Our Physicians Immigration Guide explains how International Medical Graduates (IMGs) and Canadian physicians can obtain J waivers, H-1B visas and permanent residence in the United States. We also offer practical advice to physician recruiters, hospital human resource directors and employers of IMGs and Canadian physicians.
Physicians who complete their medical residencies and/or fellowships in J exchange visitor status may obtain a waiver of the 2-year home residency requirement under the Conrad 30 program, through a Federal Interested Government Agency (IGA) or by obtaining a hardship or persecution waiver.
You can stay up-to-date with the waiting times in the Visa Bulletin by subscribing to our Free E-Mail Newsletter.
Typically, physicians obtain either a Conrad 30 or a Federal IGA waiver, work for a minimum of 3 years in a medically-underserved area in H-1B status, and obtain permanent residence (aka “green card”) through PERM, a National Interest Waiver or sometimes through marriage to a U.S. citizen.
We have helped thousands of IMGs and Canadian physicians across the country immigrate to the US during the past 30 years. We specialize in obtaining J visa waivers, H-1B status and permanent residence for physicians.
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“I work with Merritt Hawkins, the largest physician search firm in the United States. For over 20 years, we have partnered with The Law Offices of Carl Shusterman, which assists us in obtaining visas for the many international physicians we recruit. Mr. Shusterman and his staff have been an indispensable resource of expertise, allowing us to recruit international doctors in the most efficient manner possible on behalf of our clients.”
- Phil Miller, Merritt Hawkins, Dallas, Texas
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When the government issued regulations which made it more difficult for foreign-born physicians to obtain green cards through National Interest Waivers, we sued in the government in Federal Court and won. The Court struck down these overly restrictive regulations in Schneider v. Chertoff.
We hope that the numerous articles, links and videos contained in our Physicians Immigration Guide help demystify the J waiver procedure, help you determine whether your offer of employment is located in a medically underserved area, see how to qualify for a National Interest Waiver, etc. We link to the various government agencies that sponsor physicians for J waivers including almost all of the Conrad State 30 programs.
Our Physicians Immigration Guide is divided into the following subtopics:
- General Information
- Success Stories
- Licensing
- Medical Residencies & Fellowships
- Physician Immigration: Additional Resources
Related Pages – Physicians Immigration Guide:
- IMG Organizations
- Medically-Underserved Areas
- National Interest Waivers
- J-1 Waivers
- M.D. Employment Opportunities
- Physician Shortage
GENERAL INFORMATION – Physicians Immigration Guide
- Immigration Guidelines for Foreign-Born Physicians
- Physician Immigration FAQ
- US Immigration for Canadian Physicians
- Conrad State 30 Program Usage
- Physicians: Test Your Immigration IQ
- USCIS to Resume H-1B Premium Processing for Physicians under the Conrad 30 Waiver Program (6-23-17)
- Matter of T-O-S-U (AAO) – H-1B Status for Physicians of National/International Renown (1-04-17)
- The Conrad 30 and Physicians Access Act (S.616) (3-19-13)
- “The Conrad State 30 Improvement Act” to Provide Incentives for Physicians to Practice in Rural/Medically Underserved Areas (S.1979) (12-13-11)
- Revisions to Adjudicator’s Field Manual (AFM) Regarding Certain Alien Physicians (6-17-09)
- Carl Shusterman’s Testimony Before the Senate Advocating an Expansion of the Conrad Program For Physicians (5-22-01)
SUCCESS STORIES
- Canadian Physicians – Getting H-1B Status Without a J Waiver
- What You Can Do When USCIS Fails to Follow the Law
- Helping a Physician Achieve Permanent Residence
- A Hardship Waiver for a Physician
- Repairing a Broken Immigration Case
- Physician/Researcher: “Who is Extraordinary?”
- Physician: Exceptional Hardship – Mexican Immigrant: Alternate Chargeability
LICENSING
- Federation of State Medical Boards
- United States Medical License Examination
- National Board Of Medical Examiners
MEDICAL RESIDENCIES & FELLOWSHIPS
- Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education
- Association of American Medical Colleges
- Educational Commission on Foreign Medical Graduates
- Applying to Residencies with Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS)
- Search the AMA Residency & Fellowship Database
- National Resident Matching Program
PHYSICIAN IMMIGRATION: ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- How Tennessee is creating new opportunities for doctors trained outside the U.S. (5-18-23)
- Tennessee Leads the Way in Removing Barriers to Foreign Doctors (5-18-23)
- Solve Imminent Physician Shortage by Licensing Foreign Doctors (7-15-20)
- Immigrant Doctors Can Help Lower Physician Shortages in Rural America (7-29-19)
- AIC Special Report: Foreign-Trained Doctors are Critical to Serving Many US Communities (1-18-18)
- AAO Non-Precedent Decisions on Petition for Special Immigrant Physicians
- AAO Non-Precedent Decisions on Physicians Immigration Guide