House Renews IMG J-1 Visa-Waiver Program

A bill to renew a state-operated program that puts international medical graduates (IMGs) in underserved areas passed the House of Representatives in June. In mid-July, the bill, HR 4858, was pending before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

More than 20 million Americans live in areas where there are not enough physicians to meet their medical needs, said Rep. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), the bill’s chief sponsor, in a press release. “Enactment of this bill would clear the way for nearly 1,400 new doctors to practice in our nation’s rural and underserved communities,” said Moran.

Forty-six states participate in the J-1 visa program, which was established in 1993. Each participating state can recruit up to 20 IMGs who complete residency training in their state to practice in underserved areas for at least three years. In exchange for agreeing to serve, the IMG physicians are eligible for a waiver of the J-1 visa requirement that they return to their home country after they complete their residency for two years before they can seek to return to this country.

Chowallur Chacko, M.D., a member of APA’s Committee of International Medical Graduates, reacted positively to the passage of the bill in the House. “Communities with shortages of psychiatrists benefit from the program, and IMGs benefit by having the option to remain in this country after residency training. Most IMGs would rather practice in the United States because the opportunities for employment are better here than in their home country, and their families benefit,” said Chacko in an interview.

Moran’s bill would renew the state-operated program, which expired on May 31, retroactively for an additional two years. It would also increase the number of IMGs that states can recruit to 30.

James Scully, M.D., chair of the APA Committee on Workforce Issues, applauded the House passage of the bill. But it is “only a stopgap measure given the widespread lack of access to affordable health care in many states. More measures need to be implemented, including parity and programs, that forgive medical student loans in exchange for service,” Scully told Psychiatric News.

The states in the J-1 visa-waiver program submit applications on behalf of IMGs to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which recommends them for a waiver to the Department of State. The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) grants the waivers and notifies the states, according to a USDA fact sheet.

Just two weeks after the September 11 attacks, however, the USDA abruptly stopped recommending IMGs for the waiver program, citing increased security concerns following September 11 and “a lack of authority to conduct adequate background checks on applicants” (Psychiatric News, May 17).

Moran and congressional colleagues from rural states protested the USDA’s action in March. In April the USDA reversed its decision temporarily and processed the 86 pending applications, according to the USDA.

In the meantime, Moran has been meeting with a federal interagency task force including the INS, State Department, and USDA to resolve how the J-1 visa applications will be handled in the future, according to Moran’s legislative assistant, Kimberly Rullman. As of July 10, no decision had been announced.

HR 4858 can be accessed on the Web at http://thomas.loc.gov by searching on the bill number. ▪