The Trump administration is reportedly considering exempting physicians and medical residents from a newly imposed $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications.
News of the possible exemptions come after healthcare industry groups raised concerns that the new fee could deter international medical graduates from pursuing work in the U.S. and worsen access to care in rural areas that are already medically underserved.
“The proclamation allows for potential exemptions, which can include physicians and medical residents,” Taylor Rogers, a White House spokesperson, said in a statement to Bloomberg News Sept. 22. “Ultimately, the Trump administration defers to the language in the proclamation.”
President Donald Trump on Sept. 19 signed an executive order that requires individuals from overseas seeking jobs in high-skilled functions to pay a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visas. The policy became effective Sept. 21 and does not apply to existing holders or renewals. Exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Secretary of Homeland Security, if it is determined that the hiring of certain workers is “in the national interest,” the order states. Federal officials said the decision was made to address “systematic abuse” of the visa program they say has disadvantaged American workers.
Hospitals and health systems often utilize the H-1B visa program to sponsor physicians and medical residents. As of June, more than 4,000 research centers and hospitals sponsored visas, according to federal data cited by Bloomberg, which also showed Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and Memphis, Tenn.-based St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as among the industry’s highest sponsors of the visas. Mayo Clinic sponsors more than 300 visas.
In a statement following the order’s release, the American Hospital Association emphasized the role the visa program plays in hospitals’ recruitment efforts, particularly in rural areas.
“One of the short-term strategies used by U.S. hospitals to address personnel shortages is the use of foreign-trained healthcare workers,” the AHA said. “The AHA is reviewing the recent memo from the Department of Homeland Security and evaluating the potential impact of these policy changes on hospitals and the communities they serve. We will also work with the administration to stress the importance of including healthcare personnel in potential exemptions to these changes.”
