US EditionDelays in Visa Program Threaten Placement of Hundreds of Doctors in Underserved Areas
Hundreds of physicians may have to leave the country if waiver applications do not clear before the July 30 deadline, attorneys say.
- Hundreds of foreign-trained physicians face potential departure from the U.S. as the Department of Health and Human Services struggles with a mounting backlog of visa waiver applications ahead of the July 30 deadline.
- In recent years, the HHS Exchange Visitor Program typically processed waiver applications within one to three weeks, but current delays have left hundreds of files pending review by the State Department and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services .
- Rural hospitals treating Medicare and Medicaid patients cannot afford the new $100,000 fee required for H-1B work visas, a cost that Barry Walker, a Tupelo, Mississippi-based attorney, describes as a 'deal killer' for underserved facilities.
- American Medical Association CEO John Whyte and other industry leaders have formally requested 'emergency batch processing' to resolve the crisis, while HHS spokesperson Emily Hilliard stated the department is 'implementing key process improvements to prevent future delays.'
- Chicago-Based attorney Charles Wintersteen warned that 'this train is headed for' a cliff, as hospitalized patients in vulnerable communities face increased risks while physicians withdraw applications to seek opportunities in Canada.
14 Articles
14 Articles
By Arielle Zionts of KFF Health News, CNN Hundreds of foreign doctors who are about to complete their training in the United States may be forced to leave the country if the federal government does not quickly process their visa waiver applications, which have been accumulating since the fall and winter (boreal), according to immigration lawyers. The exemption program, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), allows non…
Delays in visa program threaten placement of hundreds of doctors in underserved areas
Hundreds of foreign doctors about to complete training in the U.S. will have to leave the country if the federal government doesn't rapidly process their visa waiver applications, immigration attorneys say.
Delays in Visa Program Threaten Placement of Hundreds of Doctors in Underserved Areas - Health Care Today
Hundreds of foreign doctors about to complete training in the U.S. will have to leave the country if the federal government doesn’t rapidly process their visa waiver applications, which have been languishing since the fall and winter, immigration attorneys say. Use Our Content It can be republished for free. The waiver program, run by the Department of Health and Human Services, allows physicians who aren’t U.S. citizens to stay in the count…
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