J1 doing anesthesiology, would appreciate advice!

[tallcoffee]

I have started an Anesthesiology residency on J1 visa instead of H1b - mostly because I am interested in doing a fellowship in Pain and I don't want the visa hassle in a few years.

Can anyone help me with these questions though...

1, If I decide not to return to my home country, are J1 waivers in VA hospitals hard to get? I know wouldn't qualify for MUA with anesthesiology so VA might be my only hope.

2, If I returned home to Ireland (my home country) after Pain fellowship, how likely is it that I could get a job in the US afterwards on H1b? Would the 2-year hiatus hurt my chances?

Thanks for any info you may have, this visa problem is bugging me!
Cheers!

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[PistolPete]

From what I've heard/read about:

1. It may be harder to find a J1 waiver position for anesthesiology, but I think it'd be doable, you would just have to be flexible with location. Don't see too many anesthesiologists flocking to the VA system for a number of reasons.

2. 2 year hiatus would probably hurt you, but I have no direct experience with this, so maybe someone else with more experience can chime in. Might be better to just try for the J1 wavier through the VA, get it converted to a H1B, then apply for US jobs directly after your fellowship and try to use your contacts to find a job that will sponsor you for a green card.

Good luck!

 

[hoyden]

I do not think you will find a VA job which is eager to sponsor you for a J-1 waiver faster than you can get it somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Contact recruiters and ask about jobs with J-1 waivers - usually they have plenty of those. Start searching early.

One more important issue - you may want to first finish your immigration deal and then apply for a pain fellowship - it is much, much, much more easier to obtain a position which will sponsor you for a J-1 waiver as a generalist ( you may stay as attending in your own program - discuss it early), than a pain specialist. Look for a pain position when you have GC handy.

GL!

 

[tallcoffee]

thanks for your advice!!

But do you think hoyden that a better option would be J1 fellowship in Pain following 2 years home residency (Ireland) and then try to find a H1b employer in US? Would a 2 year gap from US decrease my chances for a competitive spot?

I appreciate any opinions!

 

[drsilguero]

I have started an Anesthesiology residency on J1 visa instead of H1b - mostly because I am interested in doing a fellowship in Pain and I don't want the visa hassle in a few years.

Can anyone help me with these questions though...

1, If I decide not to return to my home country, are J1 waivers in VA hospitals hard to get? I know wouldn't qualify for MUA with anesthesiology so VA might be my only hope.

2, If I returned home to Ireland (my home country) after Pain fellowship, how likely is it that I could get a job in the US afterwards on H1b? Would the 2-year hiatus hurt my chances?

Thanks for any info you may have, this visa problem is bugging me!
Cheers!

Please after all this years, let me know what happened to you, could you get the waiver?

 

[deleted171991]

He probably got the middle waiver.

There are few dumber things than getting a J-1 instead of an H-1B, when one has the choice.

 

[PKLA]

Please after all this years, let me know what happened to you, could you get the waiver?

I'm Canadian. I graduated from US medical school, did an anesthesiology residency in the US, then completed my Cardiothoracic Fellowship. I was on an F-1, then J-1, and now I am on a J-1 waiver and received my H1B.

J-1 waivers are not difficult to get. It takes time and flexibility though. As a specialist don't expect to stay in popular places like California- there are just too many primary care physicians who take precedent. The easiest places to get a waiver are usually academic programs in underserved areas. They are usually pretty familiar with J-1 waivers and you won't be left come July without a job because they didn't process your waiver correctly. I was lucky enough to get on with a private practice group in a rural setting with great reimbursement. They paid for all my lawyers fees relating to the waiver process as well.

Most states will post stats on their Conrad 30 waiver programs and you can see if there were unfilled spots in previous years. These states would be your best bet. You will need to apply early in states that process applications on a first come first serve basis. Usually around Oct. 1 for most places is when you want your application all ready to go- which means applying for jobs around July.

Hopefully this helps- more importantly hopefully this program is staying around. Most places won't give out H1b visas to residents... If they do than you should obviously go that route. If not, the J-1 program can get you there eventually, after a few extra years.