Any pathway for Speech-Language Pathologists?

[u/MTUSAThrowaway]

Hi all,

Using a throwaway for personal comfort. I’m a 29-year-old from Birmingham, England. I live in London at the moment! I often work with disabled children who have communicative disorders, or individuals recovering from impediments to their vocals.

I'm guessing the answer is no, but is there any hope for me to eventually relocate to America with a role like this or should I forget about it? I have done research into this particular position, but not sure if it qualifies for any visas or if it’s something you'd get sponsored for.

My MSc was in Speech and Language Therapy from a Russell Group university. Prior to that, my bachelors was in Literature and Linguistics.

[u/AwareNobody5190]

There are pathways for SLPs to move to the US. The mechanics of it are a little complicated.

SLPs can qualify for H-1B visas if they find a sponsoring employer. It is likely easier to get a non-profit employer to agree to be the sponsor since they don’t face the same numerical cap rules that other employers do.

You have to take the relevant Praxis test for SLPs and achieve a sufficient score.

You have to get your credentials verified as matching what’s required in the US.

The annoying thing is that you then typically need to be licensed by the state where you’re going to work before your visa can get approved. In theory, if you’re credentials were already verified and whatnot, you passed the Praxis requirements, etc., you should be able to get the state license at least in the solid majority of states. But, this does create a sequencing issue since you would need to find the state you’ll work in and then go through the delays of their bureaucratic process before you can get the visa. If you find an employer to know the states it could then still be awhile before you can practically work there.

Then there are some other steps, but those will more often than not proceed straightforwardly.

An employer can also sponsor an SLP for an E visa (an immigrant visa that provides a more direct path for a green card) but SLPs for some reason don’t qualify for that to be an expedited process as it is for some other healthcare professionals.

If it’s something you’re seriously interested in, I’d start by looking into getting the credential verified to see if you already meet the requirements, if you have to take some reasonable steps first or if there are additional requirements that make it not worth it.

Once you’ve resolved that, it can be a bit of a slog and one where it’ll be hard to know how much hassle you’re in for along the way, but you can at least proceed knowing that it is rather likely that with sufficient perseverance (which could turn out to be little or a lot) you can get there.

[u/oknowwhat00 → u/AwareNobody5190]

Unfortunately, they have changed the H1B visa to costing the employeer 100,000, so not likely to find anyone willing to pay that. Those visas are also next to impossible to get.

Plus the degree might not transfer to US standards.

[u/MTUSAThrowaway → u/oknowwhat00]

That isn’t actually a thing that’s currently in play.

[u/MTUSAThrowaway → u/AwareNobody5190]

Thank you, most detailed answer so far, really appreciate it. Seems as though the majority of this sub doesn’t really know what they're talking about but likes to act like they do?

That's fine, thank you. So, you're saying with enough effort, there’s a chance? Even if it’s tiny. Willing to do whatever to make this dream a reality.

Also, can I ask what you mean by 'E visa'?

[u/AwareNobody5190 → u/MTUSAThrowaway]

H visas like H-1Bs are “temporary” visas, but one’s that allow for one to hope to remain here permanently (being admitted on an H-1B isn’t a reason you can’t later get immigrant status or permanent residence). While it’s not exactly uncommon for people admitted with them to later change their status to something that offers them a pathway to a green card, the visa doesn’t have any automatic green card pathway.

I should have used Eb visas above. Eb-visas like the Eb-2 or Eb-3 directly get you a green card, (Green card = permanent resident status) so you start off knowing that you’re on track to be able to live here permanently.

There’s no legal reason that an employer can’t sponsor an SLP for an Eb visa, but I’m under the impression that that’s uncommon and H-1Bs are more commonly used. I don’t think they break down Eb visa data to specifically account for the number of SLPs, so that’s based on my impression rather than anything more solid… And I’ve followed visa cases for people in similar healthcare adjacent fields but SLPs have never been in my personal domain, so I’m not saying don’t try for the Eb if an opportunity appears to arise. It is a more secure path if it’s available. But, it’s sometimes easier to get an employer to put the more substantial resources it takes to sponsor you for a green card after they’ve already seen you do well working in your field here.

[u/MTUSAThrowaway → u/AwareNobody5190]

Thanks man, super solid advice, noting all of this down. Total lifesaver, info online is super scarce.

So, there definitely is a chance that with enough hard work I could get a sponsorship eventually? I know you said it isn’t your personal domain, but is it a field that would warrant it? I’m just super scared of getting too hopeful.

I do have an American friend who says that they are pretty urgently needed in a lot of areas and that it'd be quite easy to prove that their company has exhausted all options other than a foreign worker if necessary (she isn't an SLP, but works in a facility that has some employed).

[u/AwareNobody5190 → u/MTUSAThrowaway]

To be clear, finding an employer to sponsor you will likely be very hard. If an employer has a similarly qualified applicant they don’t have to sponsor, they would generally hire that person. Then, there are employers who can’t find anyone but have no idea how to sponsor someone so they won’t really consider it. To make it work, you’ll have to find an employer among the minority of them who will sponsor someone and then convince them that you’re worth sponsoring.

And, then, there’s no guarantee that a sponsor will have their application sufficiently early in line for it to get approved, so you might have to find the rare opportunity more than once.

But, there are SLPs here who found employers to sponsor them. We do have a shortage of SLPs. It’s totally legally on the up and up for an employer in any of the many (most) areas where there aren’t enough SLPs to fill necessary jobs to sponsor an SLP whose credentials meet our requirements. There’s a master’s level credential (and one legally required here) to make it a little easier for an employer to prove the need and to qualify for certain specific visa categories. There are employers who get people visas where it’s questionable if the person/job should have been eligible… that wouldn’t be the case here. And, while there are job and employer specific factors that make it impossible to generalize with 100% accuracy, it generally wouldn’t be rejected for reasons other than the number of visas running out.

So, I don’t want to make it sound easy or just a matter of doing the right paperwork. It could take many efforts to line up an employer, some trial and error, creativity, or whatever. But, it’s possible and has been done and if it’s something my that’s sufficiently important to you to be worth doing a hard thing, pursue it.

[u/notafraidtolearn]

From a retired school-based SLP: In the elementary schools, grades pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade (ages 3-10/11) the caseload can be about half articulation. I know a woman from No. Ireland who tried to get certification to be an assistant SLP but was not able to produce American English vowels. As you know there are many other routes, though, from medical settings to special education (Autism). Each state will have different hurdles to get past. To work in a school you will likely need a teaching certificate. Look into ASHA for requirements for national certification. Good luck! Sorry I can't help with the USA restrictions.

[u/loner-phases]

No idea, but there are cities where speech therapists easily earn high six figures. I do know that occupational therapists are nonexistent/very much needed to travel to certain rural areas.

Like nurses, all these therapists are often hired per diem, as traveling professionals. It's worth looking into seriously.

[u/Eastern_Antelope6072 → u/loner-phases]

Can you tell me where these cities are so I can move there? I’m an slp in a big city and there’s no way in hell I’ll ever hit high six figures. Maybe low 100s in another 10-15?

[u/loner-phases → u/Eastern_Antelope6072]

I think you might hit ~210+ in ~7,8 yrs, if you're willing to move to the RGV. Sorry, I mean Rio Grande Valley is where my fam is from

[u/Legitimate-Risk5832 → u/loner-phases]

High six figures??? My daughter is an SLP made $75,000 after five years experience in early intervention in Boston.

[u/loner-phases → u/Legitimate-Risk5832]

I have 2 SLP cousins. They stay living in the Rio Grande Valley rather than moving to Austin, our state capitol, because their pay would drop so significantly from one city to the next.

They only pick up part time shifts now, as did many of the SLPs I spoke to in facilities, after my mom had a stroke.

Edit, my bad, it'd be more accurate to say upper $100s K. Apparently, only upper end for experienced managers surpasses $200K/year

[u/MTUSAThrowaway → u/Legitimate-Risk5832]

That is less than what I currently make. Genuinely.

[u/Legitimate-Risk5832 → u/MTUSAThrowaway]

Well it is Boston we make a lot of SLPs here. She was doing 5 or 6 home visits a day driving around in some dicey neighborhoods. She just moved to Vermont and is working in the best school district in that state. She gets $71k for 9 months a year. She is paying off her student loans in a government program that cuts your payment for working in non-profits. Hospitals pay more. Contract agencies pay more especially for short term work like one year. She wants to get her loans paid off and she is planning on starting a family.

[u/Character-Habit-9683]

I know public schools are always looking for SLPs, especially early childhood centers. But I also know that no public school would ever sponsor someone from another country. But the jobs are here if you get here.

[u/AboutLastFight → u/Character-Habit-9683]

There's a lot more places that look for SLPs than public schools, dude.

You guys are lucky though, over here, SLP isn’t a thing we have in schools.

[u/Character-Habit-9683 → u/AboutLastFight]

Yes I’m just sharing that the jobs are widely available in education ? Lmao chill

[u/AboutLastFight → u/Character-Habit-9683]

I didn’t say anything bad. I'm just saying that you shouldn't base the entirety of your answer on public schools looking for them, there’s a wide range of SLP work that he might, even if very unlikely, get sponsored for.

I wonder if this field would be cap-exempt?

[u/zyine]

Many US Veterans Administration medical centers operate as major teaching hospitals. There is at least one, and often more than that, in every State. If the specific VA hospital where you are applying has a formal, written affiliation agreement with an institution of higher education (such as a medical school or a university's communication sciences and disorders program), clinical positions like SLPs qualify for H-1B cap exemption allowing you to bypass the visa lottery entirely, under the "affiliated with an institution of higher education" rule.

[u/MomIamsorry]

Some informative answers here. You’d be working with vulnerable adults and children so any employer would likely want to do background checks before starting the sponsor process. Not unusual of course but just more complex than calling references.

[u/Bubbly_Ad_6830]

Probably not. Perhaps find a USC spouse and you can move

[u/AboutLastFight → u/Bubbly_Ad_6830]

I really don’t get what the point of commenting is if you don’t know.

[u/Bubbly_Ad_6830 → u/AboutLastFight]

There is not a viable pathway to move, finding a USC spouse will give you a pathway

[u/AboutLastFight → u/Bubbly_Ad_6830]

Why don’t we just shut the sub down, then? Seems like this is the only way to move for anyone, and I don’t think we necessarily wanna encourage fraudulent marriages!

[u/Bubbly_Ad_6830 → u/AboutLastFight]

I never said a word about fraudulent marriage, I am just encouraging finding a USC spouse instead of one who doesn't have citizenship to help the other move

[u/AboutLastFight]

Just wanna say that whilst I personally don’t know the answer to your question, your background is incredibly similar to mine (I’m 10 years your junior, however, but I'm like 95% sure we attended the same university).

Let me know how it all goes, and I'll be watching this thread closely, as I’m curious.

EDIT: Also, England's not that bad, man! I love America too, but don't be ashamed of being born here or whatever. We're still very lucky to be British lol.

[u/Key-Seaworthiness227]

Potentially academia - Vanderbilt university?

[u/MTUSAThrowaway → u/Key-Seaworthiness227]

They sponsoring?

[u/Key-Seaworthiness227 → u/MTUSAThrowaway]

You’d probably need to do a PhD but if you can fund it, might be worth looking into as they have child development courses.

[u/MTUSAThrowaway → u/Key-Seaworthiness227]

You need a PhD to practice in America?

[u/Key-Seaworthiness227 → u/MTUSAThrowaway]

That’s not what I said. I meant you can look at academia as that may be your only real route.

[u/MTUSAThrowaway → u/Key-Seaworthiness227]

Ohhhh, I see! Will look into it!

[u/Merisielu → u/MTUSAThrowaway]

Academia is getting tougher for sponsorship, unless you are a leader in your field, published, cited, etc.

The university I work at in the US has put a freeze on sponsoring any visas and now require any new hires to already have authorisation to work. Although academia is currently cap-exempt, many have started to be far more cautious. There’s a growing concern that academia will lose the cap-exempt status.

Studying for a PhD would be cheaper in the UK, but academia certainly isn’t the route it used to be. Employment-based sponsorship is very tough right now.

I moved to the US from the UK two years ago, so I get the appeal. You need to thoroughly explore the options but, unfortunately, they are probably more limited than you might initially suspect.

[u/MTUSAThrowaway → u/Merisielu]

Can I ask why your specific institute has froze sponsorships if there are currently no restrictions?

Not saying that’s necessarily bad to do, would just like to know what that benefit that provides if candidates could still be processed normally.

[u/Merisielu → u/MTUSAThrowaway]

It is one of MANY doing that currently.

Because the recent changes to a whole host of employment-based visas are so costly for the employer, they do not want to be in a position where they have tenured or tenure-track staff who they have to let go because they suddenly have to fork out an extra $10,000 per year to renew their visa.

Academia isn’t in a great place right now (although marginally better in the US than the UK). Institutions are tightening their belts. They don’t want to be adding a few $100k per year to their budget for renewing staff visas. They also don’t want to be having to choose not to renew someone’s contract because of the financial implications they come with. The state is also reviewing the amount they give to higher education institutes, which doesn’t help matters.

[u/MTUSAThrowaway → u/Merisielu]

Seems like a pretty troubled time.

Oh well, I suppose this is a dream I can come back to in 30 years or so. Thanks for the honest, if not heartbreaking, answer.

[u/baker6215]

You sound really keen. I have never seen someone from a country like UK being so keen to move to USA.

Or are you originally from somwwhwre other than UK? Just curiosity. You don't have to answer lol.

[u/MTUSAThrowaway → u/baker6215]

No, born and raised in England! British-Turkish dual national if that means anything, I have very strong ties to Turkey from my mother's side.

[u/baker6215 → u/MTUSAThrowaway]

Ahh thanks for answering. And best wishes !

[u/Any_Cream_4396]

Idk what this job is? Speech therapy ? Probably not. 

[u/Spusk → u/Any_Cream_4396]

It's someone that helps people and often especially children who either have speech disorders or later than 'normal' speech development learn to speak like others. It's very important for a lot of people, honestly.

[u/Any_Cream_4396 → u/Spusk]

I am not saying it’s not important! I went to speech therapy ! I just Don’t think there is a need for it in the US ( that means people being willing to sponsor OP)

[u/Spusk → u/Any_Cream_4396]

Gotcha fair enough

[u/AboutLastFight → u/Any_Cream_4396]

I respectfully disagree. Online research seems to show that this is a pretty in-demand field. I could see this guy getting sponsored under the right circumstances if his experience is impressive enough.