Other Statement of Need

[Barefootsnail123]

As a first-year medical resident on Optional Practical Training (OPT) attempting to transition to a J1 Visa, I'm here to share my experience and journey in the United States for the past 15 years.
I arrived here as a sophomore in high school by myself, not knowing any English. Gradually, I became aware that in this country, success in life is largely dependent on language proficiency. I vigorously studied English and by the end of senior year, I decided to pursue human biology with the intention of attending medical school after college. Time flew by as I worked hard. I completed college, returned to my home country to fulfill military duty, and applied to medical school in the United States, all the while knowing that I had an incredibly low chance of even being accepted. I am grateful that I was accepted to medical school in the US. Over the next 4 years, I worked diligently and was matched to my preferred specialty.
Throughout my time in the United States, I was on a student visa. My mom has spent a tremendous amount of money paying for all my schooling with cash. Currently, I am a PGY1. As I apply for a J1 Visa, I have encountered roadblock after roadblock. I am tired and haven't slept well for the past week, knowing that in 2 months, I won't be able to advance to PGY2 because my government cannot provide a statement of need. I am broken down and I just need a place to share.
As I try to finish my residency in the US, part of me has made peace with either decision, whether I stay or go. I feel sorry for my mom, who has worked incredibly hard for the past 15 plus years to support me through high school, college, and medical school. I feel sorry that she had to spend half a million dollars on me for me to not be able to finish my residency. To be honest, I'm not even angry. Life is not fair, and I know that I need to treasure what I do have instead of envying the things I don't. Good luck, guys, and thanks for reading.
In short: after spending over 1 decade in the US and half a million dollar, I might not be able to work as PGY2 due to visa issue.

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[Dio84]

oh my goodness - this is devastating. I'm so so sorry. There is a doctor on insta @bawsedoctor who went through something similar (not able to get SON from Singapore). Having done a PGY1 year would make you eligible for working in NZ like she did - you could potentially take a year off and try to re: match and get H1b?
Look up @bawsedoctor.

 

[Barefootsnail123]

oh my goodness - this is devastating. I'm so so sorry. There is a doctor on insta @bawsedoctor who went through something similar (not able to get SON from Singapore). Having done a PGY1 year would make you eligible for working in NZ like she did - you could potentially take a year off and try to re: match and get H1b?
Look up @bawsedoctor.

thank you! I'll definitively check it out

 

[CCM-MD]

Why J1 and not H1b? Have you taken Step 3? If not, take step 3 asap and try to get your institution to apply for an H1b for you. They may have a policy of “no h1b” but there are always exceptions that can be made, if you can get through to the right person. There is always the option of reapplying for a PGY2 position at a program that offers H1b. The battle is not over, don’t give up just yet.

 

[kacelius]

As a first-year medical resident on Optional Practical Training (OPT) attempting to transition to a J1 Visa, I'm here to share my experience and journey in the United States for the past 15 years.
I arrived here as a sophomore in high school by myself, not knowing any English. Gradually, I became aware that in this country, success in life is largely dependent on language proficiency. I vigorously studied English and by the end of senior year, I decided to pursue human biology with the intention of attending medical school after college. Time flew by as I worked hard. I completed college, returned to my home country to fulfill military duty, and applied to medical school in the United States, all the while knowing that I had an incredibly low chance of even being accepted. I am grateful that I was accepted to medical school in the US. Over the next 4 years, I worked diligently and was matched to my preferred specialty.
Throughout my time in the United States, I was on a student visa. My mom has spent a tremendous amount of money paying for all my schooling with cash. Currently, I am a PGY1. As I apply for a J1 Visa, I have encountered roadblock after roadblock. I am tired and haven't slept well for the past week, knowing that in 2 months, I won't be able to advance to PGY2 because my government cannot provide a statement of need. I am broken down and I just need a place to share.
As I try to finish my residency in the US, part of me has made peace with either decision, whether I stay or go. I feel sorry for my mom, who has worked incredibly hard for the past 15 plus years to support me through high school, college, and medical school. I feel sorry that she had to spend half a million dollars on me for me to not be able to finish my residency. To be honest, I'm not even angry. Life is not fair, and I know that I need to treasure what I do have instead of envying the things I don't. Good luck, guys, and thanks for reading.
In short: after spending over 1 decade in the US and half a million dollar, I might not be able to work as PGY2 due to visa issue.

Have you checked if you are eligible for O visa? . Its a much easier visa considering your J1 issues to get into if your sponsoring institution can do it. Check with your immigration officer. You will have to volunteer to pay for visa fees.

 

[nala97]

why not apply to an h1b program? Being an USMD your chances would be great. Please don’t give up

 

[kacelius]

H1B involves lot of money(At least 10K) and one has to complete step 3 for that. 98% of programs don't want spend money on residents. They will easily throw you under the bus and get a new resident. Its very easy for them that way, than deal with visa problem.

 

[s5260205]

The advantage of being a US medical student despite needing a visa is that you have OPT for your intern year which is done through your school and not hospital. This is advantageous because the hospital would then have the time (full year) to apply for H1b for you during your PGY-1 year. In contrast to IMG, you do not need to complete step 3 for H1b purposes, though it is still recommended to get it done in your PGY-1 year.

For US medical students who require visa sponsorship, there are a finite number of hospitals across US that sponsor H1b but they are there. Most programs would clearly state whether they sponsor visa and what kind of visa they sponsor. I would encourage most students to target H1b-sponsoring programs and only go on J1 if absolutely necessary to avoid needing to complete J1 waiver to stay in US (3-year contract in an underserved, and often less desirable, area where you do not have the flexibility to quit even if you absolutely hate work there). J1 also has the disadvantage that even if you are able to obtain permanent residence through other means (e.g., family, spouse, etc.), you still need to complete J1 waiver before you can obtain green card. The downside of H1b is that very few fellowship programs sponsor it, so you would be limited in your selection (just like for residency programs), but you can again apply selectively to hospitals that sponsor H1b.