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International Travel... Where do I start?

Posted: Wed Jul 15, 2015 10:44 pm
by WallyFox13
Hi all!
Have any of you done any international travel? I'd like to find some temp employment in England or Ireland, how difficult is it to get a license in these places? I'm currently licensed in AZ, would I need to take a UK board exam? My Google searches were unsuccessful, obviously.
Thanks for any information you guys have!
- Disgruntled permanent employee (Wally)

Re: International Travel... Where do I start?

Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2015 7:27 pm
by Hobohealth
I did some research on the Europe temp work thing a few years back. I'll start you out with the hurdles I found before giving you the silver lining:
1. I was told the English speaking countries were tough to find employment in, because they are English speaking, therefor you get internationals from US, Australia, South Africa, etc. (however, I was more recently told that England might have more opportunity for Americans now) So, who knows the real truth.
2. Most international companies want you for 2 years minimum. Because, they are going to hire you first, then sponsor you to get your visa - so, there is considerable effort put forth by the employer, and they typically want some sort of commitment.

OK, now for some of the better news. Each country has their own licensure requirements for instance: Australia, you have to sit for their licensure exam. New Zealand, I believe, waives the exam for US PTs. New Zealand became a target of ours for a short while, but the 2 year commitment is what steered us away. In Europe, the standards are very different country to country, but there is a high level of reciprocity between the European countries. So, you may be able to find a particular country that has more opportunity for Americans than others.

All of my info is second hand, so let me get you to some first hand sources. A friend, Amy, did a four-part blog for us on how she ended up in Qatar - she now practices in Abu Dabi. Here's her piece which should have some info-nuggets for you: http://hobohealth.com/wordpress/real-traveler-amy/

Also, the WCPT has some resources. I didn't find their discussion boards overly helpful when I was looking, but there were a few posts worth reading in there: www.wcpt.org

Hope this helps!

James