Physical Therapists
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Nonimmigrant Visa Options for Physical Therapists Physical therapists may work in the US under the H-1B visa for nonimmigrant workers in specialty occupations. Unlike nursing, physical therapy is considered a specialty occupation that qualifies the worker for an H-1B visa because the minimum requirement for the occupation is at least a bachelor’s degree. A foreign physical therapist must show that she is licensed to practice her profession in the state of intended employment, or that the only thing that keeps her from obtaining such license is the lack of a visa. To obtain a physical therapy license the physical therapist must have: 1. Graduated from a physical therapy program or school accredited by the applicable state board or the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE), which is part of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). Foreign educated physical therapists must demonstrate that their education is “substantially equivalent” to a U.S. education, which means that it must be equivalent to the current first professional degree in physical therapy. In the United States, the minimum educational requirement to become a physical therapist is a master’s degree or higher from an accredited physical therapy program. Since 2003, only post-baccalaureate degrees have been accredited by CAPTE. As a result, foreign physical therapists must show that their education is substantially equivalent to a master’s degree in physical therapy. Those who do not meet this requirement may need to obtain a master’s degree or take additional courses to obtain CAPTE equivalency. 2. Passed the National Physical Therapist Exam (NPTE) which is administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). The NPTE score is transferable from one state to another. Foreign physical therapists who are not graduates of CAPTE-accredited schools are subject to additional requirements which vary from state to state, such as credentials evaluation, English language proficiency or a minimum number of hours of board-approved clinical practice. Most of the time, a satisfactory credentials evaluation, passing the NPTE and the English language proficiency tests are enough to qualify for a license. Credential Evaluation Several state boards acknowledge the following credentialing organizations: Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT); International Consultants of Delaware, Inc. (ICD or ICDEL); International Credentialing Associates, Inc. (ICA); International Education Research Foundation (IERF); International Education Consultants (IEC). English Language Proficiency Some states require the foreign physical therapist to pass an English language proficiency test, which could either be the Test of English as a Foreign language (TOEFL), the Test of Spoken English (TSE), the Test of Written English (TWE) , the internet-based TOEFL, or a combination of these The physical therapist must meet the following minimum scores: TOEFL 560 (paper/pencil), 220 (computerized) TWE 4.5 TSE 50 TOEFL iBT 89 (at least 26 for Speaking component) Clinical Practice California, Louisiana, North Dakota, South Carolina and Virginia require a certain number of hours or a number of months of board-approved clinical practice from foreign graduates. Considering some states impose additional requirements on foreign graduates, many opt to apply for license in one state first and relocate to another through endorsement or reciprocity. Since the NPTE results are transferable, an applicant need not take a licensing exam if she passed it before in another state. At times, foreign physical therapists want to transfer employers, which is allowed under H-1B. However, if the new employment is in a different state, they must first obtain the necessary license before the transfer is allowed. Licensure by endorsement is permitted between states that have similar licensing requirements. It is also allowed by a state if the other which issued the license likewise recognizes the license issued by the first state, under the principle of reciprocity. Some states allow the issuance of a temporary license or permit to the foreign physical therapist upon submission of her foreign educational credentials to the state therapy board before the processing of the H-1B petition. She may then enter the US after obtaining an H-1B visa and then take the state licensing exam after which she can have her H-1B visa renewed. As noted, H-1B petitions are usually approved for three years and can be extended for another three. The petition (Form I-129) is filed with the USCIS Service Center with jurisdiction over the intended place of employment and must be accompanied by the H Classification Supplement and the H-1B Data Collection Supplement, a copy of a certified labor condition application (LCA), an employer’s letter of support, supporting documents that include license in the state of intended employment, and diploma. The LCA must state among others that the employer will pay the prevailing wage for the occupation. A VisaScreen certificate is required. If the worker obtained a master’s degree or higher from a U.S. institution, she is exempt from the regular H-1B cap of 65,000. The petition may be filed under the separate advanced degree quota for which 20,000 numbers are allotted. Immigrant Visa Options for a Physical Therapist A foreign physical therapist may enter the US under an immigrant visa or green card. As with a registered nurse, a physical therapist belongs to the”Schedule A” occupations which means that she no longer has to go through the rather lengthy process of obtaining a labor certification before the employer can file the I-140 petition on her behalf. A foreign physical therapist generally qualifies for employment-based 3rd preference (EB-3) as skilled worker or professional. If she has an advanced degree, such as a master’s degree, she may be sponsored under the employment-based 2nd preference (EB-2), which is usually less backlogged than EB-3. In some cases, a physical therapist may qualify for EB-2 classification if she has five years of progressive experience in addition to a bachelor’s degree. On the other hand, if she is an outstanding professor or researcher, she may qualify as employment-based 1stpreference (EB-1) where there is no waiting line for a visa. The employer files an I-140 petition on behalf of the foreign physical therapist with the USCIS Service Center having jurisdiction over the intended place of employment. The petition must be supported by the following documents:
The physical therapist petitioned by an employer may be petitioned by a subsequent employer. Such beneficiary of multiple petitions is entitled to the priority date of the first petition. A priority date is the date the USCIS received the completed I-140 petition with the filing fee. The I-140 petition may be filed concurrently with the adjustment of status if the physical therapist is in the U.S. and the priority date is current. However, if the physical therapist is abroad, she may apply for immigrant visa at a U.S. Consulate. The VisaScreen certificate is required before the adjustment application is approved on before the immigrant visa is granted. |