Physician Licensing, Visa Eligibility

Any physician who is to have patient care responsibilities at Stanford Medical Center must have a California license or exemption therefrom. Inquire with Graduate Medical Education for details.

In addition to California licensure, physicians needing an H-1 visa must meet one of the following, additional requirements:

• An MD degree from a U.S. institution
• Evidence of having passed all parts of the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam, or the appropriate series of prior exams

If the physician in question meets neither of these qualifications, his or her activities are limited to no more contact with a patient than that which is incidental to the physician’s teaching or research.

Please be aware that petitions on behalf of primary care physicians that are submitted to Homeland Security for review are subject to scrutiny for evidence of a U.S. medical degree or evidence of exam results. Petitions that do not meet Homeland Security regulations for patient care are referred back to Stanford. We have no choice in such matters but to ask Homeland Security to withdraw the petition.

Do not undertake H-1 paperwork for a physician whose job description entails patient care unless he or she clearly meets one of the foregoing requirements.