Obtaining a Visa
The two most common visas granted for a residency are the J1 and H1B.
J1 - Visitor Exchange Visa
The J1 visa is given more often than H1B by programs. In fact most university based hospitals offer only J1. The main problem with a J1 visa is that the candidate is required to return to his/her home country after the completion of residency. This home country requirement is for 2 years.If a candidate wishes to continue to work in US then he may obtain a J1 waiver. For this the candidate is required to serve for a period of 3 years in a medically under served US area. After this the candidate is given H1B status.
The advantage of a J1 visa is that it is easy to get into a fellowship after the completion of residency. However the candidate will have to go through the same waiver process after completion of fellowship if he/she wishes to stay in US. Please note that the waiver process is a one time process and may be taken after the residency or fellowship.
Candidates who plan to do a fellowship and then return to their home country may prefer a J1 as it will be easier for them to get into a fellowship.
H1B Work Permit
This visa is a more difficult to get in comparison to J1 as there are fewer hospitals sponsoring it. The advantage of H1B is that after the completion of residency the candidate may take up a job and then apply for a green card.The disadvantage of this visa is that it is very difficult to get a fellowship. The reason is that the H1B visa is valid for 3 years and can be extended for another 3 years only. Therefore most fellowship programs do not want to take the risk of having a candidate leave the fellowship program in between.
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