The Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) is a non-profit organization based in the United States that provides credential evaluation, verification, and examination services for foreign-educated nurses and allied healthcare professionals.

In March 1972, Mildred Schmidt of the New York State Education Department began working with Ruth Pell, the dean of the Lienhard School of Nursing at Pace University, to create specialized programs to assist foreign nurses in meeting U.S. licensure requirements.

The program's development encountered initial hostility from New York City's Council of Nursing Directors.

During a 1975 HEW conference, representatives from nursing associations, state boards, healthcare organizations, and governmental bodies met to create a plan of action on how to address the licensure of foreign educated nurses wishing to practice in the US.

In 1977, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation provided funding to the ANA and NLN to establish the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS).