Hundreds of international doctors due to start medical residencies are in visa limbo

A week before they are due to start work at U.S. hospitals, hundreds of doctors from abroad are still waiting to obtain visas granting them temporary stays in the country
A week before they are due to start work at U.S. hospitals, hundreds of doctors from abroad are still waiting to obtain visas granting them temporary stays in the country.
Many of them have been in limbo since late May, when the State Department suspended applications for J-1 visas, which allow people to come to the U.S. for exchange visitor programs. The visas are the most common way for international doctors to attend residencies in the U.S., which provide medical graduates with training in a given specialty.
The State Department announced last week that embassies or consulates could resume visa interviews but that applicants would be required to make their social media accounts public.
However, many doctors still haven’t been able to schedule visa appointments because their embassies haven’t reopened slots, according to Project IMG, a networking and support group for international medical students and graduates. Others have been told at visa appointments over the last several days that their applications require additional vetting.
Still others have been denied visas because they are originally from countries listed on the Trump administration’s recent travel ban. The administration this month partially restricted visas for people from seven countries and fully suspended visas for an additional 12 countries.
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/international-doctors-visa-problems-rcna213710
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