H1b transfer between programs?

[donaldtang]

I'm applying for neurology. If my advanced program sponsor H1b visa for me, can I transfer it the preliminary program (which I guess may not involve as much paperwork as sponsoring the visa from the beginning)? What about the other way? Or the other program has to sponsor the visa once again.

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[NotAProgDirector]

Actually, there is no such thing as an "H Transfer". If you move from one institution to another, the new institution has to create a new H visa for you. The fees and hassles are all the same -- with only one (big) exception. If your original H visa was under the 65K visa cap, then any transfer remains under the same cap. So, for employees with H visas that are under the cap, a transfer simply allows them to move to another employer without standing in line again to get a visa. Since most academic medicine programs will be exempt from the cap, it doesn't matter at all.

So, whether or not your neuro program will sponsor an H for you doesn't matter for the prelim -- they will need to do a complete H visa application for you in any case (unless your prelim is at the same institution as the neuro program, then you only need one H visa since usually you'd be hired by the GME office, not the individual programs.

 

[donaldtang]

Thank you very much for the answer! So from what i understand, it will be very difficult to find a fellowship program that sponsor H1b visa, because the fellowship program has to do all the paperwork once again. Therefore, J1 visa is better if I want to go into fellowship.
Is that correct?

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Yes, and no.

It's always more complicated to find a fellowship if you need a visa, regardless of the type.

Whether an H or J visa is "better" for fellowship depends on whom you ask.

An H visa is more expensive and more complicated for the program.

A J visa is cheap and easy. However, some fellowships have seen their J visa fellows quit when offered a J waiver job. If that happens enough, programs might favor an H despite the increased cost and hassles up front.