Health Care Professionals
Immigration Attorney Shusterman describes the process of obtaining working visas (H-1B) and permanent residence (green cards) for allied health care professionals including medical technologists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, physical therapists, speech language pathologists, audiologists, dietitians and nutritionists.
Our law firm represents over 100 hospitals and health care providers across the United States. We have obtained H-1B visas and permanent residence for thousands of health care professionals over the past 30 years.
Our website also contains a Physicians Immigration Guide and a Nurses Immigration Guide.
Persons in all of the above occupations are eligible for temporary professional H-1B work visas. They must be sponsored by an employer in the United States, and paid at the prevailing wage for similarly situated US workers.
They must be licensed in the state of intended employment (or be ineligible for a state license solely because they lack social security numbers).
They must possess the required university degree for the job.
In addition, they must obtain a VisaScreen certificate. This certifies that their education is equivalent to the required degree in the U.S. and that they are proficient in English. They must obtain a VisaScreen certificate even if they received their professional education in the United States.
To obtain a green card, the employer must demonstrate that it is unable to find a qualified US worker for the health care professionals job.
Health Care Professionals is divided into the following subtopics:
- Employers’ Guide
- Medical Technologists
- Occupational Therapists
- Pharmacists
- Physical Therapists
- Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists
- Dietitians and Nutritionists
- English Examinations
- Visascreen
EMPLOYERS’ GUIDE
- H-1Bs for Health Care Workers: Advanced Degree Not Required (5-27-09)
- USCIS Memo: Processing of Schedule A Petitions Under PERM (6-15-05)
MEDICAL TECHNOLOGISTS
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians
- American Medical Technologists (AMT)
- American Society For Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS)
- National Accrediting Agency For Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS)
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS
- Additional Information to Employers Whose H-1B Petitions for OTs/PTs have Been Denied – USCIS (7-17-09)
- Requirements for H-1B Beneficiaries Seeking to Practice in a Health Care Occupation – USCIS (5-20-09)
- Visa Credential Verification Certificate (VCVC) Renewal
- Letter from NBCOT Re: Minimum Degree Requirement for Occupational Therapists
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Occupational Therapists
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Occupational Therapist Assistants and Aides
- National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT)
- INS Regulations Re: Physical and Occupational Therapists (4-30-99)Speech Language Pathologists and Audiologists
- American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
PHARMACISTS
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Pharmacists
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Pharmacy Aides
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Pharmacy Technicians
- American Pharmaceutical Association
- Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC) News
- NABP Boards of Pharmacy Roster
- Includes all 50 states, DC, Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Australia (4 states), Canada (4 provinces) and New Zealand
- MPJE and NAPLEX FAQs
- North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX)
- National Association Of Boards Of Pharmacy (NABP)
- Includes Information On Taking The NAPLEX And FPGEE Examinations
- National Community Pharmacists Association
PHYSICAL THERAPISTS
- Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT)
- National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE)
- Foreign Credentialing Commission On Physical Therapy (FCCPT)
- Foreign Credentialing Commission On Physical Therapy (FCCPT) – Forms Download
- Immigration Restrictions and America’s Growing Healthcare Needs (November 2012)
- Additional Information to Employers Whose H-1B Petitions for PTs/OTs have Been Denied – USCIS (7-17-09)
- Requirements for H-1B Beneficiaries Seeking to Practice in a Health Care Occupation – USCIS (5-20-09)
- Letter from CGFNS Re: Minimum Degree Requirement for Physical Therapists (3-26-09)
- Letter from FCCPT Re: Minimum Degree Requirement for Physical Therapists (2-19-09)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Physical Therapists
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides
- American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
- Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE)
- INS Regulations Re: Physical and Occupational Therapists (4-30-99)
SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS and AUDIOLOGISTS
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Speech Language Pathologists
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Audiologists
- American Academy of Audiology (AAA)
- American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA)
- American Speech-Language Hearing Foundation (ASHF)
- State Overviews
DIETITIANS and NUTRITIONISTS
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Dietitians and Nutritionists
- Laws that Regulate Dietitians/Nutritionists
- American Dietetic Association
ENGLISH EXAMINATIONS
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
- Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC)
VISASCREEN