Requirements for H-1B Beneficiaries Seeking to Practice in a Health Care Occupation
May 29, 2009 by Thomas Esparza
Filed under Attorneys
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Service Center Operations
Washington, DC 20529-2060
May 20, 2009
Memorandum
TO: Service Center Directors
FROM: Barbara Q Velarde /s/
Chief, Service Center Operations
SUBJECT: Requirements for H-1B Beneficiaries Seeking to Practice in a Health Care
Occupation.
1
Purpose
This memorandum clarifies the standards for adjudicating H-1B petitions filed on behalf of
beneficiaries seeking employment in a health care specialty occupation.
Adjudicators, as a starting point, can consult the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational
Outlook Handbook (OOH) to determine whether the position being offered qualifies as a
specialty occupation as defined by Section 214(i)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act
(INA or Act), consistent with the requirements found in INA 214(i)(2). Adjudicators should be
mindful, however, that in certain instances, other authoritative sources exist that indicate whether
the position in question qualifies as a specialty occupation (e.g., State licensing board standards).
Thus, the OOH is not determinative in all cases. Whenever more than one authoritative source
exists, an adjudicator should consider all of the evidence presented to determine whether a
beneficiary qualifies to perform in a specialty occupation. Specific guidance on health care
occupation standards is included below.
Guidance for Petitions in Which the Beneficiary Is in Possession of a License2
This guidance applies to H-1B beneficiaries in possession of either an unrestricted or a restricted
license to practice a health care occupation in the state of intended employment. If the petitioner
provides documentary evidence that the beneficiary has a valid license to practice a health care
1
For purposes of this memorandum, “health care occupation” refers to those professions enumerated under 8 CFR
212.15(c)
and meet the definition of specialty occupation, as defined at 8 CFR 214.2(h)(4)(ii)(4
).
2
If the beneficiary has a license to practice the health care occupation in a state other
than the state in which he/she
will be working, the adjudicator should refer to the section of this memorandum entitled “Guidance for Petitions in
Which the Beneficiary Is Not in Possession of a License”.
May 20, 2009
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Service Center Operations
Washington, DC 20529-2060
http://www.ilw.com
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Guidance on Determining the Requirements for Beneficiaries Seeking H-1B Nonimmigrant
Visas to Practice Health Care Occupations in the United States
Page 2
occupation in the state in which the beneficiary will be employed, the adjudicator should not
look beyond the license. The beneficiary will be considered to meet the qualifications to perform
services in a specialty occupation as outlined in 8 CFR 214.2(h)(4)(iii)(C)(3). However, the
petitioner will still need to provide evidence that the beneficiary is admissible under Section
212(a)(5)(C) of the Act.
3
This guidance applies regardless of whether the beneficiary is in possession of a bachelor’s
degree, master’s degree, or doctoral degree in the health care occupation.
If the beneficiary is in possession of an
unrestricted
license, and the petition is otherwise
approvable, an adjudicator should approve the petition for the full H-1B period requested — up to
three years — but may not approve the petition beyond the validity of the labor condition
application (LCA). Please be advised most states require a license to be renewed periodically. If
the beneficiary is in possession of an unrestricted license, the renewal date should not be
considered when determining the validity period of the approval.
If the beneficiary is in possession of a
restricted
license (e.g., license approved except for
mandatory supervised practice), and the petition is otherwise approvable, an adjudicator should
approve the petition for a period of one year, or the duration of the restricted license, whichever
is longer.
4
Guidance for Petitions in Which the Beneficiary Is Not in Possession of a License
In order to perform in a health care occupation, the beneficiary must obtain a license from the
state in which he/she will be working. As such, the beneficiary must meet the licensure
provisions for H classifications.
5
If the petitioner states that the beneficiary cannot obtain a
license to practice the health care occupation in the state in which the beneficiary will be
employed due to the fact that the state’s statutes mandate possession of a social security card
6
and/or a valid immigration document as evidence of employment authorization,
7
the adjudicator
must ascertain the requirements for licensure (including educational degree requirements) in the
health care occupation in that state to determine whether the beneficiary is qualified to perform
3
All aliens who wish to enter the United States to practice in a health care occupation other than as a physician must
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be found to be admissible under Section 212(a)(5)(C) of the Act. If the petitioner fails to provide evidence that the
beneficiary received a certificate from a recognized credentialing organization as outlined in 212(a)(5)(C) of the
Act, the beneficiary may still qualify for classification as an H-1B non-immigrant. If the beneficiary is seeking to
extend status or change status, and the petitioner fails to provide the requisite credentialing evidence, the request for
extension or change of status should be denied as the beneficiary is inadmissible under Section 212(a)(5)(C) of the
Act. If the beneficiary is seeking a non-immigrant visa at a consulate, Department of State (DOS) must be informed
of the potential inadmissibility issue.
4
See 8 CFR 214.2(h)(4)(v)(E)
5
See 8 CFR 214.2(h)(4)(v).
6
See Memorandum From Thomas E. Cook, Acting Assistant Commissioner, Office of Adjudications, INS, “Social
Security Cards and the Adjudication of H-1B Petitions,” HQ 70/6.2.8 (November 20, 2001).
7
See Memorandum From Donald Neufeld, Deputy Associate Director, Domestic Operations, USCIS “Adjudicator’s
Field Manual Update: Chapter 31: Accepting and Adjudicating H-1B Petitions When a Required License is not
Available Due to State Licensing Requirements Mandating Possession of a Valid Immigrant Document as Evidence
of Employment Authorization,” HQ 70/6.2.8 (March 21, 2008).
