visa for preliminary year?

[donaldtang]

I am going to apply to neurology residency programs that sponsor H1b visa (because I'm not able to get J1). But some of these programs do not guarantee priliminary year spot. So If I am accepted by an advanced program which sponsor H1b and then I get a priliminary year spot in another program, do I need to go through the H1b visa applilcation process once again? Or the visa sponsored by the advanced program can cover my priliminary year?
And if the program does guarantee priliminary year spot in their internal medicine department, do I need the internal medicine program to sponsor the visa for the first year?
Thanks in advance!

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[NotAProgDirector]

H1b's are employer specific, but once you have an H1b it's relatively easy to transfer from one emplyer to another. The simplest solution is to get a prelim at the same program -- the "employer" will be the GME office so only one H1b will be needed. If you do get a separate prelim, you'll need to apply to those that offer H1b's to prelims. I don't believe that your Neuro program's institution can/will get you an H1b to work at a prelim program elsewhere (although I could be wrong about that).