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In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Tolulope (Tolu) Abikoye, a Nigerian IMG practicing Family Medicine in Jacksonville, Florida.
Stay tuned as Dr. Tolu shares his 15-year journey from F-1 (MPH) to J-1 residency, completing a J-1 waiver job in rural Michigan, obtaining an employment-based green card, and finally becoming a U.S. citizen in December 2025.
In this episode, we cover:
Why most residency programs sponsor J-1 (and why fewer sponsor H-1B)
The J-1 2-year home requirement and why waivers are the gateway to staying in the U.S.
Conrad 30 waiver basics (state-based, usually 30 slots/year, typically a 3-year commitment, must be in an HPSA)
Green card steps (employment-based):
PERM (labor certification)
I-140
I-485 (adjustment of status)
Citizenship basics: N-400, 5-year general rule vs 3-year marriage-based rule, interview + civics test
Resources & Links
Listen to our episode with Dr. Tallah who went through the National Interest Waiver route!
Eager to connect with Dr. Tolu? Feel free to shoot him an email at tolusubscribed@gmail.com
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Interested in writing your own medical success story? We've got you covered. Here's how you can join the IMG Roadmap Community Today:
- for IMG-related questions: drlum@imgroadmap.com
- for course-related questions: admin@imgroadmap.com
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