Moving to Florida to Become a CNA
Are you moving from another state, or perhaps another country, and are interested in working as a Certified Nursing Assistant once you are in Florida? You are making a great choice, as the demand for CNAs in Florida continues to grow every year and job prospects are stronger than they have ever been. In this article, we will educate you about the process of becoming licensed as a new resident, so that you can plan in advance and get a good idea of how long it will take before you can take a job as a licensed CNA.
Can I take this course before I move to Florida?
Yes! Now, it is important for you to ensure that you will be eligible for the CNA state exam prior to registering for our course so that you can actually get value out of the course. We detail the requirements in our article about CNA Exam and Job Information, but provided you meet the requirements, then the other thing you need to be aware of is the timing between taking the course, registering for the exam, and actually taking the exam, which must be done in person in Florida.
If you have any doubt about being able to meet the requirements for the exam, then we recommend against taking our course and instead looking at options for CNA classes in your state.
Can I take this course if I am living outside the United States?
Technically, anybody can register for our course wherever they are in the world; HOWEVER, we strongly recommend that you check whether you will be able to take the Florida CNA state exam before registering so that you can ensure your time and money is not wasted. In order to register for the Florida CNA state exam, you need to have the following:
- A valid Social Security Number - This is very important and typically what prevents foreign nationals from being able to register for the exam and complete the process. In order to obtain a Social Security Number, you need to be a legal resident of the United States under a valid work visa. The only other people who can get a Social Security Number are US citizens, so if you are a US citizen abroad with a Social Security Number, then yes, you would satisfy this requirement.
- Need to be over 18 years old - This is self explanatory, but make sure you are over 18 at the time you register for the exam.
- Need to pass a Florida Background Check - This will have to wait until you are in Florida. You shouldn’t have any problems passing a background check, unless you have had some run-ins with the law during your time in the United States.
- Need to have a Florida address - If you have never lived in the United States, then you won’t be able to register for the exam if you don’t have an address in Florida yet. If you have relatives in Florida, then you can use their address as long as it’s an address that you have access to and can consider as a residence.
Can I register for the state exam prior to moving to Florida?
Provided that you meet all the requirements for being able to take the state exam, then yes, you could register for the exam prior to moving, but you need to use your Florida address. Importantly, you also need to have your Florida background check completed, which means that if you don’t already have one you will need to travel to Florida to complete it. You also need to be reasonably certain that you will be able to travel to Florida for your exam date.
Timeline of CNA online course/state exam
- Sign up for our online course
- Complete the course (1-3 weeks depending on how much time you dedicate)
- Complete background check in Florida (unless you already have one on file)
- Register for CNA state exam with Prometric
- Wait for test date from Prometric (around two months)
- Take state exam in person in Florida
- Receive CNA license (a couple of days after passing state exam)