Consequences of Possible Upcoming H1-B Changes?

[Kryxia]

"A legislation has been introduced in the US House of Representatives which among other things calls for more than doubling the minimum salary of H-1B visa holders to $130,000, making it difficult for firms to use the programme to replace American employees with foreign workers, including from India. [...]"

http://www.msn.com/en-in/news/newsi...n-us-minimum-pay-more-than-doubled/ar-AAmrdMz

If I am understanding this correctly, since most residents only make approximately $60-75k a year (well under the $130k limit), would the passage of this bill implicate that there will be no chance for international medical students to apply H1-B for US residencies anymore? To what extent do these political decisions also impact medical schools' willingness to enroll foreign students?

This is still a developing topic, but I think opening a discussion on how it may impact the future landscape of medicine might be interesting.

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[efle]

I think international students use a different visa than H1b, the J1?

 

[gyngyn]

I think international students use a different visa than H1-b, the J1?

They use either.

 

[Kryxia]

I think international students use a different visa than H1b, the J1?

The J1 visa, to my understanding, requires that the student return to their country of origin to work for a minimum of 2 years before applying to return to the US. This would be less favorable for some in comparison to the H1, which has no such consequence. That being said, residency institutions seem to favor J1 over H1 because it involves significantly less paperwork.

 

[ChrisMack390]

Hey at least America is great now m i rite?

 

[SymphonyNo9]

International students usually hold F-1, rarely J-1.
Employees use H-1b or J-1.

 

[Kryxia]

International students usually hold F-1, rarely J-1.
Employees use H-1b or J-1.

Medical school graduates, if they don't have permanent residency, would require H1/J1 for residency, fellowship, etc... so I think the impact will really start to show in your post-graduate years. I am curious as to why some people settle for J-1, as I would imagine there are regulations in place to restrict you from obtaining your medical education in one country and then practice in another.

 

[SymphonyNo9]

Medical school graduates, if they don't have permanent residency, would require H1/J1 for residency, fellowship, etc... so I think the impact will really start to show in your post-graduate years. I am curious as to why some people settle for J-1, as I would imagine there are regulations in place to restrict you from obtaining your medical education in one country and then practice in another.

Totally, and you can even apply permanent residency with H1b. So for IMG, H1b >> J1; but as you said, few hospitals sponsor H1b. In my home country, the discussion and panic about this topic just started to grow.
I don't know if this will largely affect med schools accepting international students. But I think it will certainly affect IMG coming for residency, if this happens.

 

[SymphonyNo9]

It seems like, currently, residency programs are exempt from the cap ($65,000) as long as the residents work at non-profit places with university/college affiliation. And this is basically why the IMG or international students after graduation can obtain H1b even if they make less than the cap number.
So as long as they don't mess up with the exemptions, I think IMG and international students are fine with getting H1b.

https://www.uscis.gov/news/h-1b-cap-exemptions-based-relation-or-affiliation

 

[veebo]

.

 

[Anthrax175]

Yeah I had a crisis of confidence yesterday and I am probably in a similar situation as OP and basically the salary floor only applies to employers dependent on H1B which definitely isn't the case for residencies.

 

[Kryxia]

Oh that's a sigh of relief. Phew!
Now let's just hope that clause won't get changed anytime soon! :')

 

[PeruvianMD]

As an international student starting med school next fall I was so worried about this.... now im more relaxed