It was a total nightmare. It took a year to sort out and even then when I got here I had to do a 6 month traineeship before I could do the board exams and get my licence. The process varies from state to state so you will have to contact the state boards for info about the particular state you want to go to. Apparently New York is the easiest. I'm in Virginia, and I feel like they've never dealt with foreign PT's before because no-one seemed to know what I was supposed to do. I came because my husband is from here so I got a visa because of him. Otherwise H1B is the only feasible option, which as you say has a long waiting list.
Good Luck!