TN and O1 Visas

TN Visas

I have no personal experience with TN visas. The TN visa is typically for research positions and is not suitable for most medical specialties, as you are seeing patients and practicing clinical medicine. This visa is a temporary visa that has no option to progression to a green card.

Prospective sponsors frequently gravitate to this visa because they can hire you quickly and it costs them little to nothing to obtain your services aside from your salary. You should consult an immigration lawyer to see if this visa may be suitable for you but based on my research it is not a desirable visa.

O Visas

I have no personal experience with O1 visas; however, I have colleagues who have obtained them. According to their experience, the O1-visa application process takes approximately 4-6 months to complete if done correctly with the help of an immigration lawyer and can be done during your fellowship year.  This visa does require paperwork filed on behalf of your sponsor but does not require a J1 waiver. You as the applicant can consider this as a bridge to a J1 waiver. If obtained, it will keep you employed immediately after fellowship (versus being unemployed and possibly must return to your home country while waiting for a J1 waiver). You can apply for a J1 waiver, which you will file in October after your fellowship year if the state you are working for has a J1 waiver system in place. If you do not obtain a waiver, you will remain employed and legally present in the United States. You will have the opportunity to apply for a waiver the next year.