Washington, June 3: U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has raised alarms about potential doctor shortages in the United States due to delays in the J-1 visa waiver process. This situation could particularly exacerbate the lack of physicians in rural areas.
In a letter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the New York Democrat highlighted that administrative backlogs within the department are preventing qualified foreign doctors from starting their jobs in hospitals across the country, including many in rural and underserved regions of New York.
Gillibrand stated, “Due to administrative hurdles in the Office of Global Affairs, hundreds of qualified foreign doctors are unable to begin their services in the U.S.”
This issue is particularly significant for India, as it has the largest number of international medical graduates working in the U.S.
The senator noted that New York State heavily relies on foreign-trained doctors to fill its physician gaps, especially in rural areas where recruitment is challenging.
She emphasized, “International medical graduates are crucial to New York’s healthcare system. Healthcare institutions cannot afford to lose qualified doctors simply due to administrative delays.”
According to Gillibrand, over one-third of doctors in New York are foreign-trained.
She referenced a 2025 report indicating a severe shortage of healthcare services in rural New York. The report revealed that 16 rural counties in the state face significant doctor shortages, with some counties lacking a single pediatrician or obstetrician-gynecologist. On average, there are only four primary care physicians for every 10,000 people in these areas, which is less than half the state average.
Hospitals in these regions often depend on the J-1 visa waiver program, which allows foreign doctors to stay in the U.S. if they agree to work in underserved areas.
Gillibrand pointed out that delays in the waiver application process are preventing doctors from starting their jobs, complicating staffing plans for hospitals for the upcoming year.
“My office has received complaints from several hospitals and doctors in New York that they have not received clear responses for months, despite job offers,” she wrote.
She added that these administrative delays are not just an inconvenience; they could directly impact the stability of the healthcare system and patient care.
Gillibrand warned that the situation has become more urgent as many doctors completing their residencies face a critical deadline on July 30. If their waiver applications are not approved by then, they may have to return to their home countries.
She stated, “If the Health and Human Services Department, the State Department, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services do not complete the process on time, these doctors may have to leave the U.S., and New Yorkers will bear the consequences.”
Gillibrand noted that in April, the Health and Human Services Department informed her office that the Office of Global Affairs is working through a large number of applications and is improving the process. However, the department did not specify when the backlog would be cleared.
She has requested that the Health and Human Services Department provide information by June 15 on how many applications are pending, the expected time for resolution, and whether the processing of cases for doctors working in underserved areas can be expedited.
The J-1 visa waiver program has long been a vital pathway for foreign doctors willing to work in areas of the U.S. facing physician shortages. Many rural hospitals rely on this program to recruit primary care and other specialty doctors.
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