Openers

Dear Readers:  

Depending on whether you have an optimistic or pessimistic view of the world, this is a terrible time for health care immigration or a time to be hopeful. On the negative side, we are several months in to a black out on issuing green cards to nurses. And we lack a non-immigrant visa that will allow nurses to work in the US during the wait. For doctors, we have a multiyear backlog for Indian physicians seeking green cards, ongoing problems with a lack of H-1B visas and too few J-1 waivers available in key states like Texas , Florida , California and New York .  

But there is some good news to report and potentially major good news coming. Nurses will soon be able to sit for the NCLEX exam in the Philippines , something that should be a major boost to nursing immigration. USCIS has recently issued a memorandum implementing court ordered changes to the physician national interest wavier program as well as a major bonus change – allowing specialists to file NIWs. And we may soon see legislation that would end the green card cap for nurses and many doctors, create a non-immigrant visa for nurses and exempt many doctors from the H-1B cap.  

In this issue, we’ll update you on these developments and more as well as update our charts and answer reader questions.  

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We remind readers that we do not charge employers and recruiters of health care employees for consultations and that policy extends to individual physicians as well. Please feel free to call our office at 901-682-6455 to arrange for an appointment with me or one of my colleagues.  

Kind regards, 

Greg Siskind

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