Hospitals Must Meet Guidelines Before Recruiting Visa Waiver Practitioners

Some U.S. government agencies may apply for a J-1 visa waiver on behalf of a foreign medical graduate. These agencies include:

• Appalachian and Delta Regional Commissions


• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services


• Department of Veterans Affairs


• Department of Interior for Indian Reservations

Another popular option for foreign medical graduates is to apply for a J-1 visa waiver through an individual state's department of health "Conrad 30" program (also known as the J-1 visa waiver program). Since 1994, when this program was established, states have been able to accept up to 30 J-1 visa waiver practitioners per year to work in underserved areas.

Recently, a flex waiver program was added whereby 10 of these 30 slots may be used by organizations that aren't in underserved areas, but that treat a significant number of patients who live in underserved areas.

Many practitioners apply for the waivers while they are still in their residency programs because it can take months to process the necessary paperwork.