EXPERT IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY SERVING VETERINARIANS WHO WISH TO WORK FOR ANIMAL HOSPITALS IN THE UNITED STATES

Our law firm specializes in assisting foreign national veterinarians who wish to work for American companies (located in any of the 50 states) to obtain work visas.

Veterinarians are in high demand in many parts of America and there are not enough American Veterinarians to fill all the available positions. We represent the United States' finest veterinary clinics throughout America in retaining the most talented foreign Veterinarians by successfully obtaining an H-1B visa, TN visa, or E3 visa authorizing the Veterinarian's full time work in the United States.

We can assist a Veterinarian in obtaining a work visa to enter and work in the U.S. only after they have secured a job from an American company and only after they have obtained their state license to practice veterinary medicine in the U.S. The U.S. government requires that a signed job offer from the American company and a copy of the license to practice veterinary medicine be submitted with the work visa application. We specialize in obtaining the work visa for Veterinarians to enter the U.S. and work, but we do not specialize in finding jobs or getting a state license to practice veterinary medicine.

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STATE LICENSE TO PRACTICE VETERINARY MEDICINE

Each of the 50 states of the United States has different rules on obtaining a license to practice veterinary medicine. For example, for the veterinary licencing rules for the state of Calilfornia, check the website for the California Veterinary Medical Board. Or, you can click here for the actual California license application information.

A foreign Veterinarian can google the name of the state and the words “veterinary license” to find the website of the licensing agency for the state they seek to be employed. Many of the state licensing procedures are lengthy and it can take up to a year to obtain a state license to practice veterinary medicine.

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SECURING A JOB POSITION

With regard to obtaining a Veterinary Intern, Veterinarian or Specialist Veterinarian jobs, there are two primary animal hospital chains in the U.S. that own and operate multiple animal hospitals in most of the 50 states. Their websites list the animal hospitals by state:

VCA ANIMAL HOSPITALS

BANFIELD PET HOSPITALS

In addition, there are many independent animal hospitals and clinics that are individually owned in each state. Oftentimes a potential job candidate for a Veterinary position can ask the personnel at a particular animal hospital about the licensing situation for that state. If a Veterinary position is located and being seriously considered, we can discuss how to obtain the correct visa to enter and work in the United States.

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H-1B VISA FOR VETERINARIANS FROM ANY COUNTRY (LIMITED NUMBERS DUE TO 65,000 CAP EACH YEAR)

Obtaining an approved H-1B Petition for a Veterinarian can be challenging, and requires special knowledge about DVM degrees, Specialist Veterinarians and license to practice veterinarians in all 50 states.

The USCIS began accepting applications April 1, 2010 for first time H-1B foreign workers to begin work on October 1, 2010. As of August 6, 2010, approximately 28,500 H1B cap-subject petitions were filed with the USCIS out of the 65,000 H1B work visas available in the non-Master's category and 11,900 cap-subject H1B petitions were filed in the 20,000 Master's category.

To start the H1B visa process, an application, called an H-1B Petition, must be filed by the animal hospital (called the "Petitioner") requesting permission for the foreign Veterinarian to work temporarily in the United States. This H-1B Petition must be approved by the USCIS (United States Citizenship Immigration Services) before the H-1B Veterinarian can start working in the United States.

The H-1B visa is employer specific and the job position can be part time or full time. The Veterinarian may only work for the animal hospital that was approved on the H-1B petition. Transfers of H-1B status are possible, but the new employer would need to file a new H-1B Petition. If a Veterinarian wants to work for more than one animal hospital at the same time, each employer must file separate H-1B Petitions. An animal hospital may agree to apply for permanent residence (green card) for the H-1B visa Veterinarian while they are working in H-1B visa status. The spouse and children of an H-1B visa Veterinarian may be granted H4 status, but are not allowed their own work permits.

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“ I want to thank you for getting my H1b visa. My visa appointment was cool. The Consulate Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver, Canada just asked me about the company I am going to work and my monthly salary. She checked the I-129 package you gave me and the I-797 Approval Notice you gave me and my state license to practice veterinary medicine in the US. Everything was fine and I got my H1b visa stamp in my passport within 2 days. Thanks again,”

Dr. S. N. (India) 2009, Working as a Veterinarian legally in the State of Washington

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The H-1B work visa is initially approved for three years. An extension of the H-1B work visa for an additional three year term is possible. A foriegn Veterinarian can not stay beyond the six year period in H-1B visa status unless steps have been to begin the process of permanent residency (initiated by the animal hospital).

There is a limit to the number of new H-1B petitions that the USCIS (United States Citizenship & Immigration Services) grants each year. Only the U.S. Congress has the power to raise the number of H-1B visas that are issued. This limit is currently set at 65,000 approvals of regular cap new H-1B visas per year. This limit does not apply to applications for H-1B visa transfers or extensions, only to new H-1B applications.

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TN VISAS FOR VETERINARIANS FROM CANADA & MEXICO (NO CAP ON NUMBERS ISSUED)

TN visa status is a special non-immigration status unique to citizens of Canada and Mexico. TN status was created by virtue of the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It allows Canadian and Mexican citizens the opportunity to work in the United States in certain professional occupations, such as Veterinarian, Specialist Veterinarian or Veterinarian Pathologist. Within the TN set of occupations, a Canadian Veterinarian may work in TN visa status for up to three years at a time, and a Mexican Veterinarian may work in TN visa status for one year at a time.

There are no numerical quotas for the TN visa. The TN status may be renewed indefinitely, but it is not a 'permanent' visa and if US immigration officials suspect it is being used as a de facto substitute for a green card, they may elect to deny further renewals. The TN visa is a "single intent" nonimmigrant visa, and therefore TN visa holders are not supposed to be applying for their green card while in TN visa status and are required to show continuous residence (bank statements, driver's license, tax returns) in their home country during the time they are working in the U.S. The spouse and dependent children of a TN Veterinarian can be admitted into the United States in TD status, but are not allowed work permits of their own.

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E-3 VISAS FOR VETERINARIANS FROM AUSTRALIA (10,500 ISSUED ANNUALLY)

The E-3 visa is similar in many respects to the H-1B and TN visas. Professionals such as Veterinarians are routinely approved to work in the United States in E-3 visa status. Important differences include the fact that spouses of E-3 visa holders may obtain a work permit after arriving in the United States to work for any employer, and the E-3 visa is renewable indefinitely (in two-year increments).

Australian citizens applying for an E-3 visa are not subject to the 65,000 annual visa limit for H-1B visas. Although there is a separate annual quota of 10,500 E-3 visas, this is believed to be much more generous to Australians than requiring them to compete with all other nations for H-1B visas, and thus far the annual quota has not been reached. E-3 visa Veterinarians are allowed to apply for their permanent status (green card) while in E-3 visa status.

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The Law Offices of Danielle Nelisse provides personalized attention to Veterinarians by individually analyzing their situation and presenting an effective plan of action for solving any problems. We strive to provide Veterinarians with successful results by considering all appropriate and creative options.

We will conduct a free case evaluation of each Veterinarian's case by completing each of the steps below:

• Analyze the facts of your case thoroughly
• Explain all the options for which the Vet may be eligible
• Recommend the best ways for Veterinarians to obtain legal status
• Complete and submit the work visa applications properly
• Stay current on the new visa laws that affect Veterinarians
• Avoid delays and problems with the work visa case whenever possible
• Discuss the status of the work visa case frequently
• Speak for the Veterinarian before the Dept. of Homeland Security

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