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International nursing education · California RN research

A U.S. RN license does not replace California’s education review.

If you completed nursing school outside the United States, check two things separately: which California application instructions fit your license and exam history, and how your school records reach the Board of Registered Nursing (BRN).

The location of your nursing program matters for document delivery. Your nationality alone does not answer that question. This guide covers RN document research for California, not LPN/VN or APRN applications, immigration or permission to start work.

First identify which instructions to read

Route to investigate · Endorsement

Current license, accepted exam, education review

BRN’s endorsement page requires a current, active RN license in another U.S. state, U.S. territory or Canada, an accepted examination, and an educational program meeting California’s requirements. It names the NCLEX-RN and SBTPE; the Canadian Comprehensive Examination is not accepted.

Holding another state’s license is one part of the check. The international education documents still appear in the endorsement instructions.

Read BRN endorsement qualifications →

Alternative to investigate · Examination

Do not assume overseas licensure qualifies for endorsement

BRN directs applicants who do not meet its endorsement qualifications to the examination instructions. Those instructions also require an educational program meeting California’s requirements and identify additional documents for international applicants.

Check your exact exam and license history against the Board’s full instructions. Reading a route description is not an eligibility decision or an authorization to practice.

Read BRN examination instructions →

Then match each record to its sender

Use this document map to organize questions before you request records. It is not the complete application checklist: BRN also lists fingerprinting and other requirements in the full route instructions.

Record 1 · Your nursing school

Official nursing transcripts

Arrange for your school to send the official transcripts. Both BRN route pages say transcripts from international nursing programs must be sent to the Board by mail. Do not substitute the electronic delivery instructions for U.S. nursing programs.

Check the BRN instructions for this record →

Record 2 · Your nursing school

Educational program breakdown

Send the school the Request for Transcript and Breakdown of Educational Program for International Nursing Programs forms identified in the BRN instructions. A license verification does not replace this education record.

Check the BRN instructions for this record →

Record 3 · Your certified translator

Certified English translation, when needed

If your transcript is not in English, BRN directs you to give the Certified English Translation form to your certified translator. The translation and the official school transcript are separate items to organize.

Check the BRN instructions for this record →

Record 4 · The relevant nursing board

License verification for endorsement

Use the verification method in the endorsement instructions. International graduates must also submit verification from the board where the examination was taken. BRN warns that Nursys verifications expire after 90 days and should not be requested before submitting the endorsement application.

Check the BRN instructions for this record →

Hypothetical example · No personal eligibility finding

An RN with a Texas license and a nursing degree earned abroad

Suppose an applicant holds an active Texas RN license, passed the NCLEX-RN and completed nursing school outside the United States. The license and exam history point them toward reading the endorsement qualifications. They must still investigate California’s education review and the international-program document instructions; the Texas license does not settle those questions.

  1. 1. Confirm the route

    Read the complete endorsement qualifications and check any uncertainty with BRN.

  2. 2. Coordinate records

    Separate the school’s records, any required certified translation and the relevant board’s license verification.

  3. 3. Check the whole file

    Use the full official checklist and its timing instructions. This guide does not determine readiness to apply or begin work.

Official sources and what this guide does not establish

California Board of Registered Nursing application instructions, consulted November 1, 2026. This is a consultation date, not a new effective date. The facts describe California’s application process, not nursing workforce statistics or worldwide recognition of qualifications.

California requirements do not establish eligibility in another state or country. BRN controls individual education and license review. No processing-time, approval, employment or immigration outcome is promised here. Recheck the source instructions before requesting records or submitting an application.

Return to the California nursing route →