Compact status
Nurse Licensure Compact member
WV · Internationally educated nurses
West Virginia RN license requirements
A researched starting point for applying to West Virginia Board of Registered Nurses, including education review, English rules, identification requirements, background checks, and the NCLEX sequence.
Credential evaluation
An internationally educated RN exam applicant must submit the Board-required professional credentials evaluation establishing nursing education equivalency. Confirm the accepted provider/report in the current RN examination packet.
English requirement
English proficiency evidence is required under the Board's international-graduate requirements unless a stated exception applies; current tests/scores should be confirmed in the live application packet.
SSN requirement
A valid SSN is required for an NLC multistate license. The reviewed public licensing landing page did not establish a no-SSN single-state route.
Background check
Initial RN licensure requires state and federal fingerprint-based criminal background checks under Board instructions.
Education review
The Board determines whether foreign prelicensure education is substantially equivalent and may request additional primary-source curriculum information.
Application sequence
How to apply in West Virginia
- 1
Create/access the Board licensing portal and select RN examination.
- 2
Obtain the current international-graduate checklist before ordering evaluation/ELP services.
- 3
Submit direct-source documents and complete fingerprints; register with Pearson VUE.
- 4
Await Board eligibility and ATT.
Documents to prepare
- Professional credentials evaluation
- English evidence
- Foreign license verification when applicable
- Fingerprint results
- West Virginia residency evidence for multistate
Verify before paying
- • West Virginia regulates RNs through this Board; LPNs are regulated by a separate board.
- • Public pages do not expose every international checklist field, so confirm current report names directly.
Apply through the official board
This guide helps you compare requirements; it is not the application. Check the current instructions from West Virginia Board of Registered Nurses before ordering reports or submitting documents.
Official sources reviewed
Research checked 2026-07-22. Requirements can change.
General educational information only. The state board is the authority on licensure eligibility; immigration authorization is a separate process.