← Back to news
May 1, 2026
Visa Delays Threaten Healthcare Access as Hundreds of Doctors Face Uncertainty
- Hundreds of foreign-trained doctors risk being forced to leave the U.S. due to delays in their J-1 visa waiver applications, which have been pending since late 2022.
- The Department of Health and Human Services has a significant backlog, with applications needing to be processed by July 30 to avoid forcing doctors to return to their home countries.
- Rural hospitals may struggle to pay the new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas, limiting their ability to hire foreign physicians and worsening healthcare access.
2 Sources
- Delays in visa program threaten placement of hundreds of doctors in underserved areasMay 1, 2026 at 9:00 AM · CBS News
- Delays in visa program threaten placement of hundreds of doctors in underserved areasMay 1, 2026 at 4:14 PM · CNN