More J-1 Conrad Waiver Numbers Available
Posted Dec 13, 2002

The U.S. Department of Justice Authorization Bill, signed on November 2, 2002, extended the "Conrad" J-1 waiver program and increased the number of waivers available per participating state from 20 to 30. The U.S. Department of State (DOS) Waiver Review Division has advised AILA that they are interpreting the legislation to allow ten additional Conrad waiver numbers per state starting in Fiscal Year (FY) 2002. States have a deadline of September 30, 2003 to request the ten extra slots. Each state has its own annual filing deadline. Presumably, the ten additional numbers per state program will be allocated to existing applicants with cases pending at the time the 20 initial numbers were issued.

More information about the Conrad program is available in MurthyBulletin articles, House Approves Bill on Conrad 20 Extension, from July 12, 2002 and J-1 Medical Doctor Waiver Approvals, from October 26, 2002, both on MurthyDotCom. Essentially, this is a program available for medical doctors to obtain a waiver of the J-1 two-year home return requirement, based upon agreement to work in a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) for three years. The program allows the states to act as "Interested Government Agencies" in connection with the waiver request. As such, they can recommend a limited number of doctors each year. Previously, the program was limited to 20 doctors per state per year.

We are very pleased that the Conrad program was extended and increased, as it is designed to provide medical services to medically underserved areas. The increase would provide an avenue for five hundred additional medical doctors to get the much-desired J-1 waiver, if each state were to participate. Medical doctors who requested the Conrad waiver within the FY2002 state deadline may still have a chance to obtain one of the additional 10 slots in the state where they applied, if they were not selected previously due to a lack of available slots.