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Citizenship: Or are you looking for … Or do you want to find occupational therapy jobs in the United States? US Occupational TherapistsAlmost all states/jurisdictions have some form of regulation of occupational therapists. The basic process for licensure involves having graduated from an accredited occupational therapy education program and completed fieldwork requirements, and having passed the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT) certification exam. If you hold a license to practice in one US state, endorsement is often possible. Contact the licensing body in the state you wish to work for more information. Occupational Therapists from Canada or MexicoOccupational therapists trained outside of the US must apply to the Occupational Therapist Eligibility Determination (OTED) program. There are two categories of application: Category A: For those with a post-baccalaureate degree from an accredited occupational therapy education program recognized by NBCOT (ACOTE or WFOT). Category B: For those who have graduated from an accredited occupational therapy education program recognized by NBCOT (ACOTE or WFOT) and who can present evidence of academic equivalence to American occupational therapy educational standards. All applicants must also meet ACOTE or WFOT requirements for supervised fieldwork. Other requirements include English-language proficiency testing (most Canadians are exempt), professional regulation history (if applicable), and professional practice history (if applicable). If an OT's background is favorably assessed, s/he can then write the NBCOT certification exam. Additionally, the visa credential verification requirement that was instituted by the US Department of Homeland Security in July 2004 for some healthcare professions does pertain to OTs. You can obtain this by applying through the CGFNS website or through the NBCOT website. If going through CGFNS, the program is referred to as VisaScreen; if going through NBCOT, it is referred to as the Visa Credential Verification Certificate (VCVC). Generally speaking, the process includes an educational review, licensure review, English language skills assessment (*most Canadians are exempt), and supervised clinical experience assessment. What is required for the visa credential verification? • The applicant must complete
the visa credential verification application. These
can be downloaded from the CGFNS
website or the NBCOT
website.
• The applicant must include
a passport-sized photo (as of January 1, 2006).
• The applicant must complete
the forms (that come with the application) and send
these to her/his OT school. The OT school must fill
in information on the form and send a transcript
directly to the CGFNS/ICHP or NBCOT.
• The applicant must complete
the forms (that come with the application) and send
them to his/her licensing authority/authorities.
Validations of all past and present licenses
must be sent directly to CGFNS/ICHP or NBCOT by the
licensing authority/authorities.
• If not exempt (most Canadian
are), the applicant must successfully complete an
English language proficiency test and have the scores
directly sent to CGFNS/ICHP or NBCOT by the testing
agency. (Scores are valid for two years.)
• The applicant must have
details of her/his supervised clinical fieldwork,
including the name(s) and credential(s) of the supervisor(s)
of her/his fieldwork, as well as the number of hours/weeks
of each experience and types of clients, forwarded
to the CGFNS/ICHP or NBCOT.
• The applicant must attach
a copy of her/his high school diploma. A clear photocopy
is permissible.
• The applicant must enclose
the application fee (by international money order/certified
bank check in US funds, or Visa, MasterCard, or [CGFNS
only] Discover/Novus card). Canadians and Mexicans who graduated from a US OT school must also complete the VisaScreen process. VISA Information: Under NAFTA, OTs who are citizens of Canada or Mexico are eligible for TN visas to work in the US. Under NAFTA, Canadians receive TN-1 visas and Mexicans receive TN-2 visas. Canadians can apply for a TN-1 visa at Class A US Ports of Entry; Mexicans must apply for their TN-2 visa at a US Consulate. No sponsorship is required for Canadians or Mexicans. However, you will still need to provide proof of an offer of employment from your employer in the US, and meet the minimum education, experience and licensing requirements (as above). Documents required for TN visa:
The duration of the TN visa is set for an initial period of one year. An unlimited number of one-year extensions may be subsequently obtained so long as you can show that the employment remains temporary, and that you continue to be qualified to work in your profession. Occupational Therapists from Outside North AmericaNon-North American OTs will also need to complete the process of evaluating, testing, and screening described above for Canadians and Mexicans. Visa Information: You are required to have a US work visa before being allowed entry to the US and employment in the US, and usually sponsorship is required. Those who are not citizens of Canada or Mexico are not covered by NAFTA visa policies. Please contact the nearest US Embassy or Consulate to inquire about obtaining a US work visa. You can also find more information about various types of immigrant and non-immigrant employment visas on the US Citizenship and Immigration Services website and on the State Department.
Updated on November 3, 2008. Discuss This ArticleHave something you'd like to say? Tell us what you think! Read and post comments for this article. Like this article? Read more! Browse our archive of 1,663 career resources. Also, see our master index of all MedHunters articles! Find a JobChoose your career: MedHunters is the world's biggest healthcare job board. Our job directory has 17,260 jobs with 2,476 hospitals and other direct employers. We want you to find your next job on MedHunters. Need Help? Call us at 1-888-884-8242, email us at info@medhunters.com or sign up now. Have an article or story for MedHunters? Email us today at submissions@medhunters.com. |
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