Visa Hurdles Increasingly Limit Foreign Doctors as U.S. Faces Growing Physician Shortage

On Tuesday, a study by Lightcast revealed that the U.S. is expected to face a shortage of a staggering six million workers before the end of the decade. Immigrants, who made up 18.6% of the country's labor force in 2023 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, might be the answer.

A recent survey by the American Community Survey revealed that immigrants, including undocumented ones, have already helped bridge labor gaps in industries like agriculture and construction, while also providing a spirit of entrepreneurship.

Healthcare is another industry that has benefited from immigration and a new piece by The Conversation lays bare just how much the system relies on immigrant physicians, while also revealing some of the major issues they could face in the near future.

First off, currently 1 in 4 doctors in the U.S. are foreign-born, international medical graduates with even greater concentrations in underserved, rural areas. These foreign-born doctors are vital in addressing the nation's physician shortage, which has been exacerbated by the growing, aging population and the reluctance of U.S.-born doctors to work in rural or primary care settings.

However, the report points out that the immigration system is making it harder for aspiring international medical graduates to enter and remain in the U.S. as they must navigate a complex and often prohibitive process to practice.

After passing medical licensing exams and gaining clinical experience, physicians still need to secure a residency program, which often involves nonimmigrant visas. While residency is a mandatory step for foreign doctors—even those with prior medical experience in their home countries—these visas typically do not allow for long-term residency in the U.S.

Historically, many doctors used H-1B visas, which allowed them to work while seeking permanent residency. However, restrictions on this visa and cuts in funding have funneled more immigrant doctors into J-1, which allows the opportunity to obtain a waiver, with limited slots that will allow them to remain in the U.S. and adjust to an H-1B visa

This waiver allows doctors to remain in the U.S. if they commit to working in underserved areas for three years, a condition that many physicians see as exploitative due to challenging working conditions and limited mobility.

The financial costs of navigating this system are also steep, as international medical graduates often spend tens of thousands of dollars on licensing exams, visa applications, and unpaid internships.

Even after completing residency, many doctors face long waits for green cards, with some nationalities waiting up to a decade for permanent residency. The backlog in green card processing, coupled with visa restrictions, leaves many immigrant physicians in prolonged uncertainty, limiting their ability to travel or plan their futures.

The article concludes with a warning call about the the risks of not easing the visa process for medical professionals:

"While the U.S. says it wants to attract and retain world class talent, its byzantine immigration system continually discourages potential hires. The complexity and sheer unwieldiness of the U.S. visa regime is causing the nation to lose skilled professionals to other countries with more streamlined processes."