What are different visa types one can pursue residency?
Ans. Any legal visa status that allows you to work full time in USA. 1. J-1 visas, these are sponsored by the ECFMG with documentation from the residency programs. The detailed procedure is mentioned in the VISA INFO section of this web page. 2. H-1 visas, these are sponsored by the residency programs, if the applicant has met all the requirements including the pass score on USMLE step-3. This is a better visa than J-1 visa, which has an obligation to go back to your home country after finishing the residency program for 2 yrs. The H-1 visa can lead to green card ultimately. 3. Green card or valid employment authorization, this is a legal visa status, which allows you to work full time in USA and residency training is basically considered a full time job. 4. US citizenship, of course you are allowed to work full time in USA. 5. F-1 student visa, some FMGs/IMGs are in USA pursuing their masters degrees, if they are accepted by a program in residency and if they have their OPTIONAL PRACT
