New J-1 Visa Waiver Program in Southeastern U.S.

The U.S. is currently being affected by an ongoing physician shortage and many efforts have been made by government agencies, including regional commissions operating as federal-state partnerships, to incentivise doctors and healthcare workers. Recently, an announcement was made by the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission to offer a new J-1 Visa Waiver program through the newly-formed Crescent Care Collaborative. 

About the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission

The Southeast Crescent Regional Commission (SCRC) is a federal-state partnership authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill to promote and encourage economic development in areas of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and all of Florida. SCRC invests in projects that support basic infrastructure, business development, natural resources, and workforce/labor development. SCRC’s mission is to help create jobs, build communities, and improve the lives of those who reside in the 408 counties of the seven-state region.

With the J-1 Visa, medical school graduates from other countries are normally required to return to their home countries for at least two years after they complete their training, called the Two-Year Home-Country Physical Presence Requirement. The purpose of the J-1 Visa Waiver is to provide foreign doctors an opportunity to stay in the US for three years once their medical training is complete, in exchange for their dedication to serve a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) or a Medically Underserved Population (MUP) for the duration of the program.

The basic requirements of the J-1 Visa Waiver

• Three-year employment contract
• Located in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) or a Medically Underserved Population (MUP)
• Employer must have records of recruitment
• Letters of community support
• Three letters of recommendation

Medical professionals from other countries desire to come to the United States for a variety of reasons. Cutting-edge training, the latest medical technology, higher quality standards and increased career opportunities all provide strong motivation in pursuing employment-based immigration. We’ve had many successful cases immigration cases for foreign doctors and quite a few utilizing the J-1 Visa Waiver.

Check out this previous Wednesday Win where we talk about a doctor who came to the US with a J-1 Visa and eventually obtained his Green Card!

If the J-1 Visa Waiver is something you are interested in, or if you are in need of an Adjustment of Status for your specific immigration case please contact our office to speak with one of our experienced immigration attorneys. J-1 Visas Waivers are available throughout the United States and we have successfully helped doctors across the country.