H-1B Visa Occupational Therapy Assistant Jobs
Occupational Therapy Assistant roles qualify as H-1B visa specialty occupations when the position requires an associate degree or higher in occupational therapy assisting. Many hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and school districts sponsor H-1B visas for OTAs, particularly in underserved regions where demand consistently outpaces the domestic workforce.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
The University of Alabama invites applications and nominations for the Capstone Coordinator of its new Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program. Pending approval by The Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama, the OTD program will fill a distinct need for care and tap into a pipeline of interested and qualified students. We seek a visionary student-centered practitioner and scholar to help build a nationally distinctive program aligned with CCHS' founding mission that expands access to high-quality occupational therapy for areas of need, including rural communities across Alabama and the Southeast. The Capstone Coordinator will help build the program, including all aspects of the advanced capstone experience, accreditation, operations, and strategic growth. CCHS is vibrant and growing with academic program offerings in Rural Community Health, Population Health Sciences, Translational Science and Medicine, and several programs on the horizon. CCHS is home to a nationally renowned Sports Medicine Clinic and Sports Medicine Fellowship for Family Medicine Physicians. CCHS also houses Family Medicine and Psychiatry Residency Programs and Family Medicine Residency Fellowships in Geriatrics, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Psychiatry, and Emergency Medicine. The University Medical Center (UMC) within CCHS is a network of multidisciplinary clinics and hospitalists serving communities across West Alabama with approximately 300,000 patient encounters annually. Appointments to the faculty of The University of Alabama are based on the personnel requirements of the University’s academic programs and on the goal of achieving and maintaining excellence in its teaching, research, and service/academic citizenship activities.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Capstone Coordinator, Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) - Assistant or Associate Professor (tenure-track/tenured or clinical track), commensurate with qualifications.
The Capstone Coordinator will assist the Program Director & Associate Program Director in the Accreditation & Compliance requirements of the University of Alabama's Occupational Therapy Program. They will support advanced scholarly experiences and student scholarship along with educational components of the program.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Initially certified occupational therapist with an active, unencumbered OT license in a U.S. jurisdiction and eligibility for Alabama licensure.
- Doctoral Degree from a US Department of Education recognized institution (OTD, PhD, or equivalent; ABD may be considered for exceptional candidates).
- Minimum eight (8) years of OT experience that must include:
- Clinical practice
- Academic administrative experience (e.g., program planning and implementation, personnel management, evaluation, and budgeting)
- Scholarship of application or teaching and learning
- Understanding the role of the occupational therapy assistant
- Six (6) years of experience as a faculty member with teaching responsibilities at the postbaccalaureate level.
- Qualifications commensurate with Assistant or Associate Professor rank (tenure-track/tenured or clinical track).
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience in pediatric rehabilitation
- Experience and success as a member on ACOTE accreditation team(s)
- Experience creating innovation in education including clinical assessment technology
- Documented professional development/education in educational theory and methodology, instructional design, student evaluation, and program/outcome assessment.
- Experience with program evaluation, curriculum development, and accreditation processes; working knowledge of ACOTE expectations and timelines.
- Evidence of interprofessional education/practice and collaborative partnerships with health systems and community organizations.
- Active engagement in AOTA or related professional organizations.
- Strategic thinker who is organized, collaborative, and outcomes-oriented, with excellent communication skills.
- Relationship-builder who can galvanize stakeholder statewide to expand rural training sites and graduate a workforce responsive to Alabama’s needs.
INSTRUCTIONS AND REQUIRED MATERIALS FOR APPLICATION
- Cover letter addressing qualifications and leadership vision.
- Curriculum vitae.
- Teaching statement and scholarly/clinical agenda (as appropriate to rank/track).
- Names and contact information for three references (references will be contacted only with candidate’s consent).
ABOUT THE DIVISION/COLLEGE/SCHOOL
The College of Community Health Sciences (CCHS) was founded in 1972 by William Willard, MD, author of the “Willard Report” and considered the “Father of Family Medicine,” with a mandate to train family physicians for Alabama, particularly its rural areas. The College also provides medical student education as the Tuscaloosa Regional Campus of the four-campus University of Alabama School of Medicine, based at UAB in Birmingham. The College’s mission focuses on improving the health of individuals and communities in Alabama and the region through leadership in medical education and primary care; the provision of high-quality, accessible health care services; and scholarship.
CCHS is sponsor of the UA Family Medicine Residency and seven fellowships for family physicians. The Residency, a 16-16-16 program now in its 45th year, is the second largest family medicine residency in the country. Of the more than 470 Residency graduates, 85% practice in the five-state area of the Southeast, with half in rural areas, and comprise 1 of 7 family physicians practicing in Alabama. Nearly 900 medical students have completed their clinical training at the College since 1974, entering Family Medicine and primary care careers at more than twice the national average.
The College’s nationally recognized Rural Pipeline Programs and the Institute for Rural Health Research, along with basic sciences, social sciences, and health professional faculty and resources on the UA campus and innumerable specialty and medical research faculty among the School of Medicine faculty, create a uniquely resource-rich environment for a medical educator. The College’s clinical enterprise also conducts 150,000 ambulatory visits and more than 10,000 admissions a year to a broad patient population, including UA faculty and staff and the general population of West Alabama.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY
The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, named one of Travel + Leisure’s 25 Best College Towns and Cities in the U.S. As one of the nation’s premier universities, UA offers bachelor’s, master's and doctoral degrees in nearly 200 fields of study. With more than 1,400 acres of tree-lined academic core campus and over 300 state-of-the-art facilities, UA has been ranked among the most beautiful and most impressive college campuses in the South, in the state of Alabama and in the nation.
In Fall 2023, the Capstone set a new enrollment record with more than 39,000 students, including more than 8,200 in the freshman class. The current enrollment includes students from every county in Alabama, every state in the nation and 92 countries around the world. More than 1,100 National Merit Scholars are currently enrolled, making UA one of the largest enrolling institutions of the scholars in the country.
UA was recently recognized as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. students for the seventh time in nine years, as well as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. Scholars for the first time. UA is one of only 12 universities in the nation to receive both honors.
For reasons like this, the University made Forbes list of America’s Top Colleges for 2023 and Time magazine’s list of Top 50 Best Colleges for Future Leaders. It also made Princeton Review’s list of Top Value Colleges.
UA is also designated among the top doctoral research universities in the United States in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. One of the fastest growing major research institutions in the nation, UA saw a 21% increase in sponsored awards in the 2023 fiscal year.
Since 2015, UA has invested over $1.1 billion in the physical campus, adding more than 2.55 million gross square feet of space, over 150 new research-intensive faculty, signature research areas (e.g., “The Alabama Research Institutes”), and a growing number of partnerships with industry and with state and federal agencies.
The University employs nearly 2,100 faculty and over 4,500 staff, with 52 UA researchers included in the National Academy of Inventors. An additional 40 current faculty have received the NSF CAREER Award, the nation’s most prestigious recognition of top performing young scientists in disciplines ranging from nanoscience and engineering to biological sciences.
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION AND EEO STATEMENT
Background Investigation Statement: Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.
Equal Employment Opportunity: The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment or volunteer status without regard to any legally protected basis and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. More information is available in the EEOC’s Know Your Rights: Workplace discrimination is illegal poster.
The University of Alabama affirms its longstanding commitment to institutional neutrality, free speech, and academic freedom.
INTRODUCTION
The University of Alabama invites applications and nominations for the Capstone Coordinator of its new Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program. Pending approval by The Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama, the OTD program will fill a distinct need for care and tap into a pipeline of interested and qualified students. We seek a visionary student-centered practitioner and scholar to help build a nationally distinctive program aligned with CCHS' founding mission that expands access to high-quality occupational therapy for areas of need, including rural communities across Alabama and the Southeast. The Capstone Coordinator will help build the program, including all aspects of the advanced capstone experience, accreditation, operations, and strategic growth. CCHS is vibrant and growing with academic program offerings in Rural Community Health, Population Health Sciences, Translational Science and Medicine, and several programs on the horizon. CCHS is home to a nationally renowned Sports Medicine Clinic and Sports Medicine Fellowship for Family Medicine Physicians. CCHS also houses Family Medicine and Psychiatry Residency Programs and Family Medicine Residency Fellowships in Geriatrics, Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Psychiatry, and Emergency Medicine. The University Medical Center (UMC) within CCHS is a network of multidisciplinary clinics and hospitalists serving communities across West Alabama with approximately 300,000 patient encounters annually. Appointments to the faculty of The University of Alabama are based on the personnel requirements of the University’s academic programs and on the goal of achieving and maintaining excellence in its teaching, research, and service/academic citizenship activities.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Capstone Coordinator, Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) - Assistant or Associate Professor (tenure-track/tenured or clinical track), commensurate with qualifications.
The Capstone Coordinator will assist the Program Director & Associate Program Director in the Accreditation & Compliance requirements of the University of Alabama's Occupational Therapy Program. They will support advanced scholarly experiences and student scholarship along with educational components of the program.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Initially certified occupational therapist with an active, unencumbered OT license in a U.S. jurisdiction and eligibility for Alabama licensure.
- Doctoral Degree from a US Department of Education recognized institution (OTD, PhD, or equivalent; ABD may be considered for exceptional candidates).
- Minimum eight (8) years of OT experience that must include:
- Clinical practice
- Academic administrative experience (e.g., program planning and implementation, personnel management, evaluation, and budgeting)
- Scholarship of application or teaching and learning
- Understanding the role of the occupational therapy assistant
- Six (6) years of experience as a faculty member with teaching responsibilities at the postbaccalaureate level.
- Qualifications commensurate with Assistant or Associate Professor rank (tenure-track/tenured or clinical track).
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience in pediatric rehabilitation
- Experience and success as a member on ACOTE accreditation team(s)
- Experience creating innovation in education including clinical assessment technology
- Documented professional development/education in educational theory and methodology, instructional design, student evaluation, and program/outcome assessment.
- Experience with program evaluation, curriculum development, and accreditation processes; working knowledge of ACOTE expectations and timelines.
- Evidence of interprofessional education/practice and collaborative partnerships with health systems and community organizations.
- Active engagement in AOTA or related professional organizations.
- Strategic thinker who is organized, collaborative, and outcomes-oriented, with excellent communication skills.
- Relationship-builder who can galvanize stakeholder statewide to expand rural training sites and graduate a workforce responsive to Alabama’s needs.
INSTRUCTIONS AND REQUIRED MATERIALS FOR APPLICATION
- Cover letter addressing qualifications and leadership vision.
- Curriculum vitae.
- Teaching statement and scholarly/clinical agenda (as appropriate to rank/track).
- Names and contact information for three references (references will be contacted only with candidate’s consent).
ABOUT THE DIVISION/COLLEGE/SCHOOL
The College of Community Health Sciences (CCHS) was founded in 1972 by William Willard, MD, author of the “Willard Report” and considered the “Father of Family Medicine,” with a mandate to train family physicians for Alabama, particularly its rural areas. The College also provides medical student education as the Tuscaloosa Regional Campus of the four-campus University of Alabama School of Medicine, based at UAB in Birmingham. The College’s mission focuses on improving the health of individuals and communities in Alabama and the region through leadership in medical education and primary care; the provision of high-quality, accessible health care services; and scholarship.
CCHS is sponsor of the UA Family Medicine Residency and seven fellowships for family physicians. The Residency, a 16-16-16 program now in its 45th year, is the second largest family medicine residency in the country. Of the more than 470 Residency graduates, 85% practice in the five-state area of the Southeast, with half in rural areas, and comprise 1 of 7 family physicians practicing in Alabama. Nearly 900 medical students have completed their clinical training at the College since 1974, entering Family Medicine and primary care careers at more than twice the national average.
The College’s nationally recognized Rural Pipeline Programs and the Institute for Rural Health Research, along with basic sciences, social sciences, and health professional faculty and resources on the UA campus and innumerable specialty and medical research faculty among the School of Medicine faculty, create a uniquely resource-rich environment for a medical educator. The College’s clinical enterprise also conducts 150,000 ambulatory visits and more than 10,000 admissions a year to a broad patient population, including UA faculty and staff and the general population of West Alabama.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY
The University of Alabama is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, named one of Travel + Leisure’s 25 Best College Towns and Cities in the U.S. As one of the nation’s premier universities, UA offers bachelor’s, master's and doctoral degrees in nearly 200 fields of study. With more than 1,400 acres of tree-lined academic core campus and over 300 state-of-the-art facilities, UA has been ranked among the most beautiful and most impressive college campuses in the South, in the state of Alabama and in the nation.
In Fall 2023, the Capstone set a new enrollment record with more than 39,000 students, including more than 8,200 in the freshman class. The current enrollment includes students from every county in Alabama, every state in the nation and 92 countries around the world. More than 1,100 National Merit Scholars are currently enrolled, making UA one of the largest enrolling institutions of the scholars in the country.
UA was recently recognized as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. students for the seventh time in nine years, as well as a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright U.S. Scholars for the first time. UA is one of only 12 universities in the nation to receive both honors.
For reasons like this, the University made Forbes list of America’s Top Colleges for 2023 and Time magazine’s list of Top 50 Best Colleges for Future Leaders. It also made Princeton Review’s list of Top Value Colleges.
UA is also designated among the top doctoral research universities in the United States in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. One of the fastest growing major research institutions in the nation, UA saw a 21% increase in sponsored awards in the 2023 fiscal year.
Since 2015, UA has invested over $1.1 billion in the physical campus, adding more than 2.55 million gross square feet of space, over 150 new research-intensive faculty, signature research areas (e.g., “The Alabama Research Institutes”), and a growing number of partnerships with industry and with state and federal agencies.
The University employs nearly 2,100 faculty and over 4,500 staff, with 52 UA researchers included in the National Academy of Inventors. An additional 40 current faculty have received the NSF CAREER Award, the nation’s most prestigious recognition of top performing young scientists in disciplines ranging from nanoscience and engineering to biological sciences.
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION AND EEO STATEMENT
Background Investigation Statement: Prior to hiring, the final candidate(s) must successfully pass a pre-employment background investigation and information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation DOES NOT automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review of the prior conviction or negative behavioral red flags before a hiring decision is made.
Equal Employment Opportunity: The University of Alabama is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment or volunteer status without regard to any legally protected basis and will not be discriminated against because of their protected status. Applicants and employees of this institution are protected under Federal law from discrimination on several bases. More information is available in the EEOC’s Know Your Rights: Workplace discrimination is illegal poster.
The University of Alabama affirms its longstanding commitment to institutional neutrality, free speech, and academic freedom.
See all 154+ H-1B Visa Occupational Therapy Assistant Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new H-1B Visa Occupational Therapy Assistant Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding H-1B Visa Sponsorship as an Occupational Therapy Assistant
Verify your NBCOT certification before applying
H-1B employers filing for OTA roles expect active NBCOT COTA certification before they'll initiate sponsorship. Confirm your certification is current and your state license is in good standing before targeting sponsors.
Filter employers by LCA filing history
Use Migrate Mate to search employers who have filed Labor Condition Applications for OTA or occupational therapy roles. Active LCA history signals a company already understands the H-1B process and won't hesitate at the sponsor step.
Target healthcare systems over staffing agencies
Direct-hire hospital systems and school districts are more reliable H-1B sponsors than staffing agencies. Agencies often can't file as the petitioning employer for specialty occupation roles, leaving you without a viable sponsor.
Check prevailing wage before negotiating your offer
Your employer's LCA must certify a wage meeting or exceeding the DOL prevailing wage for your SOC code and work location. Run your role through the OFLC Wage Search before accepting an offer to confirm the numbers align.
Request premium processing when timelines are tight
If your OPT or prior status expires within a few months of your start date, ask your employer to file with USCIS premium processing. This cuts adjudication to 15 business days and protects your cap-gap window if you're transitioning from F-1 status.
Confirm your role's specialty occupation classification
Some OTA postings list an associate degree as preferred rather than required, which weakens the specialty occupation argument for USCIS. Review the O*NET occupation profile for OTAs and ensure the job description explicitly requires a degree in occupational therapy assisting.
H-1B Visa Occupational Therapy Assistant: Frequently Asked Questions
Does an Occupational Therapy Assistant role qualify as an H-1B specialty occupation?
Yes, OTA positions qualify when the employer requires at least an associate degree in occupational therapy assisting as a minimum entry requirement. USCIS evaluates the job description, not just the title. If the posting says a degree is preferred rather than required, the specialty occupation case weakens, so always check the exact language before applying to sponsored roles.
Which types of employers are most likely to sponsor H-1B visas for OTAs?
Hospital systems, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, pediatric therapy practices, and school districts with persistent staffing shortages are the most active H-1B sponsors for OTA roles. These employers tend to have in-house HR teams or retained immigration counsel who are familiar with the LCA and I-129 process. Browse OTA roles with verified sponsorship history on Migrate Mate to identify active filers in your target location.
Does my employer need to file a PERM labor certification to sponsor my H-1B as an OTA?
No. PERM is required for green card sponsorship through employment, not for the H-1B. For the H-1B, your employer files a Labor Condition Application with DOL and then submits Form I-129 to USCIS. PERM only becomes relevant if the same employer later decides to sponsor you for permanent residence.
Can I work at multiple clinic locations on a single H-1B as an OTA?
Only if your employer filed the LCA to cover each worksite location. DOL requires a separate LCA posting for each physical location where you'll work. If your employer adds a new location after your H-1B is approved, they must file an amended I-129 with USCIS before you begin working at that site. Confirm this with your employer before accepting a role that involves multiple sites.
How does the H-1B cap lottery affect OTA job seekers?
Most OTA employers in the private sector are subject to the annual H-1B cap, which means your petition enters the lottery each April for an October 1 start. Nonprofit hospitals, government-affiliated health systems, and certain educational institutions are cap-exempt, allowing year-round filing with no lottery risk. If lottery timing is a concern, prioritizing cap-exempt employers is a practical strategy worth building your job search around.