NMDA Journal Fall 2019

New Mexico Dental Journal, Fall 2019 IMMIGRANT DENTISTS, CHALLENGES, & CONTRIBUTIONS: F, H, J, & SOMETIMES... By Jerry N. Harrison PhD, Executive Director New Mexico Health Resources You get a call, an email, or a candidate to work in your practice informs you that she or he is an international dental graduate. Youmight be asked, “Do you sponsor employment for non-citizens?” Youmight be asked,“Is your practice cap exempt?” What then do you say—you do not know if the person can practice? Each year since the 1970s, increasing numbers of international students graduate fromU.S. dental schools thus creating opportunities for state dental boards, employers, and those seeking associates. The demograph- ics of the oral health workforce in the nation and NewMexico, especially average dentist age, patient need, and state economic conditions, bring into consideration international immigration as one of many methods to address workforce shortages, meet patient and employer needs, and diversify the oral health workforce. Immigrants wishing to practice dentistry in the U.S. must graduate from an accredited dental school here to either gain or repeat some or all of their education. While students, they must pass a myriad of hurdles from earning a living to gaining licensure. Also, after graduation, no one path to state licensure and practice exists. In daily dental andmedical recruitment, NMHR staff receive inquiries from people throughout the world seeking employment and/or information about permission to practice in NewMexico. Most of those seeking dental employment are in the country as visi- tors, students, employees or they are seeking a change from one visa type to another. Although there are other visas that apply to Mexican and Canadian citizens that allow work, most international job seekers hold F, H, or J visas. Each individual requesting entry to the U.S. must make a decision about why and how long to stay: is the decision to immigrate tempo- rary or is it permanent? The answer will lead to a request for one type of visa versus another. A visa is an application to enter the country. Each visa will also have a status designation. Merely having an F, H, or J visa does not automati- cally entitle or even allow one to work as each will have associated expiration dates and requirements. Additional steps must be taken to allow one to practice. The applicant for your position says, “I’m on an F-1 visa currently”—the most common visa is the “F” type that allows tourists to visit. An “F-1” visa allows visitation and may permit full-time study at an institution of higher education. Several dental schools in the U.S. admit F-1 stu- dents to full-time study. Students are admitted to programs lasting between two to four years duration. There is a time from study to practice advantage for students under F-1 visas as compared to the other visas. That is, after one year of full-time study and upon successful application, an F-1 dental student is allowed to practice for pay depending on state dental board licensure requirements. F-1 visas are time limited; and a challenge for graduates is tomove from that visitor visa to another before expiration. That is, dentists must seek out other visa statuses or circumstances allowing employment or the abil- ity to remain in the country. F-1 graduates look for employers willing to sponsor through the H-1B visa status. Sponsorship requires legal filings that amount to a petition on be- half of potential employees. 8