[good_boy_1234]

There are programs that do not sponsor Visas for IMG's...so this will increase the matching chances for U.S citizens & GC holders...But:

1) When I read the matching filters thread in UFs & surfed on internet I found that Visa issue is very important & some put it after USMLE scores (before USCE) although the programs that do not sponsor Visas are few compared to programs that sponsor Visas....I think U.S citizenship/ GC adds something to matching chances in addition to visa issues, It is more than Visa issues. May you explain that ?

2) What is/are the benefits of U.S citizenship above GC ? Is there any difference in Matching?

3) It seems a contradictory idea , I had a chance to talk with a neurosurgery program director...He told me that he receives applications with no info about their nationalities...in other words, he does not no if the applicant holds U.S citizenship/GC....May you explain that?

 

[lee-usmle]

Answers to your questions

1) Even though there are many programs that say we sponsor J1 and H1 visas, these same programs still prefer applicants who do not visa sponsorship, as this will save them lots of headache.

2) There's no advantage of US citizenship over a green card as they both do not require visa sponsorship and allowed to work in US, however, there might be some confounding factors if you want to compare these two. For example, most US citizen IMGs have done more of USCE compared to permanent residents IMG and also many US citizen IMGs have completed their medical school in the Caribbean and these schools incorporate US based clerkships in their curriculum and thus highly increasing the acculturation of these students and therefore their matching is rather easier than those IMGs coming from other continents.

3) Your PD is wrong. He should know the visa status of an applicant because in ERAS there's a question that asks whether you are a US citizen or permanent resident or in need of visa ...etc. I think he meant that he does not know the nationality of the IMG because you don't need to disclose your country in ERAS. Nevertheless, it's self-explanatory from your medical school and city of birth.