H-1B Visa COTA Jobs
COTA roles qualify as H-1B visa specialty occupations when the position requires a state license and an associate or bachelor's degree in occupational therapy. Most hospital systems, rehabilitation networks, and skilled nursing facilities with active H-1B filing history sponsor COTAs annually, making this one of the more accessible therapy paths for international candidates.
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Job ID JR207231
Date posted 06/15/2026
Location: San Diego, California
Job Type: Regular
Shift: Day
Responsibilities
Hours:
Shift Start Time: 7:30 AM
Shift End Time: 6 PM
AWS Hours Requirement: 10/40 - 10 Hour Shift
Additional Shift Information: Wednesday - Saturday
Weekend Requirements: As Needed
On-Call Required: No
Hourly Pay Range (Minimum - Midpoint - Maximum): $34.170 - $44.090 - $49.370
This position is covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with SEIU-UHW. As part of the terms of employment, employees in this role are required to join the union within 31 days of hire and remain a member (e.g. dues paying, fee paying, religious exception contributor) for the duration of the collective bargaining agreement.
This position was originally posted to ratified SEIU members from 06/5/2026 – 6/13/26. The position is now available to be filled by internal candidates that are not members of the ratified Bargaining Unit or External candidates to Sharp.
What You Will Do
Under the direction of an occupational therapist, provides occupational therapy care to patients with impaired functional mobility as a result of neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, and/or cardiopulmonary involvement or injury.
Required Qualifications
- AHA Basic Life Support for Healthcare Professional (AHA BLS Healthcare) - American Heart Association - REQUIRED
- California Occupational Therapy Assistant - CA Board of Occupational Therapy - REQUIRED
Preferred Qualifications
- Associate's Degree In a COTA program.
- 3 Years Experience in all aspects of this discipline.
Essential Functions
Department development:
- Participates in departmental activities, such as CQI, staff meetings, and chart review.
- Participates in committees and system wide activities when requested as departmental representative.
- Present discipline specific resource information to patients and families.
Documentation:
- Documentation is completed in a timely, complete, legible, concise and accurate manner.
- Documentation follows Sharp HealthCare guidelines, professional guidelines, and meets third-party payor and regulatory requirements.
- Maintains records pertinent to departmental operations.
- Completes all documentation elements as appropriate (Interdisciplinary Plan of Care, Education record, billing, and others).
Operational efficiency:
- Communicates patient care and departmental issues.
- Accepts changes and demonstrates flexibility when asked regarding work schedules and assignments.
- Completes additional assignments in a timely manner.
- Offers suggestions for resolving operational issues within the department.
- Maintains departmental cleanliness and safety.
- Uses time effectively.
- As requested, assists in the ordering of all necessary equipment and supplies, submits all requisitions to the therapist, and consistently demonstrates a cost-conscious attitude in the ordering and usage of materials.
- Assists in continuous Quality Improvement Program.
- Provides supervision and clinical direction to other assistants in the department if needed.
- Has responsibility for one major departmental project.
- Is consulted as a representative of his/her profession.
- Shares ideas therapeutic principles.
- Provides in-service/education program or training.
- Participates in student program.
Patient care:
- Implements treatment following treatment plan reporting subjective/objective patient response.
- Reports patient pain that interferes with optimal level of function or participation in rehabilitation; and implements intervention.
- Performs all aspects of patient care in an environment that optimizes patient safety and reduces the likelihood of medical/health care errors.
- Participates in utilizing a teaching plan based upon identified learning needs and reports effectiveness of learning; family is included in teaching as appropriate.
- Demonstrates knowledge and safe use of modalities, equipment and therapeutic procedures.
- Implements patient care to ensure patients' needs are met and hospital policy is followed.
- Implements plan with sensitivity to the comprehensive, age/culturally appropriate issues using patient care interventions with patient and family.
- Recognizes need for additional assessment by primary therapist.
- Under the direction of the therapist appropriately implements modified treatment plans adapting, within the capabilities of the patient in order to achieve the highest level of functioning.
- As directed by the therapist, assists in determination of and provides to patient available community resources in order to make appropriate referrals for service in areas of specific patient needs.
- Provides community resources and liaison contact with community agencies in order to make appropriate referrals for service in areas of specific patient needs.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Knowledge of occupational therapy treatment methods.
- Ability to keep neat, accurate, concise records. Ability to document patient care and progress efficiently in the electronic health record.
- Effective professional communication skills.
- Actively involved in professional development.
- Ability to direct work of aides and/or student interns.
Sharp HealthCare is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with disability or any other protected class.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship in COTA
Verify your credential equivalency early
Foreign OT credentials must be evaluated for U.S. equivalency before USCIS will approve your petition. Use a NACES-approved credential evaluation service and confirm your degree maps to a U.S. occupational therapy assistant program before applying to any role.
Check state licensure before targeting employers
COTAs must hold a valid state license before starting work, and H-1B approval doesn't substitute for it. Research each state's OTA licensure board requirements early since some states have longer processing windows that can delay your start date.
Use OFLC Wage Search to set salary expectations
Your employer must pay at least the DOL prevailing wage for your SOC code and work location. Run an OFLC Wage Search for occupational therapy assistants in your target metro before negotiating, so you know what the LCA must certify.
Target employers with rehab contract staffing arms
Large rehabilitation contract companies that staff COTAs across multiple SNFs and outpatient clinics file H-1B petitions more regularly than single-facility employers. Searching by industry segment on Migrate Mate shows which employers have active LCA filing history for this role.
Confirm NBCOT certification before the I-129 is filed
USCIS expects your NBCOT certification to be in hand or imminent at petition time. If your exam date falls after the proposed start date, your employer's attorney should address this directly in the support letter to avoid an RFE.
Understand cap timing relative to your OPT or status
H-1B cap petitions are filed in April for an October 1 start. If you're on OPT, confirm your EAD end date and cap-gap eligibility with your DSO so there's no gap in work authorization between your current status and the H-1B effective date.
H-1B Visa COTA: Frequently Asked Questions
Does a COTA role qualify as an H-1B specialty occupation?
Yes, COTA roles qualify when the position requires at minimum an associate degree in occupational therapy and a state license. USCIS evaluates specialty occupation status on a case-by-case basis, so your employer's support letter should clearly document that a specific OT degree is a standard minimum requirement for the role, not just preferred.
Which employers are most likely to sponsor H-1B visas for COTAs?
Rehabilitation contract companies, large hospital systems, and multi-site skilled nursing facility operators tend to sponsor COTAs most consistently because they have in-house immigration counsel and recurring staffing needs. You can filter employers by H-1B LCA filing history on Migrate Mate to identify which organizations have sponsored COTA or OTA roles specifically, rather than guessing from general employer reputation.
Does H-1B sponsorship for COTAs typically require PERM labor certification?
No. H-1B sponsorship for temporary employment does not require PERM labor certification. PERM is required only if your employer is also sponsoring you for a green card through the EB-2 or EB-3 employment-based immigrant visa category. For initial H-1B status, only the DOL Labor Condition Application and USCIS I-129 petition are required.
Can a COTA employer file H-1B petitions for multiple work sites?
Yes, but the employer must file a separate LCA for each work location where you'll provide services for more than 40 hours in a workweek. This is common for COTAs who rotate across SNFs or outpatient clinics under a single contract employer. Each LCA must certify the prevailing wage for that specific work location's metro area.
What happens to my H-1B status if my COTA employer loses a facility contract?
Your H-1B status is tied to the petitioning employer, not the specific facility. If your employer reassigns you to a new site, they may need to amend your petition if the new location has a materially different wage level. If the employer terminates your position entirely, you have a 60-day grace period to find a new sponsor, change status, or depart the U.S.