Student Programs for Future Veterinarians 

To be eligible to participate in our DVM Student Programs, one must:

• Be currently enrolled in an AVMA-accredited DVM program, AND
• Have authorization to work in the United States. For foreign students, this is available through Curricular Practical Training (CPT) or Optional Practical Training (OPT) through enrollment at a U.S. school.

F-1 Student Visa

The F-1 Visa (Academic Student) allows you to enter the United States as a full-time student at an accredited college. After the first academic year, F-1 students may engage in three types of off-campus employment:

• Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
• Optional Practical Training (OPT) (pre-completion or post-completion)
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Optional Practical Training Extension (OPT)

  Please note there are no temporary worker visas available for foreign veterinary students attending school outside of the U.S.  F-1 visa sponsorship can be offered through a U.S. school but is not a category Banfield can provide sponsorship for.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How does a foreign national student obtain work authorization in the U.S.?

A: The student must be in the U.S. in F-1 status pursuant to enrollment at a college or university in the U.S. and must obtain CPT or OPT through his or her Designated School Official.  Unfortunately, currently, there are no temporary worker visas available for foreign veterinary students attending school outside of the U.S.

 

Q: If I don’t have authorization to work in the U.S., can I do an unpaid program, or volunteer at Banfield?

A: No.  Banfield is not permitted to have volunteers as we are a for-profit business.  Further, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service considers the activities performed by Student Programs participants as work, not volunteering.

 

Q: I currently do not have authorization to work in the U.S., but am interested in working in the U.S. after graduation.  After I graduate, will I be able to obtain an authorization to work in the United States?  What are my options?

A: If you are attending school in the U.S., please work with your school’s Designated School Official to determine if you are eligible for OPT or an extension of OPT post-graduation.

Veterinarians Applying for Nonimmigrant Visa Sponsorship

Banfield provides sponsorship for nonimmigrant (temporary) work authorization for foreign workers inside and outside the United States.  If you have a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree or foreign equivalent and are immediately eligible for state veterinary licensure, you may be eligible for sponsorship in one of the following visa categories:

H-1B Specialty Occupation Visa

The H-1B nonimmigrant category is available to foreign workers with a DVM degree or (or foreign equivalent) as required for the Veterinarian position. The H-1B classification has an annual numerical limit (cap) of 65,000 new visas each fiscal year. An additional 20,000 H-1Bs are available to beneficiaries with a master’s degree or higher from a U.S. institution of higher education.  

For general information, see the USCIS website: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/h-1b-specialty-occupations-dod-cooperative-research-and-development-project-workers-and-fashion

TN NAFTA Professional Workers (Canadian & Mexican Citizens Only)

TN nonimmigrant status is available to citizens of Canada and Mexico in certain professions to work in the U.S. for a sponsoring employer. Among the types of professionals who are eligible to seek admission as TN nonimmigrants are Veterinarians. Permanent residents of Canada and Mexico are not able to apply for TN status to work as NAFTA professionals.

For general information, see the USCIS website: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/tn-nafta-professionals

E-3 Visa for Australian Nationals in Specialty Occupations

The E-3 visa classification is available only to citizens of Australia. E-3 principal applicants must be going to the U.S. solely to work in a specialty occupation and must be sponsored by an employer. Veterinarian qualifies as an E-3 specialty occupation.          

For general information, see the USCIS website: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/e-3-specialty-occupation-workers-from-australia

H-1B1 Visa for Chilean & Singaporean National in Specialty Occupations

The H-1B1 visa classification is available only to citizens of Chile and Singapore.  H-1B1 applicants must be going to the U.S. solely to work in a specialty occupation and must be sponsored by an employer. Veterinarian qualifies as an H-1B1 specialty occupation.     

For general information, see the USCIS website: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states

DVM Licensing Requirements

For an unlicensed DVM to obtain a state license to practice veterinary medicine in the United States, he/she normally needs to show the following:

• Passage of North America Veterinary Licensing Examination(NAVLE)
• Graduation from an AVMA-accredited DVM program or completion of either Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG) or Program for the Assessment of Veterinary Equivalence (PAVE) with veterinary degree from AVMA-listed or other veterinary program (i.e., to show that degree from non-accredited school is equivalent to DVM degree from AVMA-accredited college)

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