Visa delays sideline doctors
Slow visa processing is sidelining foreign doctors and threatening U.S. healthcare staffing — physicians are reaching visa end‑dates with no renewal decisions and hospitals report critical gaps in care (politico.com).
USCIS implemented an adjudicative pause and re‑review for nationals of 39 countries tied to Presidential Proclamation 10998, a policy that has effectively halted many renewals and adjudications since January 2026. ( ) International medical graduates account for roughly 23–25% of the U.S. physician workforce, and the 2025 Main Residency Match placed 9,761 IMGs into first‑year training posts—figures advocates cite when warning the pause will worsen shortages. ( ) Hospitals in states including Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan have reported cancelled clinics and rerouted emergency coverage after physicians’ work authorizations lapsed without adjudication, forcing systems to scramble for coverage. ( ) Doctors said hospitals paid USCIS $2,965 for premium processing that guarantees two‑week adjudication yet received no decision, while USCIS has issued requests for extensive documentation such as multiple years of pay stubs and license records. (politico.com) Medical groups including the AMA and the American College of Physicians have formally asked DHS for national‑interest exemptions and to exempt physicians from new H‑1B fees, and multiple federal lawsuits and multi‑plaintiff challenges have been filed alleging unlawful pauses and seeking injunctions. ( ) USCIS continues to accept filing fees while the agency and the Department of Homeland Security contend the pause is for “re‑validation” of prior vetting; congressional pleas and hospital letters have not produced published guidance or a consistent waiver process as of early April 2026. ( )
