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Citizenship: Or are you looking for … US Physical TherapistsYou are eligible to work anywhere in the United States, but you need to be licensed in the state where you'd like to work. Individual states are responsible for issuing their own license for physical therapists to practice. Therefore, applicants are should contact the licensing body in the state in which they wish to work, in order to confirm the specific requirements for that state. In general, however, if you currently hold a license to practice in one US State, endorsement is often possible. Please contact the appropriate state licensing body for more information. Physical Therapists from Canada or MexicoPhysical Therapists should go to the website of a formal credential evaluating agency, such as the Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) or International Consultants of Delaware, Inc. (ICD), a division of CGFNS, to obtain an application for credentials evaluation. The evaluation will analyze your education/licensure and present it in terms of US comparability. The evaluation can be used for licensure, certification, etc. purposes. If your credentials are favorably assessed, you contact the licensing body in the state you want to work, and they will approve your eligibility to write (like PTs from the USA) the national exam, called the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE), which is provided through the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). Some states also require that PTs write a jurisprudence exam through the FSBPT. Additionally, the VisaScreen requirement that was instituted by the US Department of Homeland Security in July 2004 for some healthcare professions does pertain to physical therapists. VisaScreen for physical therapists includes an educational review, licensure review, English language skills assessment (*most Canadians are exempt), and supervised clinical experience assessment. What exactly is required for the VisaScreen? • The applicant must complete
the VisaScreen application. These can be downloaded
from the CGFNS
website.
• The applicant must include
a passport-sized photo (as of January 1, 2006).
• The applicant must complete
the forms (that come with the VisaScreen application)
and send these to her/his PT school. The PT school
must fill in information on the form and send a transcript
directly to the CGFNS/ICHP.
• The applicant must complete
the forms (that come with the VisaScreen application)
and send them to his/her licensing authority/authorities.
Validations of all past and present licenses
must be sent directly to the CGFNS/ICHP by the licensing
authority/authorities.
• If not exempt (most Canadians
are), the applicant must successfully complete an
English language proficiency test and have the scores
directly sent to the CGFNS/ICHP by the testing agency.
(Scores are valid for two years.)
• The applicant must provide
a self-reported, typewritten summary of his/her clinical
experience which includes dates of each supervised
clinical experience, type of facility in which each
clinical experience took place, overall focus of
each clinical experience (e.g. pediatrics), and approximate
number of patients cared for during each experience
in the following age ranges: 0-18, 19-55, 56+.
• 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 Discover/Novus
card). Canadians and Mexicans who graduated from a US PT school must also complete the VisaScreen process. VISA Information: Under NAFTA, PTs 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. Physical Therapists from Outside North AmericaNon-North American physical therapists will also need to complete the process of evaluating, testing, and screening described above for Canadians and Mexicans. Additionally, however, 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.
Updated on August 21, 2007. 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 1,509 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 16,633 jobs with 2,439 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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