BVSc India to USA: How Indian Vets Get Licensed (PAVE vs ECFVG)

An Indian BVSc & AH graduate becomes a licensed veterinarian in the US by completing an equivalency program, either the AAVSB's PAVE or the AVMA's ECFVG, then passing the NAVLE and meeting a state board's requirements. Canada works the same way through the CVMA's National Examining Board (NEB). India sends more candidates to PAVE than any other country, according to the AAVSB. This guide covers the decisions that are specific to Indian graduates: whether your college is eligible, whether you need an English test, how to handle documents, visas, and what the whole thing costs in rupees.

Last verified on 6 October 2026 against the AAVSB, the Veterinary Council of India, the CVMA National Examining Board, ICVA and the US State Department. This is general information, not legal, licensing or immigration advice. Rules change, so confirm each step with the AAVSB or the NEB before you pay. Rupee figures use the European Central Bank reference rate of INR 96.42 per US dollar on 6 October 2026; check the live rate before paying. navleexam.com is not affiliated with the AAVSB, AVMA, ICVA, CVMA, VCI or PSI.

This page is part of our country-by-country guide to foreign veterinarian licensing.

The Short Answer

• Your degree: the Veterinary Council of India's 2026-27 information bulletin describes the BVSc & AH as a five-and-a-half-year course that includes a compulsory one-year internship. No Indian degree gives you a US or Canadian license by itself.
• Your pathway: PAVE (QSE plus a clinical year at an AVMA-accredited school) or ECFVG (BCSE plus a three-day practical exam, the CPE). Both lead to the NAVLE.
• English: for PAVE and the NEB, a letter from your college confirming the whole program was taught in English can replace TOEFL or IELTS. For ECFVG it cannot.
• Timing: PAVE lets you sit the QSE once you have completed 50% of your curriculum, so you can start while still studying.
• Cost: AAVSB fees come to about INR 1.87 lakh. The clinical year is the big expense: about INR 82 lakh at a school charging what Penn Vet quotes.

Step 1: Check Your College on the AVMA Directory

PAVE, ECFVG and the NEB all accept only graduates (and, for PAVE, students) of schools on the AVMA ECFVG-listed directory. The directory does not mean a school is approved or accredited; it only allows its graduates to apply. If your college is not on it, nobody can enroll from it until it is added, and the ECFVG will only start that process when a candidate applies. The NEB warns that the time needed depends on factors outside the ECFVG's control, including how quickly the school responds.