coming to the US
The US is different than most other countries. We have no national license. We are licensed in the state(s) in which we work. So first it would be best for you to decide where you will want to live then contact the State Board of Nursing for that state. It should be easy to find any state board of nursing on the internet just by googling. I found the best thing to do is to actually phone them and try to talk to someone and have your list of questions written down so you don't forget something.

Coming to America
I work in Miami, FL and we have many international nurses from India, the Carribean and Europe. My understanding is that you must take the NCLEX exam in the US in order to get an RN license. After passing the test, you apply to the state you are planning to work in to get your license. There are many travel companies out there that will assist you with getting here, but I would suggest doing your homework. Some of these companies sugar coat things and make it sound like they are helping you out, then bill you for all their assistance, then when you actually get a job, the travel company takes whatever bonus the hospital is offering RNs AND has you sign a contract, as much as 3 years. One of my friends came from the Phillipines and if she breaks her 3 year contract, she must pay the travel company some exorbitant amount of money, like $15,000!!

NZ RN in USA
Kia ora, Hope you are still considering working in USA. I am a NZ trained RN working in New York. I was working in Aus when I decided to travel further from home. I have been here for almost 7 years and for the most part have enjoyed it. I went through a international travel agency. Things didnt always go smoothly and there were some struggles along the way but ultimatly I believe it is the best way to go. Although it is an exciting, life changing opportunity it is something that is not as easy as portrayed. I hope I am not sounding discouraging or negative, best thing I have ever done and encourage you to do it. If you are interested in knowing more about the process or my experience let me know.

Aussie RN needs help
Hi Aussiern, I'm really sorry that i am going to start off on a negative vibe. I am a UK RN and i have been in the process of going to the USA for almost 2 years. I passed my NCLEX exam in December '06 and have had a job waiting for me since June '07. Currently there is problem with visa's called retrogression, which means that the US immigration services have issued so many over the years that are either not in use or have never been used that they are trying to reclaim them back. This process has been going on for the last 2 years that i know of. The current proirity date is for applications which were made on or before March '06. My own job start date is july '08 and i will be extremely lucky if i am in the states for then.
On the up side i would highly recommend using an agency to facilitate you going to the states as they will be able to guide you through the NCLEX (which by the way you have to pass in order to be registered with a state nursing board, to then receive the work visa) then through the immigration process, which in itself is totally bonkers. The forms you have to sign and the information you need to supply is ridiculous (also the money you spend) you do however end up with a green card.
Don't be fooled when the agencies state that they pay for the expenses. Yes they do pay for some but not all, i've easily spent over $1500, and i've signed a contract stating that if i do not fulfil the required contract i will have to pay the company $25,000, however the contract is only for 18 months. I feel that this will be worth it in the long run.
If you can put up with the frustration then go for it. Hope i see you there (eventually). :wink:

I think agencies who recruit internationally rip off nurses really badly.

Cross Country is currently suing me for breach of contract. Whilst during their presentation, they said that the pay rates ranged from $24-45/hr, with ICU nurses (which I am) getting around $40. When I got close to moving to the States, they avoided telling me how much I would be paid, saying that it varies from state to state.

I worked in a community hospital for $27/hr, no differentials (ie. allowances/penalties) and housing was only for 3 months, after which time I had to pay for my own accomodations. I thought the accomodations was a bonus, not the norm, so it was quite a shock to learn that I was missing out on $1600/mth in housing. On top of that, another traveler from AMN was being paid $4 more per hour, with a $2 differential for night shift, plus housing.

If you can make your own way to the States, do so. You could get the paperwork from CGFNS off the internet at cgfns.org. Then do the NCLEX exam through studying from the Kaplan's Prep-in-a-box, and you could sit the exam through contacting vue.com.

I wish you all the very best, I love it here - the people are wonderful, and I am so glad that I took this step regardless of what I had to go through.