All Things Visa

Relocating can be a stressful process and the Visa application process isn’t always easy or quick. On this page, you will find some useful information for visa applications and if have any questions please contact one of our consultants.

Visa Information for non-US Veterinary Graduates

If you are not a U.S. citizen, you need a visa to work in or travel to the United States. The U.S. State Department provides information regarding visas and/or work permits. A visa does not provide or guarantee you a job as a veterinarian in the U.S. and does not by itself, qualify you to work as a veterinarian in the United States.

Veterinary degree or equivalent

To practice as a veterinarian in the United States, you must have either 1) graduated from an AVMA Council on Education (COE)-accredited school (please refer to our list of accredited veterinary colleges for the names of accredited schools); or 2) successfully completed an educational equivalency certification program such as that administered by the AVMA’s Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG).

The ECFVG is accepted by all state regulatory boards as meeting, either in full or in part, each state’s educational prerequisite for veterinary licensure. If you have further questions regarding educational equivalency certification, please contact the ECFVG.

Veterinary licensure examination

After earning your degree from a COE-accredited veterinary school, or earning an ECFVG or other state-accepted educational equivalency certificate if you graduated from a listed, non-accredited school, you will also need to complete all state veterinary licensure requirements. This includes passing the national licensure examination administered through the International Council for Veterinary Assessment, as well as any state-specific examinations.

State veterinary licenses

To work as a private-practice clinical veterinarian in the United States, you will need a state veterinary license for each state in which you will practice veterinary medicine – this is in addition to your veterinary degree or educational equivalency certificate. Each state has different rules and prerequisites for licensure. For information on state licensure, please see either the state resources available on the AVMA’s website or the American Association of Veterinary State Boards website.

If you want to know more, or are interested in using our services, please do get in touch today!