 1,800 hours of employment. Please note you have 12 months from application date to meet the requirement before your application will expire.

If you have no nursing experience, you are not eligible to apply for the CVS-NCNZ.

Yes. CGFNS requires that all documents we receive must be in English or accompanied by an English translation. If your schools or primary sources cannot do this, you may ask CGFNS to have your documents translated for a fee of $85 USD per page. CGFNS does not accept documents that have been translated by the applicant.

Yes. The CVS-NCNZ application is specific to NCNZ requirements and in accordance with nursing standards in New Zealand. If you have a recent prior order with CGFNS, there are instances when your saved documents can be used for the CVS-NCNZ. These will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

English Language Evidence Pathway

You may be eligible to apply for one or more of the following alternate English Language Evidence Pathways if:

• Your education that led to registration as a nurse was taught and examined in English in the United Kingdom, Singapore, Ireland, Canada, or the United States of America.
  The Council may require you to provide evidence that you completed your nursing education in English, for example, a transcript from your education provider.
• You have current nursing registration in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, or the United States of America that required you to pass an English language test. The Council may require you to provide evidence of this.

No. Fees paid to CGFNS are non-refundable.

Yes. If you disagree with your report, you may submit a written appeal request to CGFNS. The fee for an appeal is $500 USD, which is refundable if the appeal is successful. If accepted, your case will be reviewed by an impartial committee, and you will receive a written notice of the decision.