For health systems hiring physicians with immigration visas, or for internationally trained physicians seeking opportunities in the U.S., the immigration visa process can be confusing and overwhelming. What type of visa is required and how do you know if your facility qualifies for visa candidates? Is visa sponsorship within your recruiting budget?
The United States accepts thousands of visa applications annually from internationally trained physicians for two primary reasons:
- There is a significant shortage of U.S. trained physicians completing residency every year, which leads to a need for alternative sources of human capital.
- There is an influx of international physicians seeking a better quality of life and practice environment, which the U.S. provides.
In order for international medical graduates to attend an American residency program, they must first complete training in their home country. While internationally trained doctors often do have a general idea of what their training and career will look like in America, they are not always as educated on the realities and challenges of receiving visa waivers in the United States.
Though there are a variety of immigration visas available to professionals seeking work in the United States, the three main visas that concern the Physician Recruitment Industry are the following: H-1B, J-1, 0-1 (and sometimes TN-1).
- The H-1B Visa is an Employment Visa, meant for an extended work period in the U.S. and requires a person to have a master’s degree or above. A person can stay on the H-1B Visa for up to 6 years, although there are exceptions if their home country takes longer to process the paperwork.
- The J-1 Visa (Exchange Visitor Program) is a Training Visa. After a person’s training is complete, they will be subject to the two-year home-country physical presence (foreign residence) requirement. This means that they will be required to return to their home country for two years at the end of their exchange visitor program OR if they are not able to fulfill the home country presence requirement, they can apply for a waiver.
- The O-1 Visa is an Employment Visa meant for individuals with an extraordinary ability in the sciences, education, business, or athletics (not including the arts, motion pictures or television industry); Examples for physicians are individuals who have completed ground breaking research, developed transformative medical devices, have had numerous published papers in recognized professional journals, etc.
- The TN-1 Visa is an Employment Visa for Canadians (typically Dentists or other Midlevel providers).
Facilities that sponsor visas include FQHCs and Critical Access hospitals as well as academic and government institutions. Entities that do sponsor visas generally do so for a limited number of specialties. A facility in a medically underserved area may qualify to sponsor a waiver if they have a HPSA score of 7 or higher. To see if your HPSA score qualifies, click here. While internationally trained physicians are only required to be employed by their sponsoring facility for 3 years, 65-70% of doctors will remain with their initial employer long-term and obtain their green card. It’s fairly easy for physicians to apply for their green card and furthermore, their citizenship. It just takes time. A person must have had their green card for 5 years before they can apply for citizenship – by that point, a doctor will have spent at least 10 years in the U.S.
The cost of sponsoring visas is often more reasonable than expected. On average, it costs between $6,000 and $8,000 to sponsor a visa candidate, and a good immigration attorney will manage administrative requirements and any red tape involved.
In summation, including internationally trained physicians in a staffing plan can help employers hire more qualified physicians who will provide excellent care for the long term. The team of recruiting consultants at AMP has extensive experience in recruiting internationally trained physicians as well as American trained doctors. Contact inquire@adaptivemedicalpartners.com to find out how AMP can help your organization or career. For more information on visa laws, visit visalaw.com!
