ERAS application Visa Question

[ejike]

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I have read most all these posts with great interest for some time now. My position is a little unique. I am a foreign national(on F1) who will be graduating from a US medical school. I do have a few questions for anyone with insight to my situation.
1. J visas require ECFMG certification. A while back I read on the ECFMG website that the ECFMG does not certify foreign nationals who are US graduate. I'm not sure if this is still true and if it is, who else can certify J visas for some one in my position.
2. I am hoping for an H visa and I plan on taking the route of OPT during intern year, take Step III then apply for H visa. Is this feasible? Does anyone know if this route is successful?
3. I just started my ERAS residency application and it's asking me what type of visa. If I plan on using OPT my intern year, does that mean I should select EAD as my type of visa?

Thank you in advance for your answers.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

I have read most all these posts with great interest for some time now. My position is a little unique. I am a foreign national(on F1) who will be graduating from a US medical school. I do have a few questions for anyone with insight to my situation.
1. J visas require ECFMG certification. A while back I read on the ECFMG website that the ECFMG does not certify foreign nationals who are US graduate. I'm not sure if this is still true and if it is, who else can certify J visas for some one in my position.

This is not correct. ECFMG would still sponsor your J visa.

2. I am hoping for an H visa and I plan on taking the route of OPT during intern year, take Step III then apply for H visa. Is this feasible? Does anyone know if this route is successful?

It certainly can work. Whether programs will do it or not is an individual issue. I did it for one of my residents recently without difficulty.

It's more complicated if you match to a prelim and then an advanced at different programs. The prelim will have you on the EAD, and you'd need the advanced program (where you're not yet attending) to do your H paperwork. This isn't a problem per se, but the timing gets complicated. If they apply for your H during your intern year, then they need to make the H valid for your prelim program (H visas are specific to the employer). Or they can try to time the H such that it is active right on July 1st when you need it (but I think that might be impossible).

3. I just started my ERAS residency application and it's asking me what type of visa. If I plan on using OPT my intern year, does that mean I should select EAD as my type of visa?

Yes, but you might want to also select H since that's the visa you will ultimately need from any program you attend.

 

[nancycy]

It's more complicated if you match to a prelim and then an advanced at different programs. The prelim will have you on the EAD, and you'd need the advanced program (where you're not yet attending) to do your H paperwork. This isn't a problem per se, but the timing gets complicated. If they apply for your H during your intern year, then they need to make the H valid for your prelim program (H visas are specific to the employer). Or they can try to time the H such that it is active right on July 1st when you need it (but I think that might be impossible).

I don't get why the advanced program can not start your H-1b paperwork. My understanding is the advanced the program is able to start your H-1b paperwork during your prelim year even if the prelim and advanced programs are in different institutes, because you are the future employee of the advanced program. Let's assume that you are a current employee of company A and you match into a Medicine program B. B should start the paperwork early so that your H-1b is effective on july 1st, even though you will work at A till June.
Is this correct? Or it's just my wishful thinking.

 

[ejike]

I don't get why the advanced program can not start your H-1b paperwork. My understanding is the advanced the program is able to start your H-1b paperwork during your prelim year even if the prelim and advanced programs are in different institutes, because you are the future employee of the advanced program. Let's assume that you are a current employee of company A and you match into a Medicine program B. B should start the paperwork early so that your H-1b is effective on july 1st, even though you will work at A till June.
Is this correct? Or it's just my wishful thinking.

Like aProgDirector said "This isn't a problem per se, but the timing gets complicated". You don't know which advance program you'll be working at until march day( in March). I think the main issue is that the timing from March to July 1st is not sufficient to accomplish H-1b sponsorship. I might be wrong but that's my understanding.

 

[ejike]

This is not correct. ECFMG would still sponsor your J visa.



It certainly can work. Whether programs will do it or not is an individual issue. I did it for one of my residents recently without difficulty.

It's more complicated if you match to a prelim and then an advanced at different programs. The prelim will have you on the EAD, and you'd need the advanced program (where you're not yet attending) to do your H paperwork. This isn't a problem per se, but the timing gets complicated. If they apply for your H during your intern year, then they need to make the H valid for your prelim program (H visas are specific to the employer). Or they can try to time the H such that it is active right on July 1st when you need it (but I think that might be impossible).



Yes, but you might want to also select H since that's the visa you will ultimately need from any program you attend.

Thank you very much aProgDirector for your response. My main goal is to follow the Opt->H-1b route. if the ECFMG will sponsor a J-1 for me, should I still pursue this as a backup plan?

I don't intend to do a prelim year unless something goes horribly wrong that I don't march, so i'm not too worried about this complication.

Now to my main question. The dean at my school is concerned that most program directors around the country might not be very familiar with the OPT-->H-1b option. She has suggested that I obtain a typed letter from our director of international student affairs explaining explicitly how this route works. She thinks having this information in writing readily during interview will help ease any anxieties program directors might have. I approach the director at the international office and although she was familiar with the OPT->H-1b, she did not know where to get this explicit information from the immigration website. I have taken matters into my own hands to find this information but I haven't found it. So my question to you is, do you know where I can find the information that elaborate on this?
I apologize for the long question and thank you in advance for your response.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Like aProgDirector said "This isn't a problem per se, but the timing gets complicated". You don't know which advance program you'll be working at until march day( in March). I think the main issue is that the timing from March to July 1st is not sufficient to accomplish H-1b sponsorship. I might be wrong but that's my understanding.

Actually, that's not exactly what I meant. Matching in march and having an H1b by July used to be a problem. However, now you can pay a $1000 premium processing fee and get an answer in 15 business days, so getting a visa in time is not a problem as long as you're willing to pay the bribe -- oops, sorry, I mean processing fee.

What I meant was this: If you go to a prelim at one institution that has you on an EAD/OPT, and your advanced program applies for an H1b, once the H1b is granted your EAD is void (I think) since you can't have two visas at once (also, I think this is the case, could be wrong). Hence, it's difficult to time the start of the H1b to coincide with starting your advanced program. H1b's are specifically attached to an employer, so you'd technically need a second H1b for the prelim year also -- not a big deal, easy to do, but assumes that your prelim program is happy with it. Note this is only a problem if your prelim and advanced programs are at different institutions. And, perhaps it really isn't a problem and there is some way to deal with it, I don't know.

In any case, it doesn't sound like the OP will be in this position.

Thank you very much aProgDirector for your response. My main goal is to follow the Opt->H-1b route. if the ECFMG will sponsor a J-1 for me, should I still pursue this as a backup plan?

As mentioned, the ECFMG sponsors J visas for everyone. The holdup is usually a letter of need from your home country. Some countries are easy to get one from, some are difficult.

Now to my main question. The dean at my school is concerned that most program directors around the country might not be very familiar with the OPT-->H-1b option. She has suggested that I obtain a typed letter from our director of international student affairs explaining explicitly how this route works. She thinks having this information in writing readily during interview will help ease any anxieties program directors might have. I approach the director at the international office and although she was familiar with the OPT->H-1b, she did not know where to get this explicit information from the immigration website. I have taken matters into my own hands to find this information but I haven't found it. So my question to you is, do you know where I can find the information that elaborate on this?

I hunted around and did not find much of help. USCIS has FAQ's for OPT visas, but they focus more on the rule changes in 2008 and are written in "visa-speak" so might not calm anyone's nerves. Since the OPT visa is sponsored by your medical school, I would have them write a summary for your to take to your interviews.

 

[ejike]

It certainly can work. Whether programs will do it or not is an individual issue. I did it for one of my residents recently without difficulty.

Thank you for your help. You have been very informative, and we all appreciate your help. A follow up question in regards to your earlier response. When you recently did the H-1b for your resident, did they have to take USMLE step 3? I have read conflicting information in regards to US grads pursing the H-1b. Some state that USMLE step 3 is required others say it is not. What is your experience with this?

Thanks

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Step 3 is required for an H1b for FMG's and US-IMG's. Theoretically, Step 3 is not required for international students at US medical schools getting H visas. However, it's up to the visa processing office, so I'd recommend taking Step 3. That being said, you can apply without it and see what happens -- if you're turned down because of a lack of Step 3, they will simply hold your application until you take it (I believe?)

 

[Shoushu]

Step 3 is required for an H1b for FMG's and US-IMG's. Theoretically, Step 3 is not required for international students at US medical schools getting H visas.

I've a Q concerning the 1st sentence. " Step 3 is required for an H1b for FMG's and US-IMGs." By US-IMGs, do you mean "US-citizen IMGs"? In that case, they don't need any visa, right? since they're already citizens. But do programs absolutely require US-IMGs to pass Step 3 before even applying?

If not required, is it a great advantage to ace Step 3? Instead of waiting till end of PGY-1 to pass? I'm concerned of timing, and how many gap year(s) it will cost me, after MBBS/MD graduation.....

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Sorry, you're correct. I was tired. US-IMG's are citizens, don't require any visa, and hence have no need to pass step 3 to start a residency. They do need ECFMG certification, and therefore have to pass Steps 1 and 2 CK/CS prior to the rank order deadline or be withdrawn from the match.