Immigration for Foreign-Born Physical Therapists Already in the United States

If you are already in the United States , you may be eligible to obtain your green card through employment. There are several things that must be done before you can obtain your green card. You must have a U.S. employer willing to sponsor you. Most states require that you obtain an evaluation from a specific credentialing agency to determine whether the degree you received is substantially equivalent to an entry-level degree in physical therapy in the U.S. Each state has its own requirements so be sure to check with the state licensing board to determine where you can obtain your evaluation. You will also want to take the English language proficiency exam early in the process because you will need these scores in order to obtain your health care worker certificate.

At the same time, you should begin the process of obtaining your health care worker certificate because this is a lengthy process. You have two options for obtaining your certificate: FCCPT or CGFNS. You should contact these organizations to obtain more information about the requirements for the certificate. The health care worker certificate verifies compliance with an educational credentials review, English language proficiency requirements and verification of ability to practice in the country of education.

After you have started the process for your health care worker certificate and have obtained your evaluation specific to the state you are to be licensed in, you should request an application from the Board of Physical Therapy Examiner for your state (unless you are already licensed). The Board will provide you with instructions about what documents you need to include with your application. Once your application to take the licensing exam is approved, you should request a letter from the Board stating that you are qualified to take that state's written licensing examination for Physical Therapists. This letter will be required in order to file your immigration application. Some states will allow you to designate a representative, such as your immigration attorney or your U.S. employer, who can receive the letter on your behalf. You will then need to complete the steps necessary to obtain your license while we move forward with your immigration paperwork.

Once you have the "visa letter" from the state licensing board (not necessary if you are already licensed in the state of intended employment), you can start the immigration process. Physical Therapists are eligible for what is called Schedule A Labor Certification. This basically means that you don't have to file a labor certification at all (note, the labor certification is also known as PERM ). Therefore, you can start at what normally would be the second step of the green card process, the I-140 petition.

Here is a list of the documents we will need from the Physical Therapist to process the case:

• Copies of academic degrees and transcripts
• Copy of license from home country
• Visa Letter or license from state of intended employment
• Resume of Physical Therapist Candidate

We will also need the following from the employer:

• Information on the health care facility
• Information about the job being offered
• A job posting notice to be placed at the employer's premises
• Paperwork to be signed by a company official
• Copies of federal tax returns (or a statement from the company's financial officer for larger employers)

If Employment-based visa numbers are available at the time we file your case, we will include an application for Employment Authorization. This can be obtained in as little as two months depending on where your application is being processed. This will allow you to begin working as a Physical Therapist, assuming that you have obtained your state license by this time.