Can a immigrant medical student living in the USA become a UK citizen?

Question

Im a Salvadorian immigrant student living legally in the USA, 22 years old, and I'm pursuing a career in Physical Therapy, however, i want to live in the UK. Am i eligible to study over seas? What kind of help can the UK goverment provide me? As a student without a college degree will i be able to work in that country? or in scenario 2 can a degree in Physical Therapy obtained in the USA be eligible in the UK?

Answer 1

A foreign government is not obligated to give non-citizens any financial assistance for school. However, there are a number of scholarships for students to get a degree there. Consult the career center at your university. Your med school career center might not know, but a more general one, like for undergrads in arts and sciences would. Your school probably will not have any information on scholarships for students from Latin America, so that's something you should research yourself. Start with the UK's ministries of education and foreign affairs.

I know that Spain's ministry of foreign affairs (or education, I forget which) offers several scholarships for Latin Americans to study there. Sometimes it pays to be from a developing country because there are more scholarship opportunities in Europe. Spain could be a detour route to go for you, because you can get citizenship there and work anywhere in the EU. Be warned, though, PTs don't get paid very well there. I looked into occupational therapy in Spain and they are so underpaid it's pathetic, many of the positions are part time and pay 10€/hr. Many Spanish OTs end up moving to the UK, in fact! If you have any questions about OT in Spain you can send me an e-mail.