|
|
| About Us |
 |
Who We Are
Service Commitment
Mission
Vision
Why FCCPT?
Relationship with the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT)
The People of FCCPT
FCCPT Board of Directors
Quality Review Committee (CRC)
Staff
Requirements
Summary of Credential Review Results
Background
 Who We Are
The Foreign Credentialing Commission on Physical Therapy (FCCPT) is a non-profit organization created to assist the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and U.S. jurisdiction licensing authorities by evaluating the credentials of foreign educated physical therapists (FEPTs) who wish to immigrate and/or work in the United States. The purpose of this evaluation is to determine whether FEPTs have acquired educational credentials that are equivalent to those required of physical therapists (PTs) educated in the U.S. The FCCPT has:
- Adopted uniform standards for evaluating credentials.
- Developed an infrastructure of systems, processes and human resources to consistently apply these standards to all FEPT applicants.
- Established an effective system for reporting findings to applicants, jurisdiction licensing agencies, and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS, formerly INS).
Service Commitment
FCCPT will provide services to the individuals and organizations we serve that are convenient and easy to access. We will provide these services to our clients in the shortest possible time period.
Mission
Our (FCCPT's) mission is to protect the public by the evaluation and authentication of international credentials. To provide high quality and timely services. We carry out our mission through collaboration and the use of established standards, resulting in the implementation of federal regulations and in support of jurisdictional requirements.
Vision
FCCPT is the organization recognized for excellence and serves as the leading authority in evaluation of educational equivalence and the international credentials of Foreign Educated Physical Therapists.
Why FCCPT?
Foreign educated physical therapists can rely on FCCPT to fairly and consistently evaluate their credentials utilizing uniform standards and processes in an objective manner. Findings and conclusions are provided to the applicant when reports are issued. FCCPT staff will assists jurisdictions and applicants to identify deficiencies and options for supplementation.
Immigration, licensing and other regulatory authorities can rely on the same uniform standards and processes to produce consistent, clear opinions on the credentials of foreign educated physical therapists. Our report format and supporting documentation clearly explain how an opinion was reached and what steps were followed in the evaluation process. Authorities can also rest assured that sound authentication procedures have been followed in verifying source documents utilized in a credentials evaluation.
Employers, immigration attorneys, health plans and others may benefit from the services of FCCPT to verify credentials of foreign educated physical therapists for quality assurance, visa application, contracting or accreditation.
The facts are…
- FCCPT is one of only two organizations given authority by the USCIS to prescreen FEPTs and to issue qualifying healthcare worker certificates for immigration.
- FCCPT is the ONLY qualifying organization
dedicated exclusively to the review and evaluation of physical therapist
credentials for immigration and licensure.
- FCCPT keeps abreast of standards for physical
therapy practice and licensure, educational curricula and foreign
educational systems. FCCPT has the knowledge, ability and infrastructure
to evaluate credentials on a consistent basis, authenticate information
sources and produce consistent, reliable outcomes.
- FCCPT has created uniform credentialing
standards and developed the systems, processes, and human resources
necessary to consistently apply these standards.
- FCCPT has developed its credentialing standards
in close collaboration with academia, practicing physical therapy
professionals, and licensing authorities.
- FCCPT’s quality assurance program is overseen
by a panel of physical therapy educators and physical therapists active
in regulation.
- FCCPT is the only qualifying organization whose leadership compromises physical therapy educators, regulators, public representatives and practicing physical therapists.
Relationship with the Federation
of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT)
FCCPT is an independent non-profit organization
founded by the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT) in
1998. Many of the standards in use by FCCPT were developed by FSBPT and it
members.
While distinct and separate from one another, both organizations share the fundamental mission of public protection for consumers of physical therapy services. FCCPT carries out its mission through the evaluation of the credentials of foreign educated physical therapists. Both organizations comprise largely physical therapists and others active in physical therapy education, practice and regulation in the U.S.
The People of FCCPT
FCCPT is managed and operated by a team of dedicated individuals whose knowledge, experience and commitment is unsurpassed. Functional areas include a Board of Directors, a Quality Review Committee and staff experienced in the realm of foreign education and credentials evaluation. Each plays an important role in providing the highest quality of service to our customers.
FCCPT Board of Directors
The FCCPT Board of Directors comprises five voting members and one board liaison from FSBPT. The Board's role is to guide the overall development and direction of the organization. The Board conducts monthly meetings.
Quality Review Committee
(QRC)
The FCCPT Quality Review Committee comprises four voting members and one board liaison from FCCPT. The Committee reviews service outcomes and board-approved policy as it applies to the credentials review process and administers a Board-approved quality assurance program.
Staff
FCCPT staff is compromised of a managing director and six (6) full-time credentials evaluators, supervisor of support services including four (4) application coordinators. Together these individuals have over 50 years of experience in the field of foreign educational credentialing. These individuals are responsible for daily operations and for enacting the rulings of the Board of Directors under direction from the chief executive officer. A chief financial officer is charged with maintaining a system of accounting, reporting, financial controls, payroll, accounts payable and accounts receivable, and with performing treasury functions.
The managing director has overall responsibility for the development of the organization, its services and capabilities, and its relationships with key constituent/client groups. The credentials evaluators manage the application, authentication and credentialing functions. A network of outside contracted credentials analysts and physical therapists with credentialing experience serves to review general and professional education and render an opinion on reviews requiring a coursework evaluation. All other verification of credentials is performed in-house by staff.
Requirements
In order to protect the
American public, the U. S. government enforces laws that govern the
conditions under which aliens can immigrate, live and work in the United
States. This includes those foreign-educated aliens who wish to work as
physical therapists. To work as a physical therapist in the U.S.,
the FEPT must posses a valid
occupational visa issued by USCIS and a physical therapy license issued by each
jurisdiction where the FEPT wishes to work. To obtain an immigrant visa, the FEPT
must obtain a certificate from an authorized credentialing organization
that verifies and authenticates that the FEPT is qualified to work in the
U.S. as a physical therapist. To obtain this certificate, FEPTs must:
- Meet the same substantially equivalent
educational standards required of U.S.-educated physical therapists
- Demonstrate English proficiency and
- Demonstrate eligibility to practice in country of education. (licenses/registration verified where applicable).
The Congress of the U.S., in conjunction with the Attorney General of the U.S. Department of Justice, working through the USCIS and with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Education, proposed the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (the 1996 Act), Public Law 104-208, which was signed into law on September 30, 1996. Section 343 of the 1996 Act pertains to all foreign-educated aliens, other than physicians, who are requesting permanent immigrant status and permission to work in the U.S. as a healthcare professional. This includes individuals who are seeking immigrant visas or are requesting an adjustment of status as a permanent U.S. immigrant. The final regulations were signed into effect September 24, 2003. These apply to individuals who are seeking a temporary work visa with a non-immigrant status as well as those who wish permanent residency.
To obtain immigrant status as a healthcare worker, Section 112 requires that candidates obtain a certificate from an authorized, independent credentialing organization verifying their qualifications. This certificate, which must be presented to the consular officer, or in the case of an adjustment of status, to the U.S. Attorney General, verifies that the candidate has met the following minimal requirements:
- The candidate’s competence in both oral and
written English must be adequate for the work to be preformed, as
demonstrated by scores on one or more nationally recognized,
standardized assessments (TOEFL, TSE, TWE or IBT-TOEFL).
- The candidate’s education must be substantially
equivalent to that required of a U.S. graduate in the same profession,
based on transcripts from source institutions.
- If a candidate provides evidence evidence of eligibility to practive physical therapy in the country of education. If a candidate holds a foreign license, it must be valid and unencumbered and authenticated by the issuing or validating agency,
- If a candidate who holds a U.S. license the candidate must provide verification of all current licenses and provide verification of a passing score on the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE).
In order to maintain an occupational work visa from USCIS, candidates must apply for and obtain a license from the individual jurisdiction or jurisdictions in which they intend to work.
The licensing of physical therapists in the U.S. is a right and responsibility of each individual jurisdiction. Physical therapists educated in the U.S. must pass the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) and meet other criteria determined by each jurisdiction in order to be licensed. FSBPT is the organization responsible for the development and administration of the NPTE for 53 licensing jurisdictions. To be considered by a jurisdiction for admission to the NPTE a foreign educated physical therapist must undergo an educational credentials review for substantial equivalancy to the first professional degree in the United States. Individual jurisdictions may also define additional requirements for licensure in regulation.
Summary of Credential Review Results for 2006
Number of Applications:
Type I Comprehensive credentials evaluation for immigration and licensure
- 941 Applications received
- 1035 Evaluations completed
- 693 Certificates issued
- 161 Certificates denied
- 181 Files Expired after 12 months, incomplete documentation
- 0 Renewals requested or issued
Type II Visa prescreening for immigration;
candidates already hold current U.S. license
- 433 Applications received
- 357 Evaluations completed
- 356 Certificates issued
- 76 Files expired after 12 months and incomplete documentation
- 1 Certificates denied
- 1 Renewals requested or issued
Background
On April 18, 1998, the FSBPT Board of Directors, approved the development and implementation of an interm, screening program to certify FEPTs. FCCPT was established as the corportation responsible for operating the program.
On October 14, 1998, the INS published the first interim rule for Section 343 of the 1996 Act. Credentialing organizations seeking INS authority to evaluate foreign-trained final regulations were implemented as Section 112 on September 24, 2003. FCCPT remains one of two agencies identified for the issuance of healthcare worker certificates for physical therapists.
|
