CGFNS International

Name

CGFNS International

Legal name

CGFNS International, Inc.

Website

https://cgfns.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Credentials Evaluation Services: Fees charged for evaluating and comparing foreign nursing and allied health credentials against US and international standards, including CES Professional and CES Academic reports
2. VisaScreen Visa Credentials Assessment: Credential screening service required for foreign healthcare professionals seeking occupational visas to the US, approved by US Department of Homeland Security for nine categories of healthcare professionals
3. Certification Programs: Fees for certification exams and credentials including Certified Global Nurse (CGN), Global Rehabilitation certifications, ISPN program, and other specialty credentials
4. Credentials Verification Services: Primary source verification services for state boards including New York State, Nursing Council of New Zealand, and Aruba Department of Health
5. Document Management Services: Fees for GPVault document storage, eSAVED extended storage, and eDas document authentication services
6. Professional Development (TruMerit+): Career advancement resources including English language upskilling with Engen and continuing education resources

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CGFNS International (rebranding to TruMerit) evaluates, verifies, and certifies the credentials of internationally educated nurses and allied health professionals for US licensure, immigration screening, and academic admission. Core offerings include Credentials Evaluation Service (CES) reports, VisaScreen visa credentials assessment approved by the US Department of Homeland Security, the CGFNS Certification Program, ISPN, and a growing suite of global credentials (CGN, CGN-R, CGHW-R, CGHW-RA, NAPNAP Pediatric Nursing Micro-Credential). The organization also provides primary source verification services to state boards of nursing, document management via GPVault/eSAVED/eDas, and TruMerit+ professional development resources.

Product overview

CGFNS International (rebranding to TruMerit) operates a platform-plus-modules architecture providing credentials evaluation, verification, and certification services for internationally educated nurses and allied health professionals. The core platform includes the TruMerit Connect Portal for applicants, CES CONNECT for State Boards of Nursing, and Credential Transfer Portal for institutions. The credentials evaluation module comprises CES Professional, CES Academic, and CES Nursing Specialty services. Certification offerings include VisaScreen for visa credentials assessment, CGFNS Certification Program, ISPN Program, and new global credentials (CGN, CGN-R, CGHW-R, CGHW-RA, and NAPNAP Pediatric Nursing Micro-Credential). Document management is handled through GPVault, eSAVED, and eDas. The TruMerit+ sub-brand provides professional development and career advancement resources. The organization also operates the Global Health Workforce Development Institute for research and the Alliance for Ethical Recruitment Practices for ethical standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• VisaScreen: Visa credentials assessment service for foreign healthcare professionals seeking occupational visas in the United States
• CGFNS Certification Program
• ISPN (International Standards for Professional Nurses Program)
• GPVault
• Care Anywhere Podcast
• Global Health Workforce Development Institute (GHWDI)

Products and services

• Credentials Evaluation Service Professional (CES Professional) Evaluates professional credentials of internationally educated nurses and allied health professionals for licensing, registration, or employment purposes in the United States.
• Credentials Evaluation Service Academic (CES Academic) Evaluates academic credentials of internationally educated nurses and health professionals for academic admission to educational institutions.
• Credentials Evaluation Service Nursing Specialty Specialized credential evaluation service for nursing specialty certifications and training programs.
• VisaScreen: Visa Credentials Assessment Federal credential screening service required for foreign-educated healthcare professionals seeking occupational visas to the US; approved by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for nine categories of healthcare professionals.
• CGFNS Certification Program (CP) Certification program demonstrating that an internationally educated nurse's education, licensure, and credentials meet U.S. nursing standards.
• ISPN: International Standards for Professional Nurses Program International Standards for Professional Nurses Program establishing benchmark standards for nursing education, particularly in China and other international markets.
• Certified Global Nurse (CGN) Global credential for nurses enabling career portability across international borders regardless of where they choose to work.
• Certified Global Nurse – Rehabilitation (CGN-R) First global specialty credential in rehabilitation care for registered nurses. Includes exam preparation resources and certification exam.
• Certified Global Health Worker – Rehabilitation (CGHW-R) Global rehabilitation credential for health workers other than nurses.
• Certified Global Health Worker – Rehabilitation Advanced (CGHW-RA) Advanced-level global rehabilitation credential for health workers with advanced training.
• Credentials Verification Service for New York State Primary source verification service for nursing credentials specifically for New York State licensing requirements.
• Credentials Verification Service for the Nursing Council of New Zealand (CVS-NCNZ) Credentials verification service for internationally qualified nurses seeking to practice in New Zealand, operated in partnership with the Nursing Council of New Zealand.
• Credentials Verification Service for Aruba Credentials verification service for international health workers seeking entry to practice in Aruba, in partnership with Department of Health Aruba.
• GPVault Online Document Management Service Secure online repository for storing primary source transcripts, credentials, and career documentation. Supports document verification for academic admission, employment, and migration throughout a health worker's career.
• TruMerit Verifiable Digital Credentials Verifiable digital credentials issued in partnership with Credivera, enabling portable, secure digital proof of credentials that can be instantly verified by employers and regulators worldwide.
• NAPNAP Pediatric Nursing Micro-Credential Global pediatric nursing micro-credential developed in partnership with NAPNAP (National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners).

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 200% above FY2018 application levels with 24,733 VisaScreen applications in FY2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Digital Innovation LabcoreOthers · 13 June 2018Internal innovation initiative seeded with $3 million initial investment to test and deploy digital solutions including cloud computing, badging, and blockchain for migrating healthcare professionals.
• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 August 2017Exclusive strategic partnership for international credentialing. ANCC collaborates with CGFNS to verify and evaluate baccalaureate degree eligibility and licensure requirements for internationally-educated nurses seeking ANCC certification.
• CrediveracoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic partnership to issue first verifiable digital credentials for global healthcare professionals. Enables portable, secure digital proof of credentials that can be instantly verified by employers and regulators worldwide.
• National Nursing Assessment Service (NNAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive partnership with Canadian nursing regulators and NNAS to evaluate and validate credentials of internationally-educated nurses looking to practice in Canada.
• International Council of Nurses (ICN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through International Centre on Nurse Migration (ICNM) as strategic initiative. ICNM establishes effective global and national migration policy and practice. Also co-developing Global Nursing Workforce Centre (GNWC) launching 2025 as clearinghouse for nursing workforce research.
• International Centre on Nurse Migration (ICNM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership between ICN and CGFNS serving as key global mechanism for establishing effective nursing migration policy and practice. CGFNS CEO Franklin Shaffer serves as ICNM Secretariat.
• World Health Organization (WHO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipation in WHO stakeholder network to advance rehabilitation care. Engagement with WHO Global Code of Practice on International Recruitment of Health Personnel. CGFNS contributes to WHO's workforce policy initiatives.
• The DAISY FoundationflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsorship of TruMerit DAISY Award honoring outstanding international nurse recruiters. Second annual award program in 2025 recognizing ethical recruitment practices.
• Alliance for Ethical International Recruitment PracticescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCGFNS division promoting ethical recruitment practices through voluntary multi-stakeholder engagement. Certifies recruiters, empowers health professionals, and educates the healthcare and migration community.
• Global Nursing Workforce Centre (GNWC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew initiative with ICN, launching 2025, to serve as clearinghouse for research and policy analysis from around the world focusing on the global nursing workforce.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• World Education Services (WES): WES is the leading general-purpose credential evaluation service for foreign-educated professionals and is the most directly comparable organization to CGFNS/TruMerit; WES operates in adjacent professional categories (general academic and skilled-immigration evaluations) but lacks CGFNS's healthcare-specialist regulatory mandate.
• Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG): ECFMG is the structural analog to CGFNS but for foreign-trained physicians — it performs primary source verification and credential evaluation under a US Department of State mandate, and serves as the closest functional twin for medical graduates that CGFNS serves for nursing and allied health.
• Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE): ECE is a NACES-member credential evaluation service providing reports for general employment, immigration, and academic admission — a direct competitor to TruMerit's CES Professional and CES Academic offerings in the broader credentials evaluation market.
• Josef Silny & Associates: A NACES-accredited international credential evaluation service primarily serving foreign-educated applicants for US employment, immigration, and licensure — a long-standing direct competitor to CGFNS's general credentials evaluation business.
• ERES (Educational Records Evaluation Service): ERES is a NACES-member foreign credential evaluation service focused on academic and professional reports for the US market — a long-standing direct competitor in the general credentials evaluation category that CGFNS/TruMerit occupies.

Regional players

• International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS): ICAS provides credential evaluation services primarily for Canadian immigration and academic admission; it is a regional peer focused on the Canadian market where CGFNS operates through its NNAS partnership.

Broad incumbents

• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC): ANCC is the US's primary nursing certification body and a strategic partner of CGFNS since 2017; both organizations credential nursing professionals, with CGFNS focused on international evaluation and ANCC on US specialty certification.
• National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN): NCSBN is the umbrella organization for US state boards of nursing and operates the NCLEX exam; it is an incumbent in the nursing regulation ecosystem that interacts with TruMerit's downstream license-eligibility workflow.

Emerging players

• Credivera: Credivera is TruMerit's strategic digital credential partner but also a horizontal verifiable credential platform serving other issuers and employers — it represents both a partner and a potential competitive threat if it expands into healthcare credentialing.
• Credentially: Credentially is an emerging credentialing and onboarding platform for healthcare employers that automates primary source verification — overlapping with TruMerit's enterprise workflow offering to health systems and recruiters.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CGFNSInternational
• Facebookfacebook.com/CGFNSInternational
• Instagraminstagram.com/cgfnsintl

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CGFNS International