Foreign doctors will again be able to obtain visas to work in the United States after the Trump administration quietly adjusted a policy that had previously halted their immigration processing.
The Department of Homeland Security policy is linked to a broad travel restriction introduced earlier this year. That measure paused decisions on visa extensions, work permits and green cards for nationals from 39 countries.
The restrictions stem from a presidential proclamation issued on December 16, 2025, which took effect on January 1, 2026, and expanded on an earlier order from June 2025 that had already limited entry from 19 countries. The policy included full bans on entrants from several nations, including Iran, Afghanistan, Haiti, Syria and Yemen.
While it did not immediately impact visa holders from those countries already in the U.S., those awaiting renewal of immigration status have been left in limbo. But late last week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services updated its website to indicate that physicians would no longer be subject to the processing freeze.
In a statement to made to The New York Times, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said: “Applications associated with medical physicians will continue processing.”
Newsweek has contacted the DHS for comment via email outside of regular working hours.
Reliance on Foreign-Trained Doctors
Internationally trained physicians make up a substantial share of the U.S. medical workforce. According to an April 8 letter signed by more than 20 medical organizations, including groups representing family physicians, neurologists and pediatricians, 23 percent of licensed physicians in the country were trained abroad.
The letter also said that 64 percent of these doctors practice in underserved areas or parts of the country with physician shortages, and nearly 21 million Americans live in places where foreign-trained physicians account for at least half all doctors.
The organizations raised “urgent concern” about barriers preventing “qualified, vetted physicians” from entering or remaining in the United States and called for a national-interest exemption along with faster processing of their applications.
“We urge the Departments to use existing authorities to prioritize and expedite immigration adjudications for this highly skilled physician population upon whom so many Americans rely,” the letter reads.
Workforce Pressures
The policy change comes against the backdrop of a significant and worsening physician shortage in the U.S. The Association of American Medical Colleges estimated in 2024 that the country is short around 65,000 doctors, with the gap expected to grow in the years ahead.
Its latest projections suggest the shortage could reach up to 86,000 physicians by 2036, driven by factors including population growth, an aging population and the retirement of existing doctors. Both primary care providers and specialists are expected to be affected.
Data from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration points to an even larger potential shortfall, projecting a deficit of roughly 141,000 physicians by 2038.
Shortages are expected across most specialties, with rural areas facing the most severe impact: about a 58 percent shortage in nonmetro areas compared to around five percent in metropolitan regions. The agency also notes that roughly one in five Americans lives in an area with too few primary care providers.
Read the full article here
