{
  "id": "RL31460",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "RL31460",
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  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
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      "id": 101285,
      "date": "2004-12-09",
      "retrieved": "2016-04-07T20:03:17.497184",
      "title": "Immigration: Foreign Physicians and the J-1 Visa Waiver Program",
      "summary": "The Educational and Cultural Exchange Visitor program has become a gateway for foreign\nmedical\ngraduates (FMGs) to gain admission to the United States as nonimmigrants for the purpose of\ngraduate medical education and training. The visa most of these physicians enter under is the J-1\nnonimmigrant visa. Under the J-1 visa program, participants must return to their home country after\ncompleting their education or training for a period of at least two years before they can apply for\nanother nonimmigrant visa or legal permanent resident (LPR) status, unless they are granted a waiver\nof the requirement.\n  The J-1 visa waiver program has recently undergone significant change. In February 2002, the\nUnited States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which had historically been the largest sponsor\nof waivers, decided to end its participation as an interested government agency (IGA). This\ndevelopment and the pending expiration of the \"Conrad 20\" program, which allowed 20 waivers per\nstate, threatened the continued availability of waivers. These developments raised concerns among\nmany in medically underserved areas because it is often difficult for them to find U.S. medical\ngraduates willing to practice in these areas. Bills introduced in the 107th Congress proposed\nchanges\nto the \"Conrad 20\" program, including expanding the program and making it permanent.\n  In an effort to ensure the continued availability of medical care in underserved areas, the\nDepartment of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it would assume USDA's role as a\nsponsor of J-1 primary care physicians. This was a policy change for HHS which has historically\nbeen very restrictive in its sponsorship of waivers. Prior to this announcement, HHS had limited\nsponsorship to research physicians and scientists involved in research of international or national\nsignificance.\n  On November 2, 2002, the \"Conrad 20\" program was extended until 2004 and the number of\nwaivers available to states was increased to 30. This program, which is now referred to as the\n\"Conrad 30\"or \"State 30\" program, expired on June 1, 2004. \n  Several measures, to address the expiration of the \"Conrad 30\" program were introduced in the\n108th Congress. On December 3, 2004,  S. 2302  became  P.L. 108-441 . The new law\nextends the program until June 1, 2006; exempts physicians granted waivers from the H-1B\nnumerical limits; allows states to hire primary and speciality care physicians; and place up to five\nphysicians in shortage areas designated by the state.",
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    {
      "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department",
      "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc819700/",
      "id": "RL31460_2004Jun17",
      "date": "2004-06-17",
      "retrieved": "2016-03-19T13:57:26",
      "title": "Immigration: Foreign Physicians and the J-1 Visa Waiver Program",
      "summary": null,
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORT",
      "active": false,
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      "topics": []
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "Health Policy"
  ]
}