Joint Petition to Ensure Patients Can Access Care: End Visa Delays for Doctors
ASN and other national organizations in calling attention to the challenges ongoing slowdowns in visa processing are causing for patient access to care and medical training by adding your name to the petition below.
I am concerned about impending significant and harmful consequences to the health of Americans caused by recent delays in visa processing for International Medical Graduates (IMGs). Thousands of IMGs—who comprise 1 in 4 U.S. physicians and surgeons—are scheduled to begin residency and fellowship training programs in the United States in the coming weeks. These clinicians provide invaluable care to your constituents in and Americans across the country.
I respectfully call on policymakers, including the Department of State and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the U.S. Congress, to take urgent steps to prioritize visa appointments and processing for these physicians.
These delays pose a serious threat to Americans' access to care. Each year, thousands of IMGs match into accredited graduate medical education programs after a rigorous selection process and careful security clearance vetting by the Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates in coordination with the U.S. Department of State. Many are expected to start clinical duties on or before Tuesday, July 1, often in underserved and rural areas where physician shortages are most acute, as well as hospitals that serve our veterans.
Visa processing delays jeopardize these start dates, leading to serious disruptions in clinical training schedules. These delays directly impact patient care. Hospitals nationwide rely on these incoming physicians to maintain safe staffing levels. Without them, already-strained systems face further pressure, potentially increasing wait times, reducing access to care, and endangering patient outcomes.
The situation is particularly critical in community hospitals, rural hospitals, and safety-net institutions, where IMGs constitute a significant portion of the physician workforce. For many programs, especially those in primary care, internal medicine, and psychiatry, the absence of even a few incoming trainees can have cascading effects on service delivery and care continuity.
Again, I respectfully urge swift action to prioritize visa appointments and processing for these physicians. Time is of the essence, and swift intervention can help mitigate the potentially devastating impact of these delays on both public health and our healthcare workforce.