Visas for Medical Professionals

For many years, the United States was closed for most foreign-born doctors preserve. Until you have been declared unconstitutional state laws required many foreign doctors to be U.S. citizens to obtain licenses. 

From 1976 to 1991, federal immigration laws prohibited doctors born overseas to obtain temporary work ("H-1B") status in order to perform direct patient care. A doctor in H-1B status are only allowed to teach or conduct research in the U.S. by a school or public or private nonprofit research or agency. 

However, in 1991, Congress amended the law to allow foreign doctors to qualify for temporary visas to enter the U.S. in order to qualify for medical residencies and fellowships, and to perform patient care. 

H1B Visa for foreign doctors: 

This guide deals with H-1B visas for foreign doctors and physicians who want to work in the USA. 

Before the Immigration Act of 1990, the only way for doctors to come to the U.S. to participate in postgraduate medical training was to enter J-1 status. But the 1990 Act reduced this requirement and for many years doctors have been able to use the H-1B visa to join residency programs and fellowships. 

Physicians seeking employment in the U.S. should note that there are special licensing requirements, and because of this start planning before the end of medical school. Get an H-1B visa is not always easy and even get H-1B status is not without problems. With the right preparation, however, and the help of workpermit.com, a foreign physician must be able to obtain work authorization in the U.S., especially in underserved areas or health care professional shortage areas health. 

H-1B Visas and research: 

If you are a foreign medical graduate who arrives in the U.S. to teach or conduct research, and only a small amount of patient care is involved, you will have to demonstrate that it has received a medical education and is authorized in its home country. Must also demonstrate that it has received a license for the state in which it will work if you take out patient care. 

H-1B Visas and clinical practice: 

You can also use an H-1B visa if you want to participate in a clinical practice or participate in graduate medical education. You generally must meet certain requirements such as: 

You must have a license or other authorization required by the state in which you will practice; 

You must have an unrestricted license to practice medicine in your country or have graduated from a foreign medical school or U.S.; and 

You must pass the relevant examinations. 

Licenses: 

As mentioned above, you must be a registered user. All states require that physicians licensed to practice medicine, including doctors working in residency programs or fellowships. Some states do not allow doctors to sit for USMLE Step 3 prior to engaging in postgraduate medical education in such states and the J-1 is the main option. 

The requirements for H-1B visa Act 1990 also require a doctor to prove that he or she possesses a state license "or permission" to carry out patient care, as well as a full and unrestricted license to practice in a country or an external proof of graduation from a foreign medical school. 

Note that some states do not issue a license without proof of the issuance of a visa. The Catch-22 can avoid receiving a letter from the state licensing board documentation that the only thing standing in the way of the issuance of a license is the same visa. Usually, this letter will satisfy USCIS. 

Exams: 

As noted above, the physician must have passed one of the required medical examinations: 

Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX) Parts I and II, or an "equivalent examination as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services"; 

National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) Parts I, II and III; 

o Medical Licensing Examination United States (USMLE) Steps 1, 2 and 3 

For many years, has been the sole USMLE examination. The adoption of the above tests is still recognized, but the "mix and match" of the examinations for the purposes of H-1B is not allowed. Note that the Canada Graduate Medical Certificate is not equivalent to the FLEX or USMLE for H-1B purposes. 

Doctors to document their proficiency in English and pass Test of English as a Foreign Language will suffice for this purpose is also required. 

Exceptions: 

Doctors who have graduated from medical schools in the United States only have to prove that they graduated from a U.S. medical school and possess the appropriate state license. Moreover, most of the above requirements above apply to physicians who are recognized national or international reputation in their area of ​​expertise and who have graduated from a foreign medical school. 

J-1 visas for doctors: 

Physicians who wish to enter the U.S. in J-1 status to participate in postgraduate medical training are subject to stringent requirements. They must have passed the medical examination of Foreign Graduates in Medical Sciences, must have good English, are automatically subject to the foreign residence requirement of two years (to be scheduled later), and are subject to time limits on the duration your program. 

Doctors who come to the United States on exchange visitor programs for the purpose of observation, consultation, teaching or research in the involved little or no patient care are not subject to the above requirements. 

workpermit.com suggests also see our information about the H-1B visa for foreign doctors.