The OPT Visa Advantage for H1B Wishers

For those of you who are currently doing a Masters or a PhD in the USA on a F1 student visa and are planning to participate in the Residency Match, try your best to save your OPT (Optional Practical Training) visa status to your advantage. Some Tips and points :

1. On your ERAS application - choose 'EAD' (Employee Authorization Document) as your visa status

2. You can start your residency on OPT visa - some residency programs even mention this on their websites - for example this is what the psychiatry residency program at Drexel University Says:
"typically we sponsor H visas only if the applicant already has an H Visa with enough years remaining on it to complete the residency program or if the candidate has an F Visa with an OPT extension that can be used until the H visa cap opens up in October of the candidate’s PGY-1 year"

3. This means you have more time to have your H1 / J1 done than others who don't have this comfort :-) Explain this to the PD during your interview...

4. Also, with the same argument as in point 3, when you are vying for that H1b visa - you could buy more time for completing your USMLE Step 3 from your prospective PDs

5. So try to save most of your OPT visa status for a residency and graduate from your MS / PhD accordingly !

6. Another distinct advantage : when you work for sometime on OPT and then head back to your country for the H1B Visa stamp , you will be able to show good proof that you are indeed working in a hospital (in the form of pay-stubs from the residency program, pictures with your team, hospital, etc.), which reduces chances of a H1B visa being rejected.

7. A small advantage on the financial side: An OPT-Visa is a student visa and as per the IRS rules - two taxes do not apply on that visa: Medicare tax and Social Security tax, saving you 7% to 8% of your taxable stipend, while Federal and State taxes will still apply. For other visas and US citizen residents, there has been a controversy as to whether residents should be viewed as students or employees for tax-purposes ? Several University and University-affiliated residency programs have won the battle and have waived off Medicare and Social Security taxes for their residents, but I don't think residents in community hospital based programs have that advantage, since they are employed by the hospital and not an academic institution ! Will cover that later elsewhere

8. Having said this, lemme also add that sometimes, the program directors may not be comfortable to have you start on an OPT visa, since the work-authorization clause on an OPT says that the work must in a field related to your Masters / PhD subject - but some programs do accept these. You may have to talk them into it and provide resources and documentation about what an OPT visa is (Like, Carry printouts off the web during your interview day)

9. Another point - Non-US Citizens graduating from U.S. Medical Schools (who are also classified as American Medical Grads - they are NOT IMGs) - also find the OPT Visa useful, since they usually do their medical schools on F1 visas.


Q. Can a residency be done on a F-1 Student Visa ?

A. No ! As per the Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) rules, An F1 visa student is only permitted to work for a maximum of 20 hours a week, on-campus, during regular semester days. More than that is permitted only during the summer semester, during an approved graduate school internship (CPT) or during the 1-year OPT period. Hence, an F1-visa would not qualify for a medical residency - Even the transitional or preliminary year cannot be done on a F1 student visa.





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