Qualified and experienced healthcare workers are in high demand across the world. If you work in the medical field, your skills can lead to opportunities to gain career experience abroad. To apply to work in an English-speaking country like the USA, an IELTS test will form part of your visa and job application requirements. Book your IELTS test today and plan your experience as a healthcare worker in the USA with the guide below.
What jobs are available?
The USA is one of the largest countries in the world and the demand for healthcare related skills differs from state to state. Nurses, however, are in demand across the country. Emergency medical staff and mental health professionals will also find that their skills are welcome in a number of states, from Florida to New York and beyond.
According to the University of San Diego’s Professional and Continuing Education, some of the top healthcare roles in the USA aside from nursing including dentistry, physical therapy, radiology technicians and medical or clinical lab technologists. Read more on their website about how the demand for these roles is expected to grow.
Application requirements
If you want to become a healthcare worker in the USA, you will need to provide certification from a US Citizenship and Immigration Services- approved organisation that confirms you meet the minimum education and licence requirements.
You will also need a visa sponsored by the institution you intend to work for. The H-1B visa is the most common work visa for highly skilled professionals. Make sure you understand exactly how your visa can be used and how long it is valid for.
An IELTS test is an essential part of the requirements necessary to work in the USA. As the world’s most trusted English test, IELTS offers an in-depth assessment of the test taker’s proficiency in English Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
IELTS score requirements
Your results for the IELTS test are calculated according to a band scoring system. Your overall IELTS band score will depend on the separate scores you received for each section of the test. The highest possible band score is 9.0.
The USA does not set a universal minimum IELTS score for work visas; the score you need to achieve will be set by your employer. Be sure to confirm with the organisation you apply to work at what their IELTS band score requirements are so you can achieve your goals of working in the USA. If you want to apply as a registered nurse or a lab technologist, an overall band score of 6.5 is required and your score for the Speaking section should be at least 7.0.
Register for IELTS with the British Council and get free access to our most comprehensive preparation course. IELTS Ready Premium is designed to help test takers get the score they need to meet application requirements.