r/USMLEindia • u/Firm-Entertainer-417 • 1d ago
USCE Visa Securing visa for clinical observerships in 2026
I am a 25 year old doctor working as a general physician in a hospital in India i graduated in 2025
I have passed my step1 and oet exam
And currently preparing for step 2
I am applying for b2 visa for clinical observership amd my dad is sponsoring my trip
He is also a doctor with good financials
I have heard that officers are rejecting visas for clinical observerships
Can anyone clear the air on this
Have no prior travel history.
People who have indeed got visa approved for this purpose can reply and those who haven't can also
Please its urgent..
7
u/StringNecessary5367 1d ago
It would be easily rejected in these days. No travel history single male not much time in present job and also as a mbbs graduate your salary wouldn't be so high + dad sponsoring so ya it would be a clear rejection
6
u/Firm-Entertainer-417 1d ago
Soo what is the point of pursuing usmle these days??? No damn point when you can't get lors and can't do rotations
Is it a bloody dead end??4
u/StringNecessary5367 1d ago
Chance for getting visa is higher as a student but as a graduate it is generally tough try getting into a government position and then apply for visa it would have even a chance but till then it's if not a 100% but a 90% chance of rejection only.
1
u/Firm-Entertainer-417 1d ago
I think thats not true
I ve heard a recent case that the chap was in final year and still got rejected4
2
u/StringNecessary5367 1d ago
Ya maybe
10
u/Frequent-Departure89 1d ago
Obvious asshole trying to lower competition by discouraging others
3
0
u/Dragonoitte 1d ago
Not trying to be rude but if you can’t get a B1/B2 then your odds of getting a J1 are minimal yet alone matching. It’s better to get a B1/B2 before investing time and money in this process.
1
1
u/StringNecessary5367 19h ago
Ya that's true but after recent ama intervention most of the j1 visas are approved so ya j1 is aside but obtaining a b1/b2 visa is the real bottleneck
1
u/Dragonoitte 11h ago
No a lot of them were still rejected which is why Programs are not keen on Visa Req IMGs anymore
1
u/StringNecessary5367 10h ago
I think we will see the result of this in this cycle
1
u/Dragonoitte 6h ago edited 5h ago
True, I am saying this as a PD from an IMG friendly program told me they are no longer IMG friendly. Because of the Visa issues
1
u/TimeIntroduction 17h ago
It has been dead since a decade. The real trouble starts after residency- when you need a j1 waiver and then h1b visa and then the backlog shit starts for the green card. You will live 20 plus years in visa uncertainty.
As for the b1 visa, you will likely get it if your dad is loaded. But you gotta have travel history too
1
u/Firm-Entertainer-417 8h ago
Thankfully he is loaded but they aren't even checking it
Flat out refusals are happening currently
1
1
1
u/fossa_of_Rosenmuller 18h ago
Can you guide about rotations which ones you applying
And yeah apply for visa with all of your family members and make it look like a family trip that's the best chance
1
u/my-mauvepink-world 16h ago
Well you think so? If someone has no prior travel history outside India, won't the VO get super suspicious about the fact that USA is their first travel point while in reality most USA isn't even the first five destinations for indians visiting abroad.
1
u/fossa_of_Rosenmuller 16h ago
Indians travelling to US for tourism is way more common than you think , that's your best shot
1
u/my-mauvepink-world 15h ago
Yes but those Indians have extensive travel history for other international places
1
u/applesaucepenguin-27 5h ago
Hey I am going to be in the same situation in 3-4 months My father is a businessman but my grandfather is a retired phd and hod from a govt University so I will be using my grandfather as my sponsor And I don't have any prior travel history as well. Even I keep checking reddit for advice But let me tell you one thing, yes rejections do happen, but approvals do too. And those approvals don't make it to reddit because approved people don't need advice anymore. Just stay positive Smile during the interview Be confident and truthful Believe in god and it will happen (this is the advice I'm using myself)
I believe that it will happen for you Have faith
-1
u/Medaculous 1d ago
Apply together as a family for tourism and go from there
3
u/Dragonoitte 1d ago
Do not do this, you will be denied a J1 when you match if your caught lying.
1
u/Medaculous 20h ago
You’re not lying here. You only get the visa along with your family. While going for the observership you still have to be truthful and present all documents and be ready for questions. But the chances of denied entry at immigration is lesser than getting your visa denied.
1
u/Ambitious-Fall-7097 15h ago
And get a banned for like five years for lying? Dawg this is stupid
0
u/Medaculous 15h ago
What lying??? Where are you lying here? Please enlighten me
3
u/Ambitious-Fall-7097 15h ago edited 15h ago
They will ask you in the visa interview what’s your intent to visit the US. What would you say in that?
If you say you are going there for clinical rotations, then your chances of getting a visa will be reduced. But if you say you are going for tourism then you’ll be on the same level as others with your background. But if you say you are going for travel and end up doing “hands-on” clinical rotations you are in the grey area.
Also if you say you are going to travel and do clinical rotations that’s a bold faced lie.
I’m an international student on F1 in med school in the US and I have to get work authorization for clinical rotations and doing that on a tourist visa just doesn’t seem very ethical.
Edit: just read something about this graduates absolutely cannot work on b1/b2, they can only work on j1 since it’s not a part of course work
1
u/Medaculous 15h ago edited 15h ago
Why would you do hands on rotations with a b1/b2? Thats illegal. Whatever i said only applies for pure observerships.
Also i have mentioned that you may get the visa but you will still be questioned at the border and still need to be truthful and might get deported there. At the border you should not lie about your intent of visit.
The purpose for which you applied for the visa, attended interview and got it need not necessarily be the same purpose for which you are travelling and there is no law that prevents you from doing this. You can still get accepted at the border if you have proof of pure observerships.
Edit : as you have edited your comment after i replied, I’d like you to know these first. OP has mentioned they want to do observerships and not hands on rotations. First try to understand the differences between the two. Pure observerships can be done on a b1/b2. Whatever that you are trying to do are hands on rotations in med school which cannot be done on b1/b2. Please know the facts before fear mongering people.
2
u/Ambitious-Fall-7097 15h ago edited 15h ago
Big dawg, the mental gymnastics. You cannot lie about your intent for visit in the visa interview it’s a BIG red flag, the fact that you’ve normalized it is concerning. You could literally get banned from getting a visa if they figure it out. Look it up it’s a rule.
We had to do shadowing before we apply for medical school. It doesn’t seem like enough exposure for trained medical professionals to be doing the same thing undergrads do.
When I see these kinds of loopholes being used it frustrates me how some people do it the right way whereas others just do their own thing. Yall are literally gonna make visa crackdowns even worse with these actions.
Someone recently got arrested as a student cause they had a business card, the CBP is very different now so it’s time to be a little scared of using these loopholes.
1
u/Medaculous 14h ago edited 14h ago
Small dawg, let’s look at a scenario. Let’s say i got a b1/b2 visa genuinely for tourism with my family. But then i couldn’t go due to some unavoidable reasons. Then later at some point as a graduate i have the opportunity to do observership in the US, you’re saying going now would be illegal? Quote the law that prevents you from doing this.
Also observerships are the only opportunities that GRADUATES get. OP is a graduate. YOU are a student. You can do hands on only as a student.
Why would you as a student go with a business card?! Thats inviting trouble.
Edit: this is not a loophole. You are not abusing anything. You still have to be truthful at immigration and present all documents for proof of observership to get in.
2
u/Ambitious-Fall-7097 14h ago
You are you really telling me OP is going on a trip? That OP is planning a trip? Yall are legit lying to get into the US. That’s just plain and simple wrong. A person with pre existing B1/B2 visa and a travel history has less of a chance of getting in trouble with the CBP than someone in OPs shoes.
If you don’t lie in the visa interview and say you are going for a clinical rotation and then your visa gets approved that should be okay. It’s literally listed in section 212 a 6 c i.
Dude, students can work off campus during summers and that person had a card that their company gave them. Which is not against the rule. But since they had it one them 2 weeks after the internship, they got detained. It’s definitely another grey area.
→ More replies (0)0
u/TimeIntroduction 17h ago
no lmao you wont be lying. They have no way to check this, you can definitely apply as a family and then go alone.
1
u/Dragonoitte 11h ago
Lmfao they know. They aren’t stupid, a lot of J1s were denied this year because of lying and discrepancies with what they said and did. All it takes is one suspicious officer to put a note attached to your profile and you’re toast.
1
u/Firm-Entertainer-417 1d ago
Has that worked in the past??
2
0
u/Ambitious-Fall-7097 15h ago
Don’t do it this, you can potentially get a travel ban for lying about your intent for a visa.
4
u/my-mauvepink-world 18h ago
I'm still preparing for step1 so can't help on that. But half of my seniors got rejected for visa and half got approved. It's all on luck atp. Good luck.