Law Offices of Ingrid K. Brey, P.C.

US Visas for Physicians  

There are essentially only three nonimmigrant visa categories which enable a physician to enter the U.S. to receive training or to practice medicine: 

H-1B
J-1
O-1 
A J-1 may be required to return to his/her country of nationality or last country of residence in many cases. 

A physician who is enrolled in a degree-granting program may be eligible for and utilize one year of optional practical training upon completion of the degree to begin residency or fellowship. 

Our office processes hundreds of working visas for physicians annually.  We are also well-versed in the processing of J-1 waiver applications.

The Law Offices of Ingrid K. Brey, P.C., has assisted thousands of foreign medical graduates over the past 15 years in securing H-1B status to engage in medical education/residency training and/or to pursue fellowship opportunities.  In this regard, we have worked closely with several teaching hospitals throughout the country.

If you are a foreign medical graduate (FMG), and you wish to engage in a residency or fellowship at a qualified teaching hospital in the United States, you may be eligible to apply for H-1B status.  The Law Offices of Ingrid K. Brey, P.C., has arranged a special fee for all residents and fellows.  The legal fees are $1000 to process the H-1B.  In addition, the USCIS filing fees (standard $320 and premium $1000), as well as the fees for obtaining a license.  There is also a $500 government required anti-fraud filing fee.

We would also like to take this opportunity to inform you that while The Law Offices of Ingrid K. Brey, P.C., will always attempt to secure on an FMG's behalf H-1B approval for the maximum period permitted under the law, USCIS regulations limit the approval of H-1B petitions to one year in cases submitted with temporary or limited licenses in those states in which a license is required.  Accordingly, please be aware that any H-1B case may only be approved for a maximum of one year if the case is filed with a temporary or limited license, despite the fact that our office will file and will request the maximum three years H-1B otherwise permitted.

We encourage you to contact our immigration lawyer immediately so that we may discuss how our office can assist you with your immigration needs. 

H-1B VISA CHECKLIST 

In order to determine eligibility for H-1B approval, a Foreign Medical Graduate will need to provide our office with, among other things, copies of the following:

1.  Medical Doctor Degree; 
2.  ECFMG Certificate;
3.  Proof of passage of USMLE 1, 2CS, 2CK, and 3 or FLEX I and II; 
4.  Contract/offer letter; 
5.  Educational Limited Medical License (if required by state);

It is the FMG's responsibility to obtain this license.  Legal counsel cannot do this for the FMG, and a case may not be filed with the USCIS without this license.  Delays in securing a license will generally delay USCIS processing.  Therefore, we strongly recommend careful monitoring of the medical license application. 

c      1.  Copy of passport and current I-94 card (if currently in the United States); 
2.  Any prior H-1B, B-1, TN, F-1 approval notices, and/or I-20s, IAP-66s, or DS-2019s; 
3.  Required fees Copy

We have also attached a checklist which itemizes the documents required if the FMG is married and wishes to process dependent H-4 applications on behalf of eligible spouse/children.  

H-4 VISA CHECKLIST 

The following is required to process H-4s on behalf of  eligible family members:  

1.  A copy of each family member’s passport, visa, I-94, prior approval notices; 
2.  Birth certificates, and marriage certificates; 
3.  $300 check payable to Department of Homeland Security to cover the required filing fee.