Post by von on Dec 14, 2003 12:00:42 GMT 7
Things you should know from the beginning:
1. Most reputable companies will pay for all the costs associated with the
H1-B process but will require you to sign a "contract" with them, generally
lasting two years, with a pro-rated payback clause for early out.
2. The credentialing process can be quite long, depending upon the
organization used and your University policies on sending paperwork
3. You may have to consider working in a rural, underserved area to get your
"foot in the door" here in the USA.
4. Once you are actually here and have worked for 6 months, you will find
many more opportunities for employment. The process of transferring a Visa,
or getting a second Visa, is quite simple.
5. Since 9/11 the process for obtaining a Visa has changed dramatically, so
you may also want to check this website
travel.state.gov/nonimmigrantvisas.html that details non-immigrant
Visas (specialty workers...and PT fits into this category....obtain H1-B
Visas)
6. Before 2002, all Visas were processed through the Immigration &
Naturalization Service (INS), part of the Department of Justice. When the
US created the Department of Homeland Security, there was also a
re-shuffling of certain governmental departments...the INS no longer exists
and that function is now served by the US Citizenship and Immigration
Services Department. They have a very helpful web page
uscis.gov/graphics/services/tempbenefits/index.htm detailing the
nonimmigrant Visa process.
7. Once you get to the USA, you may decide you'd like to stay, in which case
you'd begin the process of obtaining a green card and changing your status
to an immigrant visa, but that is a different discussion
8. In the early '90s there was a huge wave of non-immigrant PT's that
arrived, for a variety of reasons but mainly due to a huge demand in the
USA, in the US and a general misconception arose that those foreign-trained
PT's (at that time many came from India & The Philippines) were working for
less money. This misconception carried into the current decade and reached
it's zenith after the staffing cuts of the late '90s when supply and demand
flip-flopped. You should know that any US employer who hires you must go
through a process through the US Department of Labor to #1 prove they have a
need and meet exception rules, #2 that they will pay any nonimmigrant at
least the average wage for the area they will be working and #3 that there
is a defined period of employment.
9. If you are like many of my Australian physio friends, you're probably
interested in outpatient PT. You should know that, while there are
employers who will sponsor a visa for outpatient, the majority of US
employers willing to bring someone over to the USA (as opposed to
transferring the Visa of a person already here) are looking for PT's to work
in long-term care settings or rural settings where you may be required to
work in multiple job locations.
10. You will generally make more money working in long-term care for a
contract therapy provider.
excerpts taken from
John O. Connor of Motion Medical Solution
as posted in pther egroup!
1. Most reputable companies will pay for all the costs associated with the
H1-B process but will require you to sign a "contract" with them, generally
lasting two years, with a pro-rated payback clause for early out.
2. The credentialing process can be quite long, depending upon the
organization used and your University policies on sending paperwork
3. You may have to consider working in a rural, underserved area to get your
"foot in the door" here in the USA.
4. Once you are actually here and have worked for 6 months, you will find
many more opportunities for employment. The process of transferring a Visa,
or getting a second Visa, is quite simple.
5. Since 9/11 the process for obtaining a Visa has changed dramatically, so
you may also want to check this website
travel.state.gov/nonimmigrantvisas.html that details non-immigrant
Visas (specialty workers...and PT fits into this category....obtain H1-B
Visas)
6. Before 2002, all Visas were processed through the Immigration &
Naturalization Service (INS), part of the Department of Justice. When the
US created the Department of Homeland Security, there was also a
re-shuffling of certain governmental departments...the INS no longer exists
and that function is now served by the US Citizenship and Immigration
Services Department. They have a very helpful web page
uscis.gov/graphics/services/tempbenefits/index.htm detailing the
nonimmigrant Visa process.
7. Once you get to the USA, you may decide you'd like to stay, in which case
you'd begin the process of obtaining a green card and changing your status
to an immigrant visa, but that is a different discussion
8. In the early '90s there was a huge wave of non-immigrant PT's that
arrived, for a variety of reasons but mainly due to a huge demand in the
USA, in the US and a general misconception arose that those foreign-trained
PT's (at that time many came from India & The Philippines) were working for
less money. This misconception carried into the current decade and reached
it's zenith after the staffing cuts of the late '90s when supply and demand
flip-flopped. You should know that any US employer who hires you must go
through a process through the US Department of Labor to #1 prove they have a
need and meet exception rules, #2 that they will pay any nonimmigrant at
least the average wage for the area they will be working and #3 that there
is a defined period of employment.
9. If you are like many of my Australian physio friends, you're probably
interested in outpatient PT. You should know that, while there are
employers who will sponsor a visa for outpatient, the majority of US
employers willing to bring someone over to the USA (as opposed to
transferring the Visa of a person already here) are looking for PT's to work
in long-term care settings or rural settings where you may be required to
work in multiple job locations.
10. You will generally make more money working in long-term care for a
contract therapy provider.
excerpts taken from
John O. Connor of Motion Medical Solution
as posted in pther egroup!
