Foreign Doctors from Travel Ban Countries Allowed to Stay in the U.S.

According to the best Immigration Law firm in Houston, following a quiet policy change by the Trump administration, foreign doctors will now be allowed to receive visas to continue practicing in the United States, exempting them from the travel ban restrictions.

Earlier, a Department of Homeland Security policy linked to the January travel ban had paused decisions on visa extensions, work permits, and green cards for citizens of 39 Travel Ban countries. According to The New York Times, the freeze led some hospitals to place physicians on administrative leave, while many others faced the risk of losing their ability to work in the U.S.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services have updated its website last week, without a formal declaration, to indicate that doctors are no longer subject to thr processing hold and the agency will resume  issuing visas and work permits to the group. The U.S. faces a shortage of around 65,000 physicians according to the American Medical Colleges.

Over 60% of foreign-trained physicians work in primary care fields such as family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics, the specialties many American doctors avoid because of demanding workloads and comparatively lower pay.

Dr. Rebecca Andrews, chair of the Board of Regents for the American College of Physicians, which represents adult primary care doctors, said that she is pleased the administration acted to help retain our dedicated international physicians.

“We must continue attracting the most talented doctors, regardless of where they come from”…. she added.

Foreign-trained doctors account for nearly 25% of all physicians practicing in the United States. Many doctors from Africa, the Middle East, and Venezuela were among those affected by the visa restrictions and job disruptions.

One such physician, Ezequiel Veliz, was detained by federal agents in Texas on April 6 after falling out of legal status while waiting for his new visa application to be processed. He was released 10 days later.

On April 8, over 20 medical associations — including the American academies of family physicians, neurology, and pediatrics — sent a letter to the secretaries of State and Homeland Security raising “urgent concern” over restrictions affecting “qualified, vetted physicians” seeking to enter or remain in the United States. The groups urged the government to grant a national-interest exemption and fast-track the processing of their immigration cases.

If you are a physician from any travel-ban country working in Texas and need legal help for work-permit extension, citizenship, or sponsorship, you may contact the Visa & Immigration Service Lawyer in Houston for comprehensive guidance and support.