One in Four Physicians in the U.S. Are Graduates of Foreign Medical Schools
64% of Foreign-Trained Doctors Work in Underserved Areas
The U.S. medical community has called on the government to exempt physicians from the newly announced $100,000 H-1B visa application fee.
On September 25 (local time), 53 major medical associations in the United States, including the American Medical Association (AMA), sent an open letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, requesting that physicians, residents, and fellows be excluded from the H-1B visa fee requirement, emphasizing that they are essential to maintaining the U.S. healthcare workforce.
The H-1B program allows U.S. employers to hire foreign professionals in specialized fields such as technology, engineering, medicine, and academia. On September 19, President Donald Trump signed a proclamation raising the visa fee from $1,000 to $100,000-a 100-fold increase.
In the letter, the organizations noted that about one in four practicing physicians in the United States are graduates of foreign medical schools and that these physicians have long played a crucial role in filling gaps in healthcare.
They also explained that, as of 2021, about 64% of physicians trained abroad were working in U.S. healthcare services or in areas with shortages of medical professionals. The AMA and other organizations projected that the U.S. could face a shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036, arguing that an increase in visa fees under these circumstances could worsen access to healthcare and increase patient wait times.
They urged, "The entry of H-1B physicians into the United States should be clearly recognized as serving the national interest, and the new application fee should be waived so that H-1B physicians can continue to play a vital role in providing medical care to American patients."
U.S. businesses have also expressed concerns that higher H-1B fees could lead to a reduction in highly skilled domestic talent and increased polarization in hiring among companies. JP Morgan economists predicted that the $100,000 H-1B fee could result in up to 5,500 fewer work authorizations per month. JP Morgan received approval for a total of 1,990 H-1B visa applications in the 2024 fiscal year. The JP Morgan report also pointed out that the new visa fee "could make the United States less attractive to international students."
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