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We have two office locations in Florida for your convenience.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL., OFFICE:
5505 38th Ave North
St Petersburg, FL., 33710
Phone: (727) 323-8188

VENICE, FL., OFFICE:
1890 South Tamiami Trail Suite A
Venice, FL., 34293
Phone: (941) 447-2885

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Foreign Medical Graduates

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Naturalization is a way to become a United States citizen that requires an affirmative application and satisfaction of statutory eligibility requirements. The law provides special derivative status to those persons who have been naturalized. There are certain general requirements for naturalization. The applicant:

  1. must be a lawful permanent resident
  2. must be 18 years of age at time of filing of naturalization application
  3. must believe in the principles of the United States Constitution and have favorable disposition to the Good Order and Happiness of the United States.
  4. must have good moral character
  5. must be knowledgeable about the history and government of the United States
  6. must be read and speak English

Our law firm takes the naturalization process very seriously. Becoming a United States citizen is a privilege and NOT A RIGHT. You must prove yourself worthy of this privilege. If you truly, in your heart, wish to become a United States citizen we will be honored to help you.

What you do after you become a United States citizen is up to you, MAKE THE MOST OF IT!

FOREIGN MEDICAL GRADUATES

The United States needs qualified medical graduates, physicians as well as nurses. This page is specifically designed for medical doctors who which to study, train, work, in the United States. This information is designed to educate you on the basic options available to you and is in no way intended to replace qualified legal counsel. Depending on you education, experience,background, and intentions, you will probably qualify for one or more of the following options:

Permanent Residency in the United States:

1. If you are an outstanding Doctor that has invented or came close to inventing a new procedure, treatment, or other substantial medical advancement you might qualify for a visa for those persons of extraordinary ability or an outstanding researcher/professor.

2. The second option is the employment based immigration. This process requires an offer of employment and the employing medical facility must go through a process called labor certification. This is a lengthy process that takes, depending on the area of the county where you will be employed, six months to three years. This process MUST be completed before you begin work.

Non-Immigrant Options:

1. H-1B visa. You can apply for this visa or change status here in the United States or abroad. THIS VISA WILL ALLOW YOU TO REMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES TO APPLY FOR PERMANENT RESIDENCY. To qualify for this visa you must have:

a. A full-time offer of employment from a U.S. employer AND

b. A degree from a medical school in the United States or a foreign country AND

c. A license in the state of intended employment AND

d. Completed the Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX) or the United States Medical licensing Examination (USMLE) part I, II & III, and competency in written and oral English.

2. TN visa. The TN visa is available for nationals from Canada and Mexico. It is issued for those physicians who intend to work in the United States as teaching or research physicians. The FLEX/USMLE is not required, however a medical degree from a state medical license must be presented to obtain this visa. The TN is fairly easy to obtain because it is issued immediately upon presentation of the application at the port of entry.

3. J-1 visa. The J-1 visa requires sponsorship by an organization approved by the Department of State. Furthermore, the foreign medical graduate needs to:

a. Have adequate prior education and training that fits with the proposed position AND

b. Have compency in written and oral English AND

c. Have completed the Federation Licensing Examination (FLEX) or the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) part I, II, & III.

The J-1 visa has a residency requirement. This requires the physician to return home for two years before the physician can apply for a different visa, change status, or apply for permanent residence. A waiver for this residency requirement us possible, however, very difficult to receive. The possible waivers for this requirement are issued from the Department of State:

a. Hardship waiver- 3 to 4 months processing time.

b. Persecution waiver- 3 to 4 months processing time.

c. Interested Government Agency- 4 to 6 weeks processing time.

d. Conrad State 30- 6 to 8 weeks processing time.

As you can see, where there is a will there is a way. I am here to help you practice medicine in this country.