Urgent Helps Needed: Visa

[SevenChen]

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Could anyone help me?

I am an US Grads from Canada. I sent email to a residency program to ask if they sponsor Visa before my interview. They replied to my email that they would sponsor J-1 and H1B Visas.

I matched to this program on March 15, 2019. I sent email to them today to ask if they could start processing my H1B Visa. However, they responded to me that they could sponsor J-1 only.

Did this mean that this program didn't keep their promise? What can I do to persuade them to sponsor H1B? Are there any legal way to let them follow what they said?

Please help me as the time for H1B application is very tight right now.

Many thanks for your helps!

Steven

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Visa issues are complicated. The institution has a right to change their mind regarding visa options -- perhaps something happened in the interim to change their policy. Perhaps they are worried about H1b processing times. You can't force them to give you the visa you want.

But, what you can do is calmly try to assess the situation. Because it's possible that this is a miscommunication, and you'll be fine. Your goal is to get an OPT visa for next year. If you're a Canadian in a US medical school, then you'll have an F student visa. The F can be extended by a year in OPT status. Then, you have a whole extra year to sort out the H vs J issue. It's possible that whomever you talked to doesn't understand the situation. Some programs only offer H's to folks like yourself, because the timeline is much longer to do so.

So:
1. Deep breath
2. Repeat Step 1 until calm
3. Contact the GME office (or program office), ask nicely about visa status and possibility of OPT.

 

[SevenChen]

Visa issues are complicated. The institution has a right to change their mind regarding visa options -- perhaps something happened in the interim to change their policy. Perhaps they are worried about H1b processing times. You can't force them to give you the visa you want.

But, what you can do is calmly try to assess the situation. Because it's possible that this is a miscommunication, and you'll be fine. Your goal is to get an OPT visa for next year. If you're a Canadian in a US medical school, then you'll have an F student visa. The F can be extended by a year in OPT status. Then, you have a whole extra year to sort out the H vs J issue. It's possible that whomever you talked to doesn't understand the situation. Some programs only offer H's to folks like yourself, because the timeline is much longer to do so.

So:
1. Deep breath
2. Repeat Step 1 until calm
3. Contact the GME office (or program office), ask nicely about visa status and possibility of OPT.

Thanks for your information. I will talk to them nicely

Thanks

 

[gutonc]

Thanks for your information. I will talk to them nicely

Thanks

For those following along at home...this is good advice for every single interaction you have with anyone starting at the residency application process, all the way through your retirement as an attending.

Getting pissy is a good way to wind up unemployed.