Do Physicians On H-1Bs Have To Remain With Their Employers?
No. A physician on an H-1B can accept an offer of employment from another U.S. based employer. However, the employer will have to file a separate H-1B petition. In addition, the physician can only remain in H-1B status for six years consecutively, regardless of how many times they switch employers. Physicians do have to stay with their employer to obtain a green card for most of the processing period, but not all of it. If you are on an H-1B and your employer files for a green card on your behalf, you must stay with that employer for most of the time it takes for the green card to come through, which may be three to four years. This provides some security to the employer because the physician is locked in for at least the short term. Once the physician obtains a green card, he or she has an unrestricted right to employment.
