Therapists






Apart from nursing, another fast-growing employment opportunity for foreign workers in US healthcare is physical therapy. According to the US Department of Labor (DOL), employment of physical therapists is expected to grow faster than the average through 2012. It attributed job growth in physical therapy to the increase in the number of persons with disabilities and requiring such services.


Sponsoring a physical therapist as a nonimmigrant


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 grant of an H-1B visa because of the minimum requirement of a bachelor’s degree.


A foreign physical therapist, however, 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.


          Obtaining a License


          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).


2.     Passed the National Physical Therapist Exam (NPTE) which is administered by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). The NPTE score are 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) or a combination of these.  




  • 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.


          A physical therapy license may be endorsed by one state to another that has similar licensing requirements. It may also be recognized by a state if the other which issued it 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 Form I-129W, a copy of a certified labor condition application, an employer’s letter of support, supporting documents that include license in the state of intended employment, and diploma.  The labor    condition application must state among others that the employer will pay the prevailing wage for the occupation. A VisaScreen certificate is required.


 


Sponsoring a physical therapist as an immigrant


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 so-called Schedule A occupations which means she no longer has to go through the rather lengthy process of obtaining a labor certification before the employer files the I-140 petition on her behalf. She qualifies for employment-based 3rd preference as skilled worker or professional. If she has an advanced degree, she may be sponsored under the employment-based 2nd preference, or if she is an outstanding professor or researcher, she may qualify as employment-based 1st preference.


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:



  1.  Application for Permanent Employment Certification (Form 9089) in duplicate;

  2. A wage determination by the State Workforce Agency;

  3. A copy of the notice sent to applicable collective bargaining unit or a copy of the posted notice of filing and employment certification application (notice must be posted at the place of employment between 30 and 180 days prior to the filing of the FORM I-140 petition);

  4. Copy of all in-house media used for recruitment of similar position;

  5. Permanent license in the state of intended employment or statement signed by an authorized state of intended employment stating that the beneficiary is qualified to take the state’s licensing exam;

  6. Physical therapy diploma or degree; and

  7. Proof of prospective employer’s ability to pay wage (for an employer with 100 or more employees; a letter from a financial officer; if employees total less than 100, a copy of annual reports, federal tax returns or validated financial statements).

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 of $195.00.  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.