Step 1: We help you prepare for visa filing

Once you have spoken to a HCI recruiter and have joined our program, you’ll be paired with an International Program Associate (IPA) who will outline for you the documents you will need to file your visa petition. For example, if you have not yet passed the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam that assesses your English-language proficiency, your IPA will ensure you have the right resources to study and pass the exam and will coach you through the test preparation process.

Step 2: Our legal team reviews your documents

Because HCI is your U.S. employer sponsor needed for your visa petition, we take a high degree of care to ensure that your documents and credentials are ready for visa filing. We not only engage our own experienced immigration attorneys on our legal team, but we also partner with several of the finest immigration attorneys in the United States. Our experienced legal team will review your documents multiple times before submitting your petition to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Step 3: We file your visa petition

Next, our legal team files your petition to the USCIS, and as your employer sponsor, we advance all fees and administrative costs related to the visa filings. We advance the DOL labor certification fee, the USCIS Form I-140 petition filing fee, the Form DS-261 processing fee, medical examination fees, and costs to obtain supporting documents needed for your filings, for example.

The HCI team always applies for the most appropriate type of visa and filing method that will minimize your wait time and maximize the chances that your visa will be approved. The wait time that follows will vary by many factors in the U.S. immigration system, but your IPA will keep you updated on an approximate timeline.

Step 4: We give you a coach for the rest of the journey

Once the USCIS approves your petition, your IPA will hand you off to an International Deployment Advocate (IDA) who will guide you the rest of the way. Your IDA will be highly responsive to any issues you encounter and any requests for information you make during the visa filing and approval process. The IDA is trained to handle each step, prescribe which documents are required at each stage, coach you in obtaining the documents, and provide you with updates regarding your application processing.

Step 5: We help gather National Visa Center documentation

Your IDA will help you gather required documents for the National Visa Center (NVC), which our legal team submits for you. Our team will also send you a list of credentials you need so you can work in healthcare in the United States. Some credentials ultimately required include your passport, which must be valid more than six months before you embark, and two photos meeting visa photo requirements; your U.S. employment offer; an approved labor certification; your approved petition; your DS-261 confirmation; your medical examination and vaccine records; academic credentials, including diplomas, CVs, and résumés; and any court and criminal records.

Step 6: We help get you “documentarily qualified” and an embassy appointment

The National Visa Center will issue your fee bills, and we will pay those. Your IDA will then work with you to become “documentarily qualified.” That involves confirming that you are working as a healthcare professional and that you’ve submitted your DS-260 form online. You’ll also complete the HCIRésumé Profile and begin our Transition-to-Practice program to get ready for your American healthcare employment assignment. Once the fee bills are paid and the documents are submitted, the NVC reviews your case and declares you “documentarily qualified,” which approves you for an embassy interview. The NVC will schedule your embassy appointment location and date, and you will receive notice of visa approval at the embassy appointment.

Step 7: We submit your résumé to healthcare facilities

With your immigration processing in progress, we have a loose timeline for when you will arrive in the United States, so we can start submitting your résumé to our client healthcare facilities with open job positions fitting your skills. The timeline for job interviews will vary, but after you receive and accept an offer, your assignment location is set.

Step 8: Support continues until you’re placed in employment

Your completion of credentials, your state licensure, and available orientation dates at your assignment location will determine your U.S. arrival date. You and the HCI team will work together on arranging travel and flight logistics, deployment, and housing in the United States. HCI staffs an internal team of travel and housing coordinators who can help you handle these logistics and find adequate housing.