Medical Immigration Attorney for Doctors and Physicians

The United States relies on foreign medical workers — including doctors, surgeons, specialist, nurses and medical researchers — to fill the gaps in the country’s healthcare system. With immigration, doctors and other medical personnel are always in demand. Find an experienced physician immigration attorney to get doctors green cards and nurses visas, or whatever is appropriate. Call Kats Immigration Law in New York City before you submit your immigration application to increase your chance of success.

Why Does U.S. Healthcare System Need Medical Immigration?

Medical immigrants, including doctors and other healthcare professionals, supplement an industry that has become dangerously understaffed, as evidenced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Foreign-born physicians make up 28 percent of the country’s doctors and surgeons. Immigration doctors in the United Stated healthcare system keep many people out of medical facilities and care for those who need them.

The immigration of nurses, doctors, specialists and other medical personnel help fill the ranks in the U.S. healthcare system, providing services to meet the increasing demand. The country’s physician immigration programs also contribute to medical research. This employment-based immigration into the U.S. offers a range of visas and green cards, opening the gates to greater job flexibility, freedom from employer sponsorship and a path to citizenship.

To decide which immigration option is best for you, find an expert physician immigration attorney. Kats Immigration Law in New York City provides solutions to all your immigration questions and problems. Led by Alina Kats, this law firm allows for remote consultations, if you can’t get to their Brooklyn or Manhattan office.

What Are the Visa Options for Doctors and Other Medical Professionals?

Different types of visa categories are available for doctors, surgeons, physicians, medical researchers and other medical professionals to work in the U.S. These visa options include:

• H-1B visa. For this visa, a U.S. employer has to sponsor you. The visa lasts up to three years, but you can extend it to six years. The annual cap is about 85,000 visas.
• J-1 visa. This visa is for foreign doctors enrolled in U.S. medical training programs, including fellowships or residencies. It’s suitable for you if you’re training and ready to meet the home residency requirements.
• O-1 visa. This visa is for people who have extraordinary abilities in a specific industry, such as medicine, business or the sciences. Initially for about three years, you can extend it in one-year increments. The government has placed no annual cap on this visa.
• EB-2 visa. This visa is for foreigners with advanced degrees. If you’re a doctor who’s willing to work in underserved areas, this visa can lead to a doctors green card. The visa initially lasts up to three years, but you have unlimited renewals.

Because you face so many choices, from visas to green cards, you need the guidance of a respected medical immigration lawyer. Nurses and doctors are always in demand in the U.S. Kats Immigration Law can match you with a physician immigration lawyer who have experience getting green cards for doctors and nurses.

How Easy Is It to Get a Doctors Green Card?

Obtaining a doctors green card can be challenging. You can self-petition with a National Interest Waiver by showing the public benefit of your work. Alternatively, you can find an employer to sponsor you through a PERM labor certification.

To plan and execute this complicated administrative process, your physician immigration attorney at Kats Immigration Law makes sure you meet all the requirements and have all the information you need for your application. In addition to the immigration requirements, you need to meet another set of requirements to practice medicine in the U.S., including:

• Educational credentials. Immigration official verify your medical degrees. You must complete all required medical exams, like the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination.
• You may also need to take additional exams to get a state license. Plus, you may need proof of residency.
• English proficiency. Proving yourself proficient in the English language is accomplished through standardized tests, like the Test of English as a Foreign Language or the International English Language Testing System.

How Can a Physician Immigration Lawyer Improve My Chances for a Successful Application?

Starting your physician immigration journey into the U.S. can be daunting because the country’s policies keep changing. Talk to a medical immigration lawyer to plan your steps and ensure you have the necessary documentation.

A physician immigration attorney knows how to obtain green cards for doctors and other medical professionals. Your lawyer navigates through the process and provides guidance in ways that include:

• Staying up-to-date with the changing laws and policies, making sure you’re complying with the rules and regulations to increase your chance of success
• Conducting a thorough assessment of your documents and credentials to determine the most appropriate visa category, since your immigration path should align with your career goals and professional background
• Helping you fill out the complex forms and making sure every detail is accurate and submitted on time
• Communicating with the authorities on your behalf
• Handling any denials, rejections and other issues or problems that can come up in the process

What Happens if My Immigration Application Fails?

If you do encounter a visa rejection, you need a physician immigration lawyer to help mitigate the situation and explain your options. After a visa application rejection, you may experience:

• Notice of reasons. If your visa isn’t approved, you receive a notice explaining why, including any problems with your documentation, eligibility, health or background. You need to understand the rejection so you can avoid mistakes in future visa applications.
• Reapplication process. You may have the opportunity to reapply after addressing the problems, which may include adding documents or getting an immigration waiver.
• An attorney consultation. For easier immigration, doctors should discuss their situation with an immigration attorney to get legal advice.
• Changes to immigration path. You may consider another visa category that fits you better.

In case of rejection, you can appeal to the Board of Immigration Appeals. The BIA reviews the immigration judges’ decision to determine if they were correct on legal grounds and supported by the supporting evidence. An experienced physician immigration attorney helps you file the appeal for the best chance of success.

Whether you’re a foreign doctor, surgeon, nurse or other healthcare worker, you benefit by having a legal advocate when you start your immigration process. Hand your concerns over to Kats Immigration Law in Manhattan, Brooklyn or virtually. Contact them today.