International student visa question

[Twobirds]

I just created this account because I want to remain as anonymous as possible.

I am an international student completing the MD degree in the US. I have already matched a residency program through the early match. However, this program provides only J1 visa, not H1. J1 is less ideal than H1 for many reasons. Bottom line is that I can use the J1 to get through residency, but H1 is much better, so I am just exploring my options.
I heard that I could contact the PD and the GME office to ask them to make an exception and support H1b for me. Anyone tried to convince the program to provide H1 instead of J1 and was successful? How feasible is this possibility?

Thank you. Any information or insight would be really helpful.

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[rokshana]

I just created this account because I want to remain as anonymous as possible.

I am an international student completing the MD degree in the US. I have already matched a residency program through the early match. However, this program provides only J1 visa, not H1. J1 is less ideal than H1 for many reasons. Bottom line is that I can use the J1 to get through residency, but H1 is much better, so I am just exploring my options.
I heard that I could contact the PD and the GME office to ask them to make an exception and support H1b for me. Anyone tried to convince the program to provide H1 instead of J1 and was successful? How feasible is this possibility?

Thank you. Any information or insight would be really helpful.

uh, what early match? SF? AUA?

you can try, but the H1b is more expensive than the J1...many programs don't offer it...if you wanted the H1b, you shouldn't have accepted a spot that only offered a J1.

 

[Twobirds]

uh, what early match? SF? AUA?

you can try, but the H1b is more expensive than the J1...many programs don't offer it...if you wanted the H1b, you shouldn't have accepted a spot that only offered a J1.

Thank you for the reply. Sorry, I did not provide specific information regarding my match, as I want to remain anonymous. And I just to want to have a general idea as to what people have tried in the past. I absolutely love the program and will be glad to use the J1 if there are no other ways around it.

 

[gutonc]

Thank you for the reply. Sorry, I did not provide specific information regarding my match, as I want to remain anonymous. And I just to want to have a general idea as to what people have tried in the past. I absolutely love the program and will be glad to use the J1 if there are no other ways around it.

No harm in asking. But I suspect there's a reason they don't sponsor the H1B, and you're unlikely to change their minds about it.

 

[Apollyon]

Sorry, I did not provide specific information regarding my match, as I want to remain anonymous.

Quite honestly, who would care? Are you famous for some reason? You do realize that, when you are a doctor, your first and last name are on your nametag, right?

 

[IMPD]

No harm in asking. But I suspect there's a reason they don't sponsor the H1B, and you're unlikely to change their minds about it.

It's an expensive visa.

 

[gutonc]

It's an expensive visa.

That's kind of what I remembered, but too lazy to look it up and I really don't care.

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Almost certainly they will refuse. It may be the decision of GME, not the program itself. The biggest issue is the timing -- even if they start right now, there is no guarantee that your H1b visa would be ready by mid June for orientation. The cost is at least $3000, and requires a lawyer, and the cost has to be paid by the employer (you can't volunteer to pay the costs).

But there is little harm in asking.

If you're from Canada, don't forget that Health Canada has put limits on SoN's. If you wait too long, you could fail to get a J visa and lose your spot completely.

 

[1718ophtho]

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[coffeebythelake]

I just created this account because I want to remain as anonymous as possible.

I am an international student completing the MD degree in the US. I have already matched a residency program through the early match. However, this program provides only J1 visa, not H1. J1 is less ideal than H1 for many reasons. Bottom line is that I can use the J1 to get through residency, but H1 is much better, so I am just exploring my options.
I heard that I could contact the PD and the GME office to ask them to make an exception and support H1b for me. Anyone tried to convince the program to provide H1 instead of J1 and was successful? How feasible is this possibility?

Thank you. Any information or insight would be really helpful.

In exceptional cases they might. When I interviewed at several home programs (programs affiliated with my medical school, where I knew the PD and have done rotations there) the PD expressed that they would make an exception and sponsor the H1b visa. This is rare.

 

[PistolPete]

Almost certainly they will refuse. It may be the decision of GME, not the program itself. The biggest issue is the timing -- even if they start right now, there is no guarantee that your H1b visa would be ready by mid June for orientation. The cost is at least $3000, and requires a lawyer, and the cost has to be paid by the employer (you can't volunteer to pay the costs).

But there is little harm in asking.

If you're from Canada, don't forget that Health Canada has put limits on SoN's. If you wait too long, you could fail to get a J visa and lose your spot completely.

This. Sometimes your program will say “J1 only” because they don’t have much experience with H1b’s since most residents coming on a J1 didn’t graduate from a US medical school and just assume that the same is true for you, when it’s not. So can’t hurt to ask. Ultimately it’s up to GME, not your program. If your program says “J1 only” but GME says that H1b is ok for an international student who is a US med school grad, then they may make an exception. But if GME only wants to do a J1, you’re out of luck.

Remember to use your 12 months of OPT for intern year, especially if you go for H1b. Good luck.

 

[Giovanotto]

This. Sometimes your program will say “J1 only” because they don’t have much experience with H1b’s since most residents coming on a J1 didn’t graduate from a US medical school and just assume that the same is true for you, when it’s not. So can’t hurt to ask. Ultimately it’s up to GME, not your program. If your program says “J1 only” but GME says that H1b is ok for an international student who is a US med school grad, then they may make an exception. But if GME only wants to do a J1, you’re out of luck.

Remember to use your 12 months of OPT for intern year, especially if you go for H1b. Good luck.

Glad to hear from you again, I thought you had disappeared!

How do PDs feel about hiring an international AMG on OPT, and then having to sponsor them the following year?Unfortunately, I've used up my 18-month OPT extension, but if one hasn't, that would get you almost all the way through an FM residency for example.

 

[PistolPete]

Glad to hear from you again, I thought you had disappeared!

How do PDs feel about hiring an international AMG on OPT, and then having to sponsor them the following year?Unfortunately, I've used up my 18-month OPT extension, but if one hasn't, that would get you almost all the way through an FM residency for example.

You can only get one 12 month OPT block per degree (I.e 12 months for a masters degree, 12 months for a Doctorate degree), so you would only get it for intern year, and nothing more. Starting PGY2 you’d need the J1 or H1b visa. In my experience needing a visa, especially an H1b, has been a disadvantage, and a lot of PD’s are oblivious to what kind of struggles a resident on a visa has.

 

[SevenChen]

I just created this account because I want to remain as anonymous as possible.

I am an international student completing the MD degree in the US. I have already matched a residency program through the early match. However, this program provides only J1 visa, not H1. J1 is less ideal than H1 for many reasons. Bottom line is that I can use the J1 to get through residency, but H1 is much better, so I am just exploring my options.
I heard that I could contact the PD and the GME office to ask them to make an exception and support H1b for me. Anyone tried to convince the program to provide H1 instead of J1 and was successful? How feasible is this possibility?

Thank you. Any information or insight would be really helpful.

I have similar situation as yours. I am a Canadian citizen and graduate from US medical school. I really need some helps to figure my visa issue out for my residency in U.S. Can you share if you use J1 or H1B for your residency after you contacted the PD and the GME office? Why don't you use OPT to get into your residency, then talk to your PD and the GME office for h1b? Would it be possible for you to get stuck if they don't sponsor h1b after using OPT? Are there any way to get out of visa issue if you use OPT but the employer wouldn't sponsor? I appreciate your helps!

 

[NotAProgDirector]

I have similar situation as yours. I am a Canadian citizen and graduate from US medical school. I really need some helps to figure my visa issue out for my residency in U.S. Can you share if you use J1 or H1B for your residency after you contacted the PD and the GME office? Why don't you use OPT to get into your residency, then talk to your PD and the GME office for h1b? Would it be possible for you to get stuck if they don't sponsor h1b after using OPT? Are there any way to get out of visa issue if you use OPT but the employer wouldn't sponsor? I appreciate your helps!

You can use OPT for your intern year. When you apply to programs, you should check if they offer J or H visas. Some will offer H in your situation, because they have the whole OPT year to sort it out. Before you create your rank list, you'll know what the visa situation is at all of your programs. If you match to an institution that only offers a J visa, that's what you'll get. If that's not what you want, then don't rank that program. The issue of your visa should come up at your interview day -- if not, you should bring it up.