To be able to practice physical therapy in the United States, you have to meet a series of requirements. The most important requisite of all is taking the physical therapy exam. Prior to this, you also have to take several steps, but the passing of the exam is essential if you want to be able to practice. However, beside taking and passing the exam, you also have to find a physical therapy sponsor. Finding your sponsor is very important because otherwise you cannot practice.

The physical therapy exam can be taken in the United States only. So your first concern should be to make sure that your visa is still valid when you take the exam. As has been said before, there are several requirements that have to be met before you can take the exam, but the most important one is to have a visa.

In order to see to this, you can apply for a tourist visa or you can find yourself a physical therapy sponsor to sponsor you for your Green Card or H1b. However, most agencies will not sponsor you until you have passed the exam. So a tourist visa is the perfect option in the beginning. After you have taken the exam, your sponsor will make sure that your stay in the United States is legal.

In order to apply for the physical therapist exam, there are important steps you have to take. You have to obtain certain materials, fill them out, make some payments and schedule an appointment to determine your eligibility. There are special web sites dedicated to foreign physical therapists detailing exactly what you must do in order to apply for the physical therapy exam.

If you are lucky and have already found a physical therapy sponsor before taking the exam, then the agency will probably help you with your application. However, you can also find this information on the Internet.

After you have applied for your physical therapy exam, next comes the most important part, which is taking the exam. The Internet is once again a good source of information on what to do and what to expect from your exam. Special web sites dedicated to foreign physical therapists can be a great guide for you. On these web sites you can find the necessary information about your physical therapy exam and what you have to do after you have passed it.

Once you are a licensed foreign physical therapist, your next step is finding a physical therapy sponsor. Your sponsor will help you get your Green Card or H1b. Your sponsor will send you the offer detailing the costs and salary, benefits and health insurance. The lawyer and immigration fees are fairly high, but part of them may be paid by your physical therapy sponsor. Moreover, the salary, holidays, benefits and health insurance are going to be the same as those of other U.S. employees.

After you have taken your physical therapy exam and found a physical therapy sponsor, you can legally practice in the United States. However, you should know that your visa is only valid three years for an H1b visa, upon which you have to apply for an extension or permanent residency. All these should be discussed with your physical therapy sponsor.