A new proposed rule from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposes drastic changes to the F and J visas, which are commonly used by international students and physicians to do their residencies or fellowships in the U.S. Under current policy, international students and physicians can hold their visas for “duration of status” but under the proposed rule, these visas would be capped to four years. Those requiring more time to complete their programs would need to reapply.  

The Trump Administration claims these changes are necessary to eliminate abuse of these visa programs by “forever students.” The rule raises many concerns; it would make it harder for international physicians to complete their medical training in the U.S., as many residency programs last longer than four years. The U.S. relies heavily on international physicians to address national shortages. An estimated 26% of physicians in the U.S. were born and attended medical school in foreign countries and nearly 17,000 physicians in the U.S. hold J-1 visas. A report from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration’s Bureau of Health Workforce projected a shortage of over 187,000 physicians by 2037; the two specialties projected to experience the worst shortages are vascular and thoracic surgery, both of which require more than four years of residency and fellowship training.