Healthcare Blog

The Fiscal Year 2012 (FY2012) H-1B cap season began on April 1, 2011. Since April 1, a mere 32,200 H-1B cap-subject Petitions have been receipted by USCIS as of September 9, 2011. This is much lower than in recent years and likely reflects the fact that US employers are not hiring workers, including foreign-national workers.

To put this in perspective, in FY 2011, which began April 1, 2010, the USCIS has receipted about 38,000 H-1Bs through September 17, 2010. Many healthcare professions ordinarily qualify for H-1B status, including Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Therapists, and some Registered Nursing positions.

For three years the H-1B demand has decreased. This is compelling evidence that H-1B workers are not used to drive down US worker’s wages. If H-1B workers were used to drive down wages, H-1B demand would remain consistent in a decreasing economy, since US employers would still want to save money on salary expenses.

MU’s Chris Musillo is one of the three presenting faculty members for the American Immigration Lawyers Association's September 13, 2011 teleconference on Consular Issues impacting Immigration: India, Philippines, and China. Chris will be speaking on hot issues effecting processing at the US Embassy in Manila.

From the AILA new release:

Which are the consular posts that process the highest volume of visa applications? What are the most common issues visa applicants and their attorneys face when dealing with these posts? Are there ways to minimize the stress involved in processing H-1Bs and Blanket L and individual L-1 applications?

The seminar wraps up with a Q&A session and will cover the following topics:

• Common Issues with H-1B, Blanket L and Individual L Applications at Post India
• Common Issues Faced by Applicants In Consular Posts In China
• Overcoming 214(b) at American Embassy in Manila When Seeking a Visa to Take a Licensing Exam
• How to Deal with Delays Caused by Administrative Processing

To register for this teleconference, please visit the AILA website. The teleconference is approved for CLE credits in most states.

The Fiscal Year 2012 (FY2012) H-1B cap season began on April 1, 2011. Since April 1, a mere 25,300 H-1B cap-subject Petitions have been receipted by USCIS as of August 12, 2011. This is much lower than in recent years and likely reflects the fact that US employers are not hiring workers, including foreign-national workers.

To put this in perspective, in FY 2011, which began April 1, 2010, the USCIS has receipted about 30,000 H-1Bs through August 1, 2010. In FY 2009, there was about 47,000 H-1Bs receipted in by USCIS through September 1, 2009. For the prior three fiscal years (FY 2006-08), the H-1B cap was reached on the very first day of filing.

Many healthcare professions ordinarily qualify for H-1B status, including Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Therapists, and some Registered Nursing positions.

For three years the H-1B demand has decreased. This is compelling evidence that H-1B workers are not used to drive down US worker’s wages. If H-1B workers were used to drive down wages, H-1B demand would remain consistent in a decreasing economy, since US employers would still want to save money on salary expenses.

The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) has announced that starting July 1, 2013, internationally educated occupational therapists will have new minimum educational standards to be eligible for the OTR Certification Exam. Internationally educated occupational therapists must either:

• Completion of an Entry-Level Bachelor’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from a government authorized and/or WFOT approved college or university occupational therapy educational program AND a Post Professional Masters Degree in Occupational Therapy OR
• Completion of an Entry-Level Master’s Degree in Occupational Therapy from a government authorized and/or WFOT approved college or university occupational therapy educational program

NBCOT’s Occupational Therapist Eligibility Determination (OTED) will be used to determine comparability to US accreditation occupational therapy educational standards and competencies. All internationally-educated occupational therapists approved for exam eligibility under current OTED eligibility standards must take and pass the OTR certification examination prior to July 1, 2013 if they do not hold an occupational therapy master’s degree deemed comparable to a U.S. entry-level accredited master’s degree in occupational therapy. After July 2013, internationally-educated occupational therapists will not be eligible for the OTR if they do not hold a US equivalent occupational therapy master’s degree.

NBCOT is the not-for-profit credentialing agency that provides certification for the occupational therapy profession.