Foreign Applicants

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Hi.
Do the schools accept foreign students, too?
If they do, which school is more likely to accept them? Do they require higher stats?
After foreign students graduate an optometry school, do they have an equal opportunity to get a job or open a private practice?
Need some advice Thank you in advance.

Originally Posted by ll248

Hi.
Do the schools accept foreign students, too?
If they do, which school is more likely to accept them? Do they require higher stats?
After foreign students graduate an optometry school, do they have an equal opportunity to get a job or open a private practice?
Need some advice Thank you in advance.

Foreign applicants pretty much have equal opportunities at all of the school, except northeastern in Oklahoma, they do not accept foreign students at all.

However, after graduation, if you wish to remain and practice in the USA you must hold an employment visa (H1b I believe). Getting this visa requires that you have an employer that is willing to deal with all of the paper work and fees they are required to pay. So no, no immediate opportunity to open a private practice, or even hold a lease as an independent contractor at a commercial place like WalMart. You'll be restricted to empoloyment in private practice, commercial in states that allow OD's to be employed by non-OD's, employment in MD offices, veterans hospitals/clinics, and maybe teaching.

Originally Posted by jefguth

Foreign applicants pretty much have equal opportunities at all of the school, except northeastern in Oklahoma, they do not accept foreign students at all.

However, after graduation, if you wish to remain and practice in the USA you must hold an employment visa (H1b I believe). Getting this visa requires that you have an employer that is willing to deal with all of the paper work and fees they are required to pay. So no, no immediate opportunity to open a private practice, or even hold a lease as an independent contractor at a commercial place like WalMart. You'll be restricted to empoloyment in private practice, commercial in states that allow OD's to be employed by non-OD's, employment in MD offices, veterans hospitals/clinics, and maybe teaching.

Thank you for your help. One more question!
Are there many international students who are attending OD schools? After I get an employment visa, am I allowed to open a private practice or should I have a greencard?

Originally Posted by ll248

Thank you for your help. One more question!
Are there many international students who are attending OD schools? After I get an employment visa, am I allowed to open a private practice or should I have a greencard?

that's two questions =X
I don't know much about the second question, but there are tons of Canadian students in the U.S. OD program. NECO itself is about 30-50% Canadian.

Originally Posted by ll248

Thank you for your help. One more question!
Are there many international students who are attending OD schools? After I get an employment visa, am I allowed to open a private practice or should I have a greencard?

Some schools have tons of Canadians, my class is 22 of 148. There aren't many students from other countries though. My class has one from Tunisia.

When you are on an employment Visa you must remain employed with your sponsor and cannot work elsewhere on the side or start your own business, if you do and are caught, you could have your visa suspended and then you would be saying goodbye to life in the USA.

What country are you from?