Immigration Agency Resumes Necessary Premium Processing for Important Medical Doctor Visa Waiver

Following the Administration’s March 2017 halt to premium processing for Physicians under the Conrad 30 J-1 Waiver Program, United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on June 23 that premium processing would resume.  Premium processing allows for USCIS application processing within 15 days at an additional cost.

Given the very short timelines USCIS set for the Conrad 30 Waiver and similar programs, premium processing is necessary to allow many whose time qualified to change status.  The temporary disruption caused concern to medical doctors, hospitals, medical schools, and others in more rural and urban areas, which rely on the Conrad 30 J-1 Waiver Program to assist through the continued shortage of medical doctors in the United States.

The Conrad 30 J-1 Waiver Program allows certain medical doctors and students to stay in the United States on a temporary, three-year visa after completing their medical training in the United States, to work in those rural and urban areas that have a shortage of physicians, such as many regions throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  The Conrad 30 J-1 Waiver also waives the requirement that medical school graduates from certain countries must to return to their home country for two years before applying for an H-1B visa.

Effective June 26, premium processing for Conrad 30 J-1 Waiver Program Medical Doctors/Physicians resumes.

If you have any questions about this post or other immigration issues, please contact me at rglahoud@nmmlaw.com or (484) 544-0022.