Conrad Program Update
Posted Jun 25, 2004
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The Conrad 30 Program for waivers of the J-1 two-year home return requirement for physicians willing to work in underserved areas expired on May 31, 2004. There was some confusion initially as to what this meant for physicians seeking the waiver. Originally, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) issued an advisement on June 16, 2004 stating that they cannot accept any Conrad waiver cases filed after May 31, 2004. Fortunately, a correction was issued on June 18, 2004 stating that all international medical graduates who acquired J-1 status by or before May 31, 2004 are eligible for the Conrad waiver program.
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There is legislation pending to extend the program. People interested in tracking this legislation can do so through the Thomas Legislative Information Service. The last major action on the relevant House bill, known as The Access to Rural Physicians Improvement Act of 2004, H.R. 4453, was June 3, 2004. On that date, it was voted out of the House Sub-Committee on Immigration and moved to the Full Committee. The Senate version of the bill is S.2302, which can also be tracked through the Thomas WebSite.
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The Conrad 30 Program is a valuable program, both for J-1 physicians and for medically underserved populations throughout the United States. The physicians make a commitment to work on a full-time basis for three years in an area that is designated as medically underserved, in exchange for a waiver of the requirement that they return to their home countries following medical residency in the U.S. We hope that the interruption in this program is brief to avoid any disruptions that will otherwise be created by the inability to timely file for this waiver. We at The Law Office of Sheela Murthy, P.C. will track this important program with our MurthyDotCom and MurthyBulletin readers.