CGFNS Is Now TruMerit: What Nigerian Nurses Need to Know in 2026

Updated October 2026.

If you’ve researched working as a nurse in the United States, you’ve probably come across CGFNS, the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools. In February 2025, CGFNS International changed its name to TruMerit. The services are the same, but forms, websites and employers now use the new name, so don’t be confused if you see either.

What TruMerit does

TruMerit is a non-profit that checks whether nurses trained abroad meet the standards of the country they want to work in. It collects your documents directly from your nursing school and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN), verifies them and sends a report to the regulator or immigration authority.

Which TruMerit service do you need?

Service	Used for
Credentials Evaluation Service (CES) Professional Report	Comparing your education and licence with US standards. Many US state boards ask for it before you can sit the NCLEX.
VisaScreen	Required for most foreign-trained nurses applying for a US work visa or green card. It checks your education, licence, English test and NCLEX.
TruMerit Certification Program	A certificate that includes a qualifying exam. Some US states and employers accept or prefer it.
CVS-NCNZ	Credentials verification that nurses must complete first before applying to the Nursing Council of New Zealand.

For Canada, you usually go through the National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS) instead, which works in partnership with TruMerit.

Each US state board sets its own rules, so check which report your chosen state asks for before you pay. Some accept a different evaluation agency altogether.

How the process works

1. Create an account on the official TruMerit website and choose the right service for your destination.
2. Pay the fee. Current fees are listed on TruMerit’s fee schedule page.
3. Request your documents. Your school sends your transcript, and the NMCN sends verification of your licence, directly to TruMerit. Documents you send yourself are not accepted.
4. Add your English test results where the service requires them.
5. Receive your report, which TruMerit sends to the board or authority you named.

Avoiding delays: the Nigerian side

For most Nigerian applicants, the slowest step isn’t TruMerit. It’s getting documents sent from Nigeria.

• NMCN verification: since 2024, the NMCN has set stricter conditions for verifying certificates to foreign boards, including post-qualification experience and letters of good standing. Read our NMCN guide for details.
• Your school: contact the registry early. Ask them to send transcripts and course details directly, and keep proof that they did.
• Names: make sure your name is spelt the same on your passport, certificates, licence and TruMerit account. Mismatches cause long delays.

Beware of scams. Use only the official TruMerit website. No agent can speed up or guarantee your report.

Read also: NCLEX 2026 guide · Easiest countries for Nigerian nurses in 2026

Sources: CGFNS / TruMerit; TruMerit services; Nurses Beyond Borders: CGFNS vs TruMerit.