Lauryn

Hi, so I'm a third year student studying a BSc (hons) in criminal psychology with the intention of completing a MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy or Psychology, the MSc being accredited by the British Psychological Society. After I finish my Masters, I'm wanting to emmigrate to the US and become a practising therapist or counsellor, however I don't know if my qualifications will be accepted in the US or if I'll even be able to get a job in my field.

For context, I am 20 years old and a British citizen, my boyfriend is a 23 years old American citizen and we're hoping to get married, and then I can move to CA with him permanently. However, I want to work, I don't want it to be just him supporting us both, but I don't have the money to requalify in the US by getting another degree nor do I want to spend my life with him in an entry level field when I could be doing something I'm more qualified for.

Can anyone help?

SanDiegogirl

Getting married would be the less difficult route.... you can work on a spouse visa.

Working prior to marriage would mean YOU having to obtain a work visa from a sponsoring employer. No-one can tell you IF you will get a job.

Your educational qualifications are certainly recognised in the US -I don't know. whether yoit will allow you to practise in the US You might need to do some additional course/work experience.

S Folinsky

You may want to take a look at the California Board of Behavioral Sciences requirements for licensure as a MFT (marriage and family therapist) and/or Clinical Social Work. From family members I know that the supervised clinical experience which may be required is compensated.

scrubbedexpat099

You need an Employer willing to sponsor you and in your field that sounds somewhat unlikely.

Noorah101

My understanding is that the OP does indeed intend to immigrate on a spouse immigrant visa, and her only question is whether her UK qualifications will work in the USA.

At least that's how I read the post.

Rene

tht

She said her BF is a USC and they are planning to get married... why will she need employer sponsorship?

Noorah101

She won't.

Rene

Noorah101

Since this post is about translation of qualifications and not how to immigrate, I've moved it to the General USA forum.

Rene
Moderator

Nutmegger

I would suggest that you google for the professional body that governs the type of work that you plan to do (there will probably be both national and state organizations) and ask them your question with regard to whether your UK qualifications will be accepted or whether additional certification will be required.

retzie

If you are planning to end up in the US, why not do your Masters in the US? That would not only get you over here quicker and avoid any qualification transfer headaches, but also add the extra networking benefits that will help your career get off the ground.

I know university in the US can look extremely expensive on the face of it, but it's worth doing some digging to see what kind of scholarships/studentships/other are available. There are also a LOT of universities here, especially in CA, so don't just look at the big household names.

username.exe

I have an MSc from the UK in my field.
I am not required to carry a license for what I do, but I have pursued several professional certifications that require evidence of an undergraduate degree at a minimum. In those instances, some of them have simply accepted my UK certificate, and others have required an independent assessment from a particular agency to determine whether it was up to their standards.

Unrelated, but of the three places I have worked in the US, the HR departments have asked for a copy of the certificate, but none have asked for the independent equivalency review.

ddsrph

I second the recommendation to attend grad school in California. It would remove any credential issues and the networking could mean a job as soon as you graduate. There is a lot of financial aid possibilities to check out including teaching assistant in the undergrad courses.

SanDiegogirl

The OP has already said she does not have the money to re-qualify for the US, so paying for grad school in the US is probably not an option ?

ddsrph

My thoughts is since she is a 3rd year college student marrying an American get the BS degree in UK and masters in US instead of UK.

retzie

This is exactly what I had in mind. I assume the Masters won't be completely free in the UK, so once you factor in any conversion headaches/expenses, it might not cost much more to just do it in the US. There is also the big intangible boost of developing a local network. (I imagine OP and their OH may like to be together sooner rather than later as well!)

A quick browse reveals that the Cal State University system is very strong in the counseling area; fees look to be circa $12K per year. I didn't dig into it to see the residency requirements for such a rate. Since OP is looking to come in on a spouse visa, it could very well be possible to get that rate with clever timing.