J-1 Physician Licensing Issues in Tennessee

Picture that your J-1 waiver has just been approved. Congratulations! Your employer is now planning to file your H-1B petition. USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) will generally not approve an H-1B petition for a physician without proof of a valid medical license from the state where the physician will practice.

You will practice in Tennessee, and as a result, you have applied for your medical license through the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners. But wait just a moment! The Tennessee Board will not approve your license while you are in J-1 status. What can you do when you can neither receive your Tennessee medical license nor your H-1B status?

Fortunately, this issue can be resolved. Once you have fulfilled all requirements for the Tennessee license, except for acquisition of H-1B status, you can request a final discrepancy letter from the Tennessee Board. USCIS accepts such letters and should approve the H-1B petition. Do not be surprised if your H-1B status is only approved for one year. You can extend this status once your medical license issues.