Profession
Visa waiver program extension almost complete
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Dec. 25, 2006
Conrad 30 programs are likely to be extended until June 1, 2008, after Congress passed the Physicians for Underserved Areas Act in the final hours of its session Dec. 8. At press time, President Bush was expected to sign the bill.
The act allows each state to seek J-1 visa waivers for 30 international medical graduates.
The waiver allows a physician with a J-1 visa to work in an underserved area in the United States for at least three years instead of fulfilling a requirement to return to his or her native country for two years before applying for another U.S. visa. Rural health clinics in particular have relied heavily on J-1 visa waiver programs to help them recruit physicians.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2006/12/25/prbf1225.htm.
