The U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service is backing off a problematic policy for many nurses seeking immigrant visas to enter the U.S., immigration attorneys say. While some states require possession of a valid Social Security number before they will issue a nursing license, the Social Security Administration will not issue a Social Security number to an immigrant without a visa, explain attorneys Carl Shusterman of Los Angeles and Greg Siskind of Memphis, TN. Yet, the INS has required the nurse to hold a state license or have passed the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) exam before it will issue a visa. In a recent memorandum to INS field offices, the agency indicated it will now also accept for approval of a visa a certified copy of a letter from the state of intended employment confirming the nurse has passed the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), which prevents some nurses who do not yet hold a license from having to take the CGFNS exam.