Conrad 30 Program Extended - J1 Visa Waivers
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Conrad 30 Program Extended

The President has approved new legislation that extends the Conrad 30 program.  This extension was critical to the survival of the Conrad 30 program.

This legislation has three subsections. Section one simply highlights the dates that are to be amended.

Section two targets to expand the flexibility of the Conrad state 30 program and implements this by changing the figure “5” to “10” in Section 214(1)(1)(D)(ii) of the aforementioned Act.  This section is advantageous since the new legislation expands the number of flex spots from 5 to 10.  Thus, a health care facility does not need to be in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) if a considerable number of patients from the HPSA are served at the health care facility.

Lastly, Section three accents the terms of the new waiver into two parts, the first of which states that federal programs granting the two year waivers for medical doctors are typically geared towards making sure these doctors practice in underserved areas, and the second of which emphasizes that the Secretary of Health and Human Services should consider the needs of vulnerable populations in low-income and impoverished communities, and communities with high infant mortality rates when determining whether or not a location qualifies as a HPSA.

This is the new bill that the President signed:

One Hundred Tenth Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE SECOND SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Thursday,

the third day of January, two thousand and eight

An Act

To extend for 5 years the program relating to waiver of the foreign country residence

requirement with respect to international medical graduates, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of

the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF WAIVER PROGRAM.

Section 220(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Technical

Corrections Act of 1994 (8 U.S.C. 1182 note) is amended by striking

‘‘June 1, 2008” and inserting ‘‘March 6, 2009”.

SEC. 2. EXPANDING THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE CONRAD STATE 30 PROGRAM.

Section 214(l)(1)(D)(ii) of the Immigration and Nationality Act

(8 U.S.C. 1184(l)(1)(D)(ii)) is amended by striking ‘‘5” and inserting

‘‘10”.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

It is the sense of the Congress that-

(1) Federal programs waiving the 2-year foreign residence

requirement under section 212(e) of the Immigration and

Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(e)) for physicians are generally

designed to promote the delivery of critically needed medical

services to people in the United States lacking adequate access

to physician care; and

(2) when determining the qualification of a location for

designation as a health professional shortage area, the Secretary

of Health and Human Services should consider the needs

of vulnerable populations in low-income and impoverished

communities, communities with high infant mortality rates,

and communities exhibiting other signs of a lack of necessary

physician services.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.

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