DENTISTS
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INTERNATIONALLY TRAINED DENTISTS LICENSED IN CALIFORNIA
How internationally trained dentists are licensed in the US
Cost of De La Salle (Mexico) vs other IDPs in California
Dentist.
Two types of internationally trained students/dentists can be admitted into program:
1. Those who already have their green cards or US citizenship and are already residing in the USA;
2. Those who want to get their green cards to reside and work as dentists in the State of California.
There are many persons who have immigrated to the US by virtue of family members who petitioned them to come
to the US. They immigrate and get their green cards, but cannot work as Dentists in California because they do
not meet the Licensing requirements for the state of California. “All the students of the La Salle’s California
approved track are US citizens or Legal Residents of the United States”.
Those Dentists in the second group are interested in both getting their green cards to the US and becoming
licensed as dentists in the US (State of California).
As an Alternative, the dental doctor can pursue the nurse diploma first through a nurse retraining program
before enrolling in a 2-year IDP.
The International Dental Program (IDP) will lead to a green card as follows:
1. Complete the 2-year IDP and take the necessary tests to become licensed in the State of California;
2. The Licensing by the California Dental Board ONLY permits you to work as a dentists, IF you have legal
permission to work in the USA (a green card). It does not give you permission to work in the USA. You need legal
residence (green card) to work, in any capacity in America;
3. The California Dental license qualifies the foreign trained doctor to get a Labor certification to work as a
dentist in California;
4. The labor certification process through the Department of Labor cannot be started until the dentists
completes the IDP and passes all his or her exams to become licensed as a dentists in the State of California.
Once the dentist starts the labor certification process, the dentists can expect it to take 4 years before he or she
can get their green card to work as a dentist.
Nurses are “Schedule A” pre-certified by the Department of Labor, which means any nurse wishing to immigrate
as a nurse to the US is exempt from the Labor Certification process. Registered nurses immigrate through the 3rd
employment based category. In 2010 we can expect special legislation to be passed by the US Congress that will
allow nurses to immigrate under an expedited process, quicker than other immigrants who need to go through the
labor certification process and the 3rd preference.
If the dental doctor elects to first get their green card as a nurse, they attend a one-year nurse retraining course
to earn their nurse diploma. With the nurse diploma the doctor can take the test for nurses, and when successful,
can immigrate with a green card as a registered nurse.
Presently this option to earn the nurse diploma is available to the Dental Doctor through the St Petersburg State
University. The one-year retraining program will earn the dentist a CGFNS Certificate recognized nurse diploma
that will lead to their green card.
First the dentist must find a way to get a green card. Retraining as a nurse will meet that objective. We will seek
the job offer in California, so unless the nurse obtains his or her own job offer in another state, then assume
person will be working in California as a nurse, at least from start.
Once they get their green card and are working in the US as a registered nurse, they can consider taking steps
necessary to becoming a licensed California dentists.
Presently to sit for the California dental Licensing examination the “Foreign Trained Dentist” must meet certain
requirements. See summary of state educational requirements for international dentists.
Essentially these are the minimum requirements for California; If the dentist graduated from a foreign dental
school that was approved by the Dental Board of California (DBC) THEN THEY ARE ELIGIBLE TO SIT FOR
CALIFORNIA DENTAL Licensing EXAM. One Mexican school has been approved, no other school approved. De
La Salle dental school. See “Discussions”
- We have submitted a proposal to the Dental School of the St Petersburg State University Faculty of
Medicine to cooperate with it in having their program approved so that its graduates are eligible to sit for
DBC Licensing EXAM. We have proposed to finance the entire approval procedure, including site visits in
exchange for rights to enroll students into that program, once approved. But that will not assist persons who
are already dentists. See International Dental Programs, or - If their dental school has not been approved by DBC, and no dental school in India or any other country has
been approved, then they must be accepted and enrolled in “Advance Standing” in a US dental school and
complete a two-year course to earn that schools degree or diploma as dental doctor which will make them
eligible for a state dental Licensing exam. These Advanced Standing admissions are very hard to secure. or; - Apply to and enroll into an International Dental Program (IDP). These are two year “certificate” programs
which make the dentists qualified for the DBC Licensing exam. All five California dental schools, plus
university of De La Salle in Mexico (this is only school in world outside US approved by DBC, ABOVE)
tuition about $120,000 for two year program, ($15,000 per quarter, 8 quarter program), plus cost of living.
De LaSalle IDP, Non-Mexican dentist $88,000 for two year program. Our proposal to the St Petersburg
State University includes the starting of a 2-year IDP once approval by DBC is obtained. - The De La Salle program.
Our pursuing the approval from the DBC is entirely independent or our nurse retraining programs. On behalf of
licensed California dentists, whom I represent, we intend to vigorously seek these approvals by the DBC, and we
are prepared to finance the cost of the approvals.
We can expect that it will take us up to four years to obtain the approvals, based on the length of time it took the
Mexican school to be approved.
Dentists enrolling in our nurse retraining program starting September 2010, can expect that it will take 2 years
(from when they start nurse program) to pass all exams and receive their CGFNS Certificates. At that time a US
employer can make them a job offer (I-140 petition) to come to work for it with a green card. Allot 12 months from
when US employer petitions nurse to green card interview at US consulate. Once nurse arrives in US she MUST
work for at least 6 months to one year for petitioning US employer, as a registered nurse.
Dentists starting our nurse retraining program should expect to arrive in the US within 3 years, or September
2013. The dentist must work for at least 6 months to one year as registered nurse for retention of green card
purposes.
Dentists can expect that four years will elapse from when dentists starts our nurse retraining program, to when
they are free to leave the employment of the petitioning US employer and seek other employment or pursue full
time study.
Your advantage is that you will have your green card, which you earned legally so don’t have any apprehensions
of losing.
At that time (4-years) you can consider enrolling into an IDP. Your options are the 5 California schools or the one
school in Mexico that offer these 2 year certification programs. At the end of your successful completion of the 2-
year certification IDP you can sit for DBC Licensing examination. If you pass the exam, you can immediately start
practicing dentistry in California!
Consider the dental doctor THAT DOES NOT HAVE THE GREEN CARD!
Dentists can enroll into one of the 5 California schools offering the IDP, but will need an F-1 non immigrant student
visa. Or the Mexican school which will also require a student visa.
Upon completion of the IDP course the dentist is qualified to sit for the DBC Licensing exam. If successful the
dentist becomes licensed as a dentist in the State of California.
But the dental license does not authorize you to work or remain in the US. It is not a green card that authorizes
you to reside permanently and work in the US.
It is a dental license that permits you to practice dentistry in the US, but you must still have a non-immigrant status
to work, e.g. H1-B visa or permanent resident visa. The permanent resident visa (green card) requires that the
California licensed doctor find a job offer from another US dentist or dental clinic and undergo the Labor
Certification process, get certified under that job offer and be subject to the 3rd preference employment based
immigrant classification.
Registered nurses are also subject to the 3rd preference employment based category, but nurses are exempt
from the Labor Certification process because they are Schedule A listed, see Green cards for doctors.
One way to view these options is to consider:
1. Getting the green card first as a nurse by enrolling in the nurse retraining program, PAYING tuition and
administration/processing fees of $8000 plus minimal cost of living; or
2. Enroll into IDP, least expensive program is Mexican school at tuition of $88,000 plus minimal 2-years cost of
living, finish course, become qualified for DBC Licensing exam, pass exam and get licensed, then start labor
certification/green card procedures.
As stated we have proposed to the St Petersburg State University Faculty of Medicine Dental School to cooperate
in seeking approval from the DBC. This is a resubmission of my proposal made to the dental school 5 years ago.
The difference in the proposal is that I am now in California and I and my group of California licensed dentists
have proposed to fully finance the cost of having the DBC approve the programs at the St Petersburg State
University. In exchange in obtaining said approvals, we have requested that we be granted the exclusive right to
enroll foreign educated doctors into the program.
As indicated we expect process to take four years. We make no guarantees to anyone that programs will ever be
approved for St Petersburg State University by DBC.
If approval process is started and if it results in the IDP being approved by the DBC, then we will give preference
to dentists who obtained their green cards through our nurse retraining programs.
We offer nothing more than green cards and US employment at this time to dental doctors who enroll in our
retraining program to receive their level one nursing diplomas.
Foreign educated Dental doctors must study for two additional years to become licensed in the state of California.