OPT Certified Respiratory Therapist Jobs
Certified Respiratory Therapist jobs on OPT require active CRT credentials from the NBRC, state licensure in your work state, and an employer willing to sponsor H-1B visa after your OPT period ends. Most positions are hospital-based, full-time roles that qualify as specialty occupations for visa purposes.
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Get Access To All JobsJob Summary and Responsibilities
As a Respiratory Therapist, you will join an established team of RTs who share your passion for delivering highly specialized cardiopulmonary care to patients experiencing breathing issues. You'll be instrumental in providing a range of treatments from breathing techniques and nebulizer treatments to ventilator management, oxygen therapies, and external ventilation support.
Every day you will apply your keen assessment skills and critical thinking to manage diverse patient needs, develop and execute effective care plans, and ensure calm, focused intervention in both routine and emergent situations.
To be successful in this role, you will demonstrate a strong sense of urgency, unwavering calm under pressure, and the ability to anticipate outcomes. Your dedication to patient well-being and exceptional problem-solving abilities will drive success in this vital role.
- Plans and administers non-medicated aerosol and humidity therapy.
- Plans and administers oxygen therapy (including implementation of oxygen therapy protocol where appropriate).
- Plans and administers aerosolized medication and specialty gas therapy.
- Plans and administers COPD care program.
- Performs airway management.
- Plans and administers incentive spirometry.
Sign On Bonus up to $25,000 and Student Loan Payback up to $24,000 for Eligible Hires
Job Requirements
Required
- Associates Of Science in Cardiopulmonary Services and No prior experience in respiratory care, upon hire or
- Respiratory Care from an accredited respiratory therapy educational program and No prior experience in respiratory care, upon hire and
- Respiratory Care Practitioner: KY, upon hire and
- Basic Life Support - CPR, upon hire and
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support, within 90 Days and
- Neonatal Resuscitation Program, within 90 Days
Preferred
- at least one year of experience in respiratory critical care
Where You'll Work
Welcome to Saint Joseph East, a 217-bed, full-service, community hospital located in a convenient setting in Lexington, Kentucky. Saint Joseph East also includes the Women's Hospital at Saint Joseph East which is dedicated to supporting the well-being of women in Central and Eastern Kentucky and serves a 16-bed Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
CHI Saint Joseph Health is part of CommonSpirit Health, a non-profit, Catholic health system dedicated to advancing health for all people. With approximately 175,000 team members and 25,000 physicians and advanced practice clinicians. Our commitment to serve the common good is delivered through the dedicated work of thousands of physicians, advanced practice clinicians, nurses, and staff; through clinical excellence delivered across a system of 140 hospitals and more than 2,200 care centers serving 24 states.
Pay Range
$24.88 - $37.00 /hour
Job Summary and Responsibilities
As a Respiratory Therapist, you will join an established team of RTs who share your passion for delivering highly specialized cardiopulmonary care to patients experiencing breathing issues. You'll be instrumental in providing a range of treatments from breathing techniques and nebulizer treatments to ventilator management, oxygen therapies, and external ventilation support.
Every day you will apply your keen assessment skills and critical thinking to manage diverse patient needs, develop and execute effective care plans, and ensure calm, focused intervention in both routine and emergent situations.
To be successful in this role, you will demonstrate a strong sense of urgency, unwavering calm under pressure, and the ability to anticipate outcomes. Your dedication to patient well-being and exceptional problem-solving abilities will drive success in this vital role.
- Plans and administers non-medicated aerosol and humidity therapy.
- Plans and administers oxygen therapy (including implementation of oxygen therapy protocol where appropriate).
- Plans and administers aerosolized medication and specialty gas therapy.
- Plans and administers COPD care program.
- Performs airway management.
- Plans and administers incentive spirometry.
Sign On Bonus up to $25,000 and Student Loan Payback up to $24,000 for Eligible Hires
Job Requirements
Required
- Associates Of Science in Cardiopulmonary Services and No prior experience in respiratory care, upon hire or
- Respiratory Care from an accredited respiratory therapy educational program and No prior experience in respiratory care, upon hire and
- Respiratory Care Practitioner: KY, upon hire and
- Basic Life Support - CPR, upon hire and
- Advanced Cardiac Life Support, within 90 Days and
- Neonatal Resuscitation Program, within 90 Days
Preferred
- at least one year of experience in respiratory critical care
Where You'll Work
Welcome to Saint Joseph East, a 217-bed, full-service, community hospital located in a convenient setting in Lexington, Kentucky. Saint Joseph East also includes the Women's Hospital at Saint Joseph East which is dedicated to supporting the well-being of women in Central and Eastern Kentucky and serves a 16-bed Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
CHI Saint Joseph Health is part of CommonSpirit Health, a non-profit, Catholic health system dedicated to advancing health for all people. With approximately 175,000 team members and 25,000 physicians and advanced practice clinicians. Our commitment to serve the common good is delivered through the dedicated work of thousands of physicians, advanced practice clinicians, nurses, and staff; through clinical excellence delivered across a system of 140 hospitals and more than 2,200 care centers serving 24 states.
Pay Range
$24.88 - $37.00 /hour
See all OPT Certified Respiratory Therapist Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Certified Respiratory Therapist Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Certified Respiratory Therapist
Verify your CRT credential is current before applying
Your NBRC Certified Respiratory Therapist credential must be active and in good standing. Employers run license verifications before extending offers, and an expired or lapsed credential will disqualify you regardless of your OPT authorization status.
Obtain state licensure in your target work state
Every state requires its own RT license, separate from your NBRC credential. Start the application early since processing can take four to eight weeks, and you cannot legally practice or start employment without it in place.
Target large health systems with established visa sponsorship track records
Large hospital networks such as HCA Healthcare, CommonSpirit, and academic medical centers regularly sponsor H-1B visas for clinical roles. Smaller independent clinics rarely have immigration infrastructure, making post-OPT sponsorship far less likely.
Apply during OPT, not at the end of it
H-1B cap-subject petitions are filed in March for an October 1 start. If your OPT expires before October, you need enough runway to apply and potentially use a cap-gap extension. Start job searching at least nine months before OPT ends.
Prioritize STEM OPT extension eligibility by choosing qualifying employers
Respiratory therapy degrees from accredited programs sometimes qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension if the CIP code meets criteria. Confirm with your DSO before applying, as this extension significantly increases your H-1B lottery odds.
Frame sponsorship conversations around the clinical staffing shortage
The U.S. faces documented shortages of credentialed respiratory therapists, particularly in intensive care and neonatal units. Framing your sponsorship request around this shortage gives hiring managers a concrete business justification to bring to HR and legal.
Certified Respiratory Therapist OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a Certified Respiratory Therapist on OPT?
Yes, if your degree is in respiratory therapy or a closely related health science field and your employment directly relates to that field of study. You must hold an active NBRC CRT credential and a valid state license for the state where you'll practice. Your OPT authorization is tied to employment matching your degree, so document the connection clearly with your DSO.
Does a Certified Respiratory Therapist role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B sponsorship?
Respiratory therapy consistently qualifies as a specialty occupation because the role requires at minimum a bachelor's degree in respiratory therapy or a related clinical science. USCIS has approved H-1B petitions for CRTs at hospitals and health systems. The NBRC credential and state licensure requirements further support the specialty occupation argument, which strengthens your employer's petition.
Where can I find Certified Respiratory Therapist jobs that sponsor OPT students?
Migrate Mate lists Certified Respiratory Therapist positions from employers with verified histories of sponsoring international candidates on OPT and H-1B. Filtering by sponsorship-friendly employers saves significant time compared to applying broadly and discovering late in the process that a hospital does not support visa sponsorship for clinical staff.
What happens to my OPT authorization if I change hospital employers?
You can change employers on OPT, but the new position must still be directly related to your degree field, and your new employer must be enrolled in E-Verify if you are on the STEM OPT extension. Report the employer change to your DSO within ten days and update your SEVP portal record promptly to stay in compliance and avoid status issues.
Can I work per diem or part-time shifts as a Certified Respiratory Therapist while on OPT?
Part-time work is permitted during the post-completion OPT period, but you must work at least 20 hours per week to remain in valid OPT status. Per diem arrangements that fall below 20 hours in a given week create compliance risk. On the STEM OPT extension, you must also meet formal training plan requirements, which typically align better with full-time or consistent part-time schedules.