The process of becoming a pharmacist in the United States can be lengthy. The following is a sample scenario of the process.

January - Apply for the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination AND Test of English as a Foreign Language & Test of Spoken English OR TOEFLiBT

February to June - Study for the FPGEE, take the English exams

August to December - Receive your exam results, receive your FPGEC certification

January - Apply for a state intern license

February to March - Prepare for the filing of the H-1B visa

April 1 - Have your H-1B visa petition filed

May to October - Once your visa is approved, make preparations to move to the U.S.

Early October - Enter the U.S., apply for the Social Security Number

Late October/early November - Begin employment

Social Security Administration - www.ssa.gov

Q: Does it really only take this long to get into the US and work?

A: It varies. Factors such as your personal situation, length of time it takes to obtain the certification, intern license, and coordinating that with the visa quota can shorten or lengthen this process.

Contact Information:

David Rose
Pharmacist Recruiter
Foreign National Recruiting Coordinator