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Immigration Law

: Greg Siskind's Blog

CONRAD 30 J-1 PROGRAM EXTENSION TO GO TO PRESIDENT'S DESK

By Greg Siskind

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The House and Senate agreed to an extension of the physician immigration program until March 6, 2009. It began its sunset on June 1, 2008 so the need to extend was growing more urgent. Conrad 30 doctors are permitted to remain in the US after their graduate medical training programs end on condition of working in areas considered to be medically underserved. Each state can sponsor up to 30 doctors per year under the program and all 50 states and four US territories have established Conrad programs.

One substantive change in the program that is very helpful. Under current rules, each state has five "flex" slots they can use for facilities that are not in federally designated shortage areas if the state health officer certifies that that the doctor is serving a substantial patient population coming from designated shortage areas. This is often the case for physicians working in regional health facilities or at university hospitals serving large regional populations. Congress doubled the number of Flex slots to 10. The President is expected to sign the bill soon.

Full post as published by Greg Siskind's Blog on September 27, 2008 (boomark / email).