J-1 Visa Waiver Program Overview

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Program Year: October 1, 2009-September 30, 2010

In an effort to improve access to health care for residents of underserved areas, the J-1 Visa Waiver Program permits interested government agencies to request that the United States Department of State recommend that the Immigration and Naturalization Service waive the foreign residency requirement in exchange for an agreement that an IMG who completes medical training in the United States will practice primary care for at least three years in a federally designated health professional shortage area or a medically underserved area.

Virginia's Conrad 30 Program Information

Specialty Areas

Family Physicians, General Internists, Pediatricians, OB/GYN and general psychiatrists are strongly encouraged to apply and get priority processing. However, specialists can apply for the waiver.

Application Review

Applications are accepted, reviewed and processed on a "rolling" basis, starting October 1 of every year, until all slots are full. Please allow at least two weeks for processing applications before calling the office.

Notes

The Virginia Department of Health does not recruit directly for this program. J-1 Physicians are encouraged to utilize the free, 3RNet recruitment network for employment opportunities in Virginia, or contact employers directly. Please adhere to Virginia's guidelines before submitting an application. A J-1 Waiver Application request must come from a qualifying practice entity with a signed contract.

Contacts

The J-1 Visa Waiver application and forms must be printed, completed and sent by surface mail or courier to:

Virginia Department of Health
Office of Minority Health and Public Health Policy
Attn: J-1 Visa Waiver Program
109 Governor Street, Suite 1016 East
Richmond, Virginia 23219

Due to the tremendous volume of candidate responses, this office prioritizes submissions received from J-1 and H-1B visa holders and offers assistance first to those who have been trained in Virginia.