Immigration and employment conditions for the US physicians and the US unemployment rate
One of the most critical factors for migrating or obtaining a work visa as a physician is the destination country’s unemployment rate. The specialists and physicians who want to set up a clinic or office in the United States must pay attention to the unemployment rate in their expertise. The unemployment rate indicates the number of unemployed workers. When a country’s unemployment rate is low, it shows that there are fewer unemployed people and the economy in the destination country is better. The US unemployment rate has declined over the years. The unemployment rate in November 2020 was 6.7 percent, which is lower than before.
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Topics reviewed in this article:
- Immigration and working conditions for doctors in the US and required documents
- Required documents for a US work permit
- Immigration and working conditions for doctors in the US and accompanying visas
- Immigrant working conditions and salary in the US
- Distribution of payroll for health and medical careers in the United States
- Immigration and working conditions for doctors in the US and the required medical occupations
- How to find a job and employment agencies for physicians in the US
- Immigration and employment conditions for physicians in the US and residency and citizenship status

Immigration and working conditions for doctors in the US and required documents
It is the first step to equivalence a medical degree in the United States for the doctors. The applicants in other fields such as dentistry, nursing, and midwifery must equivalence their degrees. The equivalence course is to adapt the medical staff’s medical records to US conditions. The equivalence process includes theoretical stages and some practical sessions. After passing these stages, the applicant can enter the American job market and start working as a doctor, nurse, or midwife or continue one’s study in the relevant field. The most vital requirement is the USMLE test. To get acquainted with the USMLE medical exam registration steps, you must know that it has three steps that are performed at different times. The first step is to pass the exam. The second stage is to take the USMLE test and has two parts. The USMLE exam for doctors is usually in Turkey. We discuss some details of this test in the following:
| Stage titles | Conditions and how to take the test | Test administrators | The requested amount for the test (US dollars) |
| Clinical science (CK) and clinical science (CS) | Simultaneously with the applicant’s study at medical universities | (ECFMG) Education Commission of Foreign Medical Graduates | 135 |
| Clinical science (CK) and clinical science (CS) | Simultaneously with the applicant’s study at medical universities | (ECFMG) Education Commission of Foreign Medical Graduates | 135 |
| Online test that includes the initial treatment stages until the end of treatment and patient recovery (treatment processes management) | Graduates | (FSMB) Federation of State Medical Boards | 875 |
The specialist physicians who want to immigrate to the United States must go through these steps and processes, which we will explain in the following:
- (USMLE STEP 1):
This test will assess central medical science information, and it takes 60 minutes (an hour). However, applicants must be fluent in English to pass this test.
- (USMLE STEP 2):
It has two parts. The first part is STEP 2 CK I, and the second part is STEP 2 CS II. This stage is related to the physician’s skill and clinical knowledge. It is much more difficult than the first one and has 100 points with a passing score of 90. The second part of this test gives doctors an hour in each stage to answer the questions and has eight steps. The questions in this section are mostly about medical science in the communication field (with the patient) and patient examination in an emergency. The applicants must have a high level of medical knowledge and, at the same time, complete fluency in English to fully understand and answer the questions. In this section, the questions are asked orally from the applicants, and the doctors’ knowledge is measured. Therefore, this stage of the USMLE test lasts for nine hours overnight.
- (USMLE STEP 3):
In the final stage of the USMLE test, they will ask patient management questions from the beginning of treatment to full health. This test is online by computers and software. The software is very accurate and sensitive and will reduce the applicants’ points in case of the wrong answer. This test takes two consecutive days, which includes answers to all questions in six sections, and lasts seven hours. The applicants must take the patient’s management ability test on the second day.
Required documents for a US work permit
- Passport (s) valid for 60 days
- DS-260 form, Immigrant Visa, and Immigrant Registration Program
- Two 2×2 photos
- Applicant’s civil documents
- Financial viability
- Completed medical examination forms
- Provide a medical D or D.O degree.
- Pass the USLME test (for the treatment staff)
- Obtaining government licenses
Immigration and working conditions for doctors in the US and accompanying visas
As mentioned before, the applicants must register for the USMLE medical exam to practice or continue their studies and receive a work and study permit in the United States. The most critical issue after passing these steps and obtaining work permits is obtaining a companion visa. The US government allows physicians and dentists who have successfully passed the USMLE exam to bring their companions, which includes a spouse and children under 18. Other family members, such as father, mother, sister, and brother, are not included in this visa and cannot obtain residency as a companion. Family reunification depends on the main applicant’s residence. It means that the principal applicant can apply for family reunification after entering the United States and obtaining work residence about one to two months later. Besides, the companions can work and study during their residency.
Immigrant working conditions and salary in the US
It is better to have an overview of the doctor’s and other medical staff’s income to find out whether the international dentists’ and physicians’ working conditions in the United States are suitable or not. A person who works as a doctor earns about 141,000 dollars a year. The highest annual salary for a doctor is about 423,000 dollars, and the lowest one is 29,600 dollars. This average annual salary includes housing, transportation, and other benefits. The salaries vary widely between different health and medical professions. You can see a list of wages in various occupations of medical staff in the following:
| Job | Average salary (the US dollars) |
| Dentist | 238,000 |
| Acute care nurse | 84,500 |
| Intensive care nurse | 85,200 |
| Anesthesia Technician | 99,900 |
| Anesthesiologist | 291,000 |
| Cardiologist | 374,000 |
| Dermatologist | 291,000 |
| Internist | 288,000 |
| gynecologist | 262,000 |
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Distribution of payroll for health and medical careers in the United States
The average salary is 150,000 dollars a year, which means that half of those who work in healthcare earn less than 150,000 dollars, and the other half earn more than 150,000 dollars. The nurses’ and midwives’ salaries vary depending on the study, work experience, gender, and state in the United States. A midwife’s average annual income is 88,649 dollars and 10,625 dollars overtime in the United States. Besides, registering for the USMLE Medical Exam to study or continue your studies in the United States is a prerequisite. Passing this exam will provide a fabulous opportunity for physicians and dentists to immigrate to the US.
How to find a job and employment agencies for physicians in the US
You must have a job offer from a US employer or a reputable company to obtain a work permit and visa in the United States. The applicants must start looking for a job based on their study, work experience, and abilities to obtain this job offer. Doctors, nurses, and the entire medical staff have always been among the required disciplines. Therefore, doctors and nurses can seek guidance and help from reputable employment agencies in the US after completing the equivalence process. You have to provide your academic and work resume correctly because it is very efficient for finding a job. We discuss some reputable and critical employment agencies in the US in the following:
- APPLEONE Employment Agency: This agency is in the Danton neighborhood of Los Angeles, USA.
Address: appleone725 south Figueroa street
Website: www.appleone.com
- ROBERT HALF FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING Employment Agency: One of the temporary institutions in Los Angeles. It is most skilled and professional in the field of finance and accounting. It will provide each applicant with a suitable job opportunity according to their talents and abilities.
Address: south Figueroa 865 street
- WORKEBRIDGE ASSOCIATE Employment Agency: It is in the Westward section of Los Angeles. This institute has various branches in the United States and Canada.
Website: www.workbridge.com
- JOBSPRING PARTNER Employment Agency: It is in the Westwood neighborhood of Chicago.
Website: www.jobspring.com
- NATIONAL EVENT STAFFING Employment Agency: It is in the East Hollywood section of Los Angeles.
Website: www.nationaleventstaffing.com
- ZARZARMODELING Employment Agency: It is in Danton Lee, Los Angeles.
Address: zarzarmodeling 515 south flower street
Website: www.zarzarmodels.com
- BALABUSTA Employment Agency: This employment agency is in the West Branch in Los Angeles, USA.
Address: west Olympic boulevard 11150
Website: www.balabustabrooklyn.com
Immigration and employment conditions for physicians in the US and residency and citizenship status
As was mentioned, the international applicants must take the medical degree equivalence steps to work and immigrate to the United States. They must pass the USMLE test, and after that, they must receive an employer or concluding a contract with a hospital or clinic to apply for a work visa. The applicants will initially receive a one-year temporary visa. The applicants can apply for permanent residence after five to seven years of living and working in the US and paying insurance and taxes. They can get a passport after proving their coherence with this country’s culture and complete English language fluency. Besides, if the applicant does not commit any crime during these years and obeys all the laws, they can apply for this country’s citizenship and passport. The applicants can get a US passport after three years of permanent residence if they live in the United States and observe all the mentioned conditions.
Immigration and working conditions for doctors in the US and the required medical occupations
The United States has many occupations in the medical, nursing, and other treatment and paramedical fields. One of the conditions for physicians to start working in the United States is to successfully pass the three-step USMLE exam to obtain the required licenses and enter the job market. The following are some of the most sought after jobs in the United States each year:
| Nurse anesthetists | Radiotherapy |
| Nuclear medicine technician | Midwife nurses |
| Physician assistants | Magnetic Resonance Imaging Technicians |
| Speech pathologists | Diagnostic medical ultrasound |
| Genetic consultants | Dental hygiene |
| Occupational therapists | Radiation therapists |
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