Visa Issues

Very important!!! Cannot stress this point enough - do not underestimate this issue

If you have a H1b visa you need to have passed Step 3 before starting residency and preferably before starting the interview process, in order to be taken seriously and get more interviews

If somehow you slip through the cracks (it happens!) and you do match on an H1b visa and have NOT passed Step 3, it is possible to start your residency, but do so at your own peril - you might be granted a 6-month period within which to pass Step 3, but you will need to study during a stressful time and have the added pressure of eeding to pass Step 3

However, again , do not despair - if the 6-month period is reaching its end and you have not passed or do not expect to pass Step 3, you can still do 2 things to make sure you will remain in the U.S.:

1) you can either find a -temporary-research job which will offer you the option of transferring your H1b visa to them or

2) switch to a J1 visa. Of course, you will lose the priviledges of the H1b (its ease of transfer from employer to employer, the fact that it can be used as a 'stepping stone' for a Green Card), but you will salvage your right to live and work in the U.S.

However, to do either 1) or 2), you must not let time run out! Visa transfers and visa switched take time - months! Be warned!

Finally, in the unfortunate event that you lose your H1b visa and need to return to your home country, again, do not despair - you canreturn to the U.S. on a new H1b visa by finding a sponsor, assuming you have the qualification e.g. you can get a H1b research position if you have a strong research background