Foreign medical graduates seeking to practice clinical medicine in the United States usually must complete (or in some cases repeat) residency training at a US program in order to obtain a state medical license. Doctors who have completed an accredited residency training program in Canada are often exempt from this requirement and may obtain a state license without repeating residency training in the US To obtain a US residency program placement, a foreign medical graduate must successfully complete an English test and a basic science test and receive certification through ECFMG (the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates) of their foreign education. ECFMG can act as a visa sponsor enabling the foreign medical graduate to obtain a J-1 visa and enroll in the residency program. Alternatively, the residency program itself may sponsor the foreign medical graduate for an H-1B visa.

Steps to obtain a US residency:

1. Choose your desired residency.

2. Obtain an ERAS from the Electronic Residency Application System (www.aamc.org/eras).

3. Send your ERAS application to ECFMG.

4. Register with the National Residency Matching Program as an independent application (www.aamc.org/nrmp).

5. Check status of ERAS submission by viewing the Automated Document Tracking Systems (ADTS).

6. Contact hospitals that have received your ERAS application, and inquire about interviews.

7. Attend your interviews and rank your most desired programs. Be sure to inquire at your residency interviews if the hospital is willing to sponsor your for H-1B visa.

8. Submit your rank order to the National Residency Matching Program (www.aamc.org/nrmp).

9. Contact MDgreencard.com to inquire about your visa options, and consider obtaining licensing application materials for the states you will likely match with.

10. Sign your residency contract, and initiate the licensing procedure for the state in which you matched. Please note that not all states require medical licenses for residents.

11. Immediately initiate immigration processes to obtain the necessary visa (J or H).