Any PAs practicing on a work visa?

[nalkafarna]

Hey guys,

 

I am starting PA school this May at RFUMS in North Chicago, and I am already anxious about finding a job once I graduate, taking into account that I am not a US Citizen or permanent resident. I am assuming I will have to use my OPT chance first then switch to a H1-B visa!! :sadface:

 

If anyone has any insight to calm my nerves a bit or simply share their experience if they have been in anything like this, please let me know :)

 

Thanks in advance!

Nidal

[DelusionalEnthusiasm]

I'm assuming your here on an F-1 visa. If this is the case you will have 60 days to secure employment from the date you graduate. If you find a good employer on your rotations, which many students do, they could initiate the H1-B process for you. However if not, or you are more picky, you can apply for the OPT visa 90 days before graduation and up to 60 days after. If you are elected the OPT visa you will have a 12 month extension on your F-1 to secure a job which will sponsor you for h1-b. From there you can get permanent residency. Just don't stay longer than 60 days after graduation without doing anything because you will be out of status and maybe automatically rejected from all future attempts for visa for several years.

Personally, I would get the OPT extension and apply for it 90 days before graduation and work on securing a job which would sponsor you.

[DelusionalEnthusiasm]

then again with how many people hooked up in my class you might end up with a good husband which would make the whole process easier ;)

[nalkafarna]

Thanks! That puts things a little bit more in perspective for me :)

the problem with your last suggestion is that my girlfriend is Spanish, she can't help me with that lol

How willing are employers to initiate H1B visa employment opportunities? There is a yearly cap on those too in the US! Do you know anyone who has done that? I am scared to get to that point and get stuck with all the private loans I already took out!

I am doing post-undergrad OPT right now so I know all about that :) Thanks again I really appreciate your response!

Nidal (a guy ;) ) I am from the Gaza Strip, Palestine!!

[kimiafelfely]

I am wondering about the same thing . What are the chances of hospitals sponsoring international PAs H1B visa? Does anyone have any ideas?

[merria]

If someone knows the answer please let me know :)

I am going to PA school and I am really scared that I would not get a job after graduate because i am here on F1 VISA and from what I have heard, It's unlikely that  hospitals/employers will sponsor H1B visa because it's extra work and complicated.

[DelusionalEnthusiasm]

Do a good job on rotations, maybe someone will offer a job and sponsor you

[ishtyaq]

If someone knows the answer please let me know :)

I am going to PA school and I am really scared that I would not get a job after graduate because i am here on F1 VISA and from what I have heard, It's unlikely that  hospitals/employers will sponsor H1B visa because it's extra work and complicated.

You will have to start looking at the rotation sites and talk to your peers about them. Find out areas where they speak your native language as that can help. I don't know how your school does it.

This is the time you should start look at job boards and see whats being offered in terms of non US PA's. 

Just be patient, and don't let this affect your studies. 

Lemme know if this helps.

[merria]

You will have to start looking at the rotation sites and talk to your peers about them. Find out areas where they speak your native language as that can help. I don't know how your school does it.

This is the time you should start look at job boards and see whats being offered in terms of non US PA's. 

Just be patient, and don't let this affect your studies. 

Lemme know if this helps.

Thank you for the info! if you know any suggestion on finding job boards that offer non US PAs and willing to sponsor, please let me know :)

[balsam88]

I'm a Canadian PA student graduating in May. I did apply for the OPT extension, but unsure on where to look for an employer who's willing to sponsor me under the H1B visa. I'm finding this to be really stressful. I wish PA's were covered under the TN status.

[balsam88]

Should I just contact the hospitals in the area and ask them if they would sponsor PA's under H1B?

[warningsign]

Guys, I have a huge issue:

 

I am a Canadian F-1 student who was just accepted to a PA program. The program has told me that they do accept international students, but I am one of the first to actually need an F-1 visa. My question for you guys is, how did your program go about handling working in hospitals during the program? 

 

For example, the campus I will attend has a VA hospital (among several others), where they are asking us to go and see patients as part of one of the courses. They have sent a lot of the paperwork over to me to be allowed to work at the VA hospital (without compensation) but some of it requires me to fill out employment authorization. I have an EAD card now because I am on OPT. Then the second year of the program will be all rotations, and occasionally that will be off-campus and in different cities. So, did that count as on-campus employment for you, or did you have to sign up for CPT? I was told that if I did do CPT for more than 20 hours a week and 12 months, I cannot do OPT, which is a huge problem, because then I have no idea how to get a job! And, if on-campus work is accepted, it can only be 20 hours/week.

 

I would really appreciate any insight into this, as no one in my program seems to have any idea what to do, and I am so worried that it will ruin my chances of going forth with my career. 

 

Thank you in advance for your help.

[balsam88]

 

Guys, I have a huge issue:

 

I am a Canadian F-1 student who was just accepted to a PA program. The program has told me that they do accept international students, but I am one of the first to actually need an F-1 visa. My question for you guys is, how did your program go about handling working in hospitals during the program? 

 

For example, the campus I will attend has a VA hospital (among several others), where they are asking us to go and see patients as part of one of the courses. They have sent a lot of the paperwork over to me to be allowed to work at the VA hospital (without compensation) but some of it requires me to fill out employment authorization. I have an EAD card now because I am on OPT. Then the second year of the program will be all rotations, and occasionally that will be off-campus and in different cities. So, did that count as on-campus employment for you, or did you have to sign up for CPT? I was told that if I did do CPT for more than 20 hours a week and 12 months, I cannot do OPT, which is a huge problem, because then I have no idea how to get a job! And, if on-campus work is accepted, it can only be 20 hours/week.

 

I would really appreciate any insight into this, as no one in my program seems to have any idea what to do, and I am so worried that it will ruin my chances of going forth with my career. 

 

Thank you in advance for your help.

 

 

I'm not sure what tou mean by on-campus employment? I'm a Canadian student attending the program under the F-1 status. During the didactic year I didn't need any additional paperwork even though I did go to different hospitals 12 times during the year to do H&P's. But nothing additional was required. For the clinical year I had to do the CPT for each new rotation (if it's at a different location), and that wasn't considered an employement. As long as the total duration isn't more than 364 days then you're good to apply for an OPT. My university had an international students department that took care of this stuff.

[clyde91]

I'm not sure what tou mean by on-campus employment? I'm a Canadian student attending the program under the F-1 status. During the didactic year I didn't need any additional paperwork even though I did go to different hospitals 12 times during the year to do H&P's. But nothing additional was required. For the clinical year I had to do the CPT for each new rotation (if it's at a different location), and that wasn't considered an employement. As long as the total duration isn't more than 364 days then you're good to apply for an OPT. My university had an international students department that took care of this stuff.

Hi Balsam88, I just want to know how one can find out if the clinical portion of PA program does not exceed 365 days ? I am really scared to lose OPT privilege after completing the program.

[parackat]

Hi there, 

I noticed that there are couple Canadians in this group who graduated from a US PA school. Since 2015, I was wondering if you had a hard time securing a job considering you needed to find a hospital to sponsor your H1 visa? Given a large number of PAs graduating each year in the US, would you say that it's extremely hard for a Canadian citizen to find a PA job there upon graduation?