NYC HEALTH + HOSPITALS
North Bronx Healthcare Network
1400 Pelham Pkwy. South ● Bronx, ● New York 10461

Visa Sponsorship

The information herein represents the terms and conditions for visa sponsorship for applicants for residency/fellowship positions in accredited training programs at the NYC Health and Hospital Corporation’s Jacobi Medical Center (JMC).

Jacobi Medical Center (JMC) accepts foreign national physicians who meet the eligibility and selection requirements of its accredited residency and fellowship programs. All foreign national physicians must review their visa sponsorship needs with the residency/fellowship program representative before entering into the “Match.”

Candidates should clearly understand what visa sponsorship may be available to them at JMC and understand that visa sponsorship will be based on the expectation that they meet the requirements of the specific visa and must be able to meet the start date requirement of the training program. The Human Resources Division’s Office of Medical Staff Affairs is the office responsible for the processing of employment visas for the residency/fellowship programs and no other office or person can authorize the sponsorship of visas for foreign national physicians entering residency or fellowship clinical training.

The J-1 visa has been considered the most appropriate for foreign national physicians entering the US for the purpose of receiving graduate medical education. JMC will sponsor qualified applicants for J-1 visas and will consider sponsoring H-1B applicants in certain situations. One-year preliminary program candidates will also be considered for H-1B visa sponsorship. Candidates seeking visa sponsorship should familiarize themselves with the eligibility requirements for the visa by visiting the United States’ Department of Homeland Security’s Citizenship and Immigration Services’ website and select “Working in the US”: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis

• J-1 Eligibility and Requirements
  Exchange Visitors applying for a J-1 visa must be eligible for visa sponsorship under the criteria set forth by the ECFMG, including successful completion of USMLE Steps 1 and 2 (CK & CS) and ECFMG Certification. For a full listing of eligibility requirements, please refer to the ECFMG website http://www.ecfmg.org/evsp/index.html

• H-1B Eligibility and Requirements:
  H-1B visa candidates must have successfully completed USMLE Steps 1, 2 (CK & CS), and 3 and be ECFMG certified prior to the NRMP Match before the Office of Medical Staff Affairs will consider an application for sponsorship of the H-1B visa. There is a significant expense to JMC for each H-1B petition; therefore, only fully qualified candidates will be considered for H-1B sponsorship. All candidates accepted for H-1B sponsorship, must use the services of NYC Health + Hospitals.

• F-1 Student Eligibility and Requirements:
  Foreign nationals who attended a U.S. medical school on a F-1 visa may apply for one year of Optional Practice Training (OPT) through their medical school. Processing typically takes 3 months. As part of this process, the student must obtain an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card from the USCIS. Prior to the end of the 12-month OPT period, the trainee will need to apply for another type of visa in order to continue in the training program.