The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) is pleased to announce the launch of the National Occupational Therapy Examination and Practice Preparation (OTepp) Project – a 27 month initiative in partnership with McMaster University School of Rehabilitation and funded by the Government of Canada’s Foreign Credential Recognition Program.

The focus of the OTepp Program is to assist internationally educated occupational therapists (IEOTs) as they seek to transition into practice in Canada. The project includes a needs assessment process that will assist IEOTs to determine their individual needs.

“The OTepp project will build upon previous work of McMaster University to develop a flexible national curriculum that can be delivered by occupational therapy education programs across Canada.,” says Dr. Claudia von Zweck, Executive Director, CAOT. “Participants will need to achieve an average of 60% on all assignments in order to pass the course upon which successful completion will be recognized by some regulatory bodies towards the completion of currency hours.“

For more information, please contact:

Cheryl Evans
Communications Coordinator
The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists
613-523-2268 ext. 225

Source: CAOT

Click here to view the official document released by U.S. Department of State.

According to Immspec.com (U.S. Immigration Forms Processing Service for Foreign Nurses and Pharmacists), a company that describes itself as “an in-house immigration administration support specialist”, the Visa Screening program is described as follows:

Visa screening program verifies that the education of an alien healthcare worker seeking job in the United States is equivalent to that of his/her US educated counter part

An overview of visa screen certification:

U.S. immigration law now requires that healthcare professionals (except physicians) qualified outside the United States complete a screening program in order to qualify for certain US working visas. VisaScreen™, also known as Visa Credentials Assessment, enables healthcare workers to meet this requirement by verifying and evaluating their credentials to ensure compliance with the government’s minimum eligibility standards.

VisaScreen™ program is administrated by the International Commission on Healthcare Professions (ICHP), which is a division of CGFNS (Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools). Candidates who successfully complete this program receive a VisaScreen™ Certificate. This certification authenticates that the foreign national’s education, license, training, and experience are comparable to that of a US healthcare professional.

Visa screen certificate can be presented to a consulate office, or in the case of Adjustment of Status, the Attorney General, as part of application process of an occupational visa. The visa screening program normally involves licensure verification, educational credentialing, English language proficiency testing (TOEFL, TSE, TWE), and a predictive exam (CGFNS Certificate).

The healthcare professionals who are required to obtain a VisaScreen™ Certificate before they can get an immigrant visa or permanent residence (“green card”) include occupational therapists, physical therapists, nurses, speech-language pathologists, medical technicians (or clinical laboratory technicians), medical technologists (or clinical laboratory scientists), and physician assistants. With respect to the green card process, the VisaScreen Certificate is not required for an employer to file an I-140 immigrant petition on behalf of a foreign national to sponsor them for lawful permanent residence (i.e. green card). However, once the I-140 immigrant petition is approved, the beneficiary and foreign national must obtain the VisaScreen Certificate before they can be issued an immigrant visa.

To satisfy all federal screening requirements, a VisaScreen™ evaluation includes:

Educational Review
To make sure that the candidate’s education:

• Meets all appropriate, statutory and regulatory requirements for the occupation the applicant intends to practice.
• Is equivalent to that of a U.S. graduate seeking licensure.

Licensure Review

• To assess initial and current licenses, provided directly to ICHP by the issuing/validating institution, to confirm the applicant has completed all practice requirements and has no encumbrances.

English Language Skills Assessment

• To confirm that the applicant has reached a level of competency in oral and written English by submitting passing scores on a test approved by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Education.

(Take a look at the passing scores you will need to obtain – English Passing Scores)

Healthcare workers other than nurses do not need the NCLEX exam or CGFNS Certificate in order to apply for the Visa Screen Certificate.

For foreign-trained Occupational Therapists working in the United States, there are 2 agencies authorized that may issue the Visa Screen (valid for 5 years only) depending on the state where the educational credentialling is processed — the National Board of Certification of Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) and the CGFNS/ICHP. For example, in the state of New York, the educational credentialling agency is CGFNS/ICHP, whereas the states of Missouri, Texas, and Oklahoma, visa screening is done through the NBCOT. The difference?

NBCOT: Visa Credential Verification Certificate (VCVC)

Access the link at the NBCOT website.

1. All first-time and renewing applicants are required to have passed the national certification examination for occupational therapists. Required within 1 year of passing the NBCOT.

2. First-time applicants are required to pass the English language proficiency tests (TOEFL, TSE, TWE or TOEFL iBT).

3. Renewing applicants, however, are not required to take the English language tests PROVIDED that they have not lived outside the U.S. for 3 consecutive years within the last 5 years prior to the renewal date.

4. Initial Certificate fee processing is $300.00 and certification renewal fee is $150.00

CGFNS/ICHP: Visa Screen Certificate

Access the link at the CGFNS website.

1. All first-time and renewing applicants are not required to pass the national certification examination examination for occupational therapists. Required for applicants currently processing immigration adjustment of status, who wish to be admitted, re-admitted, or extend their stay in the U.S. on or after July 26, 2004.

2. First-time and renewing applicants are required to keep their English proficiency test scores current (TOEFL, TSE, TWE or TOEFL iBT).

3. Initial certificate processing fee is $498.00, and certification renewal is $250.00.

NOTE: English proficiency test result validity is 2 years from examination date.

_____________________________

USCIS CLARIFIES QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER VISAS

The United States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS) has recently been misinterpreting the educational requirements sited in the 2008-09 Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the U.S. Department of Labor. This language misinterpretation has had a devastating impact on internationally educated occupational therapists who are either applying for or renewing their visas.

The NBCOT has been informed of a newly released Memorandum of Understanding from the USCIS. The memorandum clarifies the educational requirements of individuals seeking visas to perform services in a specialty occupation (such as occupational therapy). The USCIS will approve all occupational therapists provided that the beneficiary holds at least a Bachelor’s degree. Please see the USCIS memorandum of understanding for further detail.

Occupational Therapist
Individuals pursing a career as an occupational therapist usually need to earn a master’s degree in occupational therapy from an accredited college or university, which includes 6 months of supervised fieldwork.

Education and training. A master’s degree or higher in occupational therapy is the minimum requirement for entry into the field.

Physical Therapist
Individuals pursuing a career as a physical therapist usually need a master’s degree from an accredited physical therapy program and a State license, requiring passing scores on national and State examinations.

Education and training. According to the American Physical Therapy Association, there were 209 accredited physical therapist education programs in 2007. Of the accredited programs, 43 offered master’s degrees and 166 offered doctoral degrees. Only master’s degree and doctoral degree programs are accredited, in accordance with the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education. In the future, a doctoral degree might be the required entry-level degree. Master’s degree programs typically last 2 years, and doctoral degree programs last 3 years.

The Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) and the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc (NBCOT) have written the following letters to USCIS. We hope this matter has been settled.

• FCCPT letter re language in final PT report
• NBCOT Letter No. 1
• NBCOT Letter No. 2

USCIS to Offer Premium Processing for Certain Form I-140 Petitions
Service Begins June 16, 2008

WASHINGTON — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that on June 16, 2008, it will begin accepting Premium Processing Service requests for Forms I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker) filed on behalf of certain alien workers who are nearing the end of their sixth year in H-1B nonimmigrant status. 

Premium Processing Service offers 15 calendar-day processing for designated employment-based petitions and applications upon request.  There is a nonrefundable fee of $1000 for this service.  During the 15-day period, USCIS will issue either an approval or denial notice, a notice of intent to deny, a request for evidence, or open an investigation for fraud or misrepresentation.  USCIS previously designated certain classifications under Form I-140 for Premium Processing Service in the May 23, 2006 issue of the Federal Register.  See 71 FR 29662.

USCIS is limiting Premium Processing Service for Form I-140 petitions that are filed on behalf of aliens:

• Whose sixth year will end within 60 days;
• Who are only eligible for a further extension of H-1B nonimmigrant status under section 104(c) of the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-first Century Act of 2000 (AC21); and 
• Who are ineligible to extend their H-1B status under section 106(a) of AC21.

Section 104(c) of AC21 permits applicants to extend their stay in H-1B nonimmigrant status in increments of up to three years, provided they are the beneficiary of an approved Form I-140 and an immigrant visa is not immediately available.   Section 106(a) of AC21 permits applicants to extend their stay in H-1B nonimmigrant status in increments of up to one year, provided the Form I-140 petition or underlying labor certification has been pending for at least 365 days.

For more details on Premium Processing Service for the Form I-140 petitions described in this announcement, see the “How Do I Use the Premium Processing Service” page in the Related Links section of this page or the Fact Sheet also linked in the Related Links section.

Source: USCIS

Step 1 – Get your Skills Recognised
This is undertaken by the Australian Physiotherapy Council.

Step 2 – Register with a Physiotherapist Board
Physiotherapy Registration Boards are statutory authorities responsible for the registration of physiotherapists. Primarily the functions of the Physiotherapists Registration Boards in each State are:

• To protect public health and safety.
• Maintenance and promotion of professional standards of physiotherapy practice in each State and Territory
• To register physiotherapists
• To advise the Minister on matters relating to the standards of physiotherapy practice;
• To distribute information pertaining to Physiotherapy Registration Acts and the Regulations to physiotherapists, consumers and other interested persons.

You must register with the appropriate Physiotherapists Registration Board before practising as a physiotherapist in Australia.

Australian Capital Territory
New South Wales
Northern Territory – Ms Janette Steele, Registrar; Phone: (08) 8999 4157; Fax: (08) 8999 4196; Email: healthprofessions.ths@nt.gov.au
Queensland
South Australia
Tasmania
Western Australia
Victoria

Step 3 – Join the Australian Physiotherapy Association
Apply for membership here.

Step 4 – Purchase Professional Indemnity Insurance
It is recommended that indemnity insurance be obtained before commencing employment.

Step 5 – Obtain a Working Visa
The Department of Immigration can assist you with your applications for a working visa permit to work in Australia.

Step 6 – Find Employment
For a detailed listing of national vacancies, use the APA Classifeds.

Source: APA

WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today that it has received enough H-1B petitions to meet the congressionally mandated cap for fiscal year 2009.  USCIS has also received more than 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of persons exempt from the cap under the “advanced degree” exemption.   Before running the random selection process, USCIS will complete initial data entry for all filings received during the filing period ending on April 7, 2008.   Due to the high number of petitions, USCIS is not yet able to announce the precise day on which it will conduct the random selection process.

USCIS will carry out the computer-generated random selection process for all cap-subject petitions received.  USCIS will select the number of petitions needed to meet the caps of 65,000 for the general category and 20,000 under the “advanced degree” exemption limit. USCIS will reject, and return filing fees for all cap-subject petitions not randomly selected, unless found to be a duplicate.   USCIS will handle duplicate filings in accordance with the interim final rule published on March 24, 2008 in the Federal Register.

The agency will conduct the selection process for “advanced degree” exemption petitions first.    All “advanced degree” petitions not selected will be part of the random selection process for the 65,000 limit.

Source: USCIS

This outpouring of new information is like water gushing from faucets and will be most beneficial to all those who intend to migrate the US soon.

Rule Modifies Selection Process and Prohibits Multiple Filings

WASHINGTON - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) transmitted an interim final rule to the Federal Register today that prohibits employers from filing multiple H-1B petitions for the same employee. These changes will ensure that companies filing H-1B petitions subject to congressionally mandated numerical limits have an equal chance to employ an H-1B worker. To ensure a fair and orderly distribution of available H-1B visas, USCIS will deny or revoke multiple petitions filed by an employer for the same H-1B worker and will not refund the filing fees submitted with multiple or duplicative petitions.

This rule does not preclude related employers (such as a parent company and its subsidiary) from filing petitions on behalf of the same alien for different positions, based on a legitimate business need. The interim final rule becomes effective upon publication in the Federal Register. Last August, President Bush announced that the Administration would be undertaking a series of immigration and border security reforms. The changes to the H-1B filing process under this rule are an important part of that initiative.

On April 1, 2008, employers may file petitions requesting H-1B workers for fiscal year 2009 employment starting on October 1, 2008. For fiscal year 2009, Congress has set a limit of 65,000 for most H-1B workers. Additionally, the first 20,000 H-1B workers who have a U.S. master’s degree or higher are exempt from the cap. Under current procedures, which are not changed by this rule, once USCIS receives 20,000 petitions for aliens with a U.S. master’s degree or higher, all other cases requesting the educational exemption are counted toward the 65,000 cap. Once the 65,000 cap is reached for a fiscal year, USCIS will announce that the cap has been filled and reject further petitions subject to the cap.

This rule also stipulates that if USCIS determines the number of H-1B petitions received meets the cap within the first five business days of accepting applications for the coming fiscal year, USCIS will apply a random selection process among all H-1B petitions received during this time period. If the 20,000 advanced degree limit is reached during the first five business days, USCIS will randomly select from those petitions ahead of conducting the random selection for the 65,000 limit. Petitions subject to the 20,000 limit that are not selected in that random selection will be considered with the other H-1B petitions in the random selection for the 65,000 limit.

The rule further clarifies that USCIS will deny petitions that incorrectly claim an exemption from any H-1B numerical limits. Those filing fees will not be returned.

This interim final rule can be viewed, along with additional information on this rule and the H-1B program, at USCIS’ website at www.uscis.gov.

Source: USCIS

H-1B race begins soon … will the quota increase in the future?

On 01 April 2008, the gates will open for H-1B applications. H-1B visas are one of the most highly sought-after visa categories for employers wishing to hire skilled foreign workers for positions in the United States. The question remains whether the landscape for an H-1B visa increase will become more favorable as America gears up for the 2008 presidential election.

Last April, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received almost twice the amount of applications to fill the quota of 65,000 visas in one day. Because of this, USCIS was forced to use a computerized random selection process to fill the 65,000 places allotted by Congress. The 20,000 extra H1B exemptions for foreign Masters Graduates of US universities were reached in only one month.

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