Key Takeaways
• As of June 2025, international doctors face major visa delays blocking U.S. residency start dates.
• New travel bans restrict entry from 12 countries, worsening physician shortage concerns.
• About 25% of U.S. doctors are international; visa issues delay 5 of 9 interns at St. Julian’s.
International Doctors Face Visa Delays as U.S. Physician Shortage Worsens
International doctors hoping to start their medical residencies in the United States 🇺🇸 this summer are facing major visa delays and new restrictions, leaving hospitals and patients in a difficult position. As of late June 2025, many international medical graduates (IMGs) who matched to U.S. residency programs remain stuck overseas, unable to secure the visas they need to begin their training. These delays come at a time when the United States 🇺🇸 is already struggling with a serious physician shortage, raising concerns about patient care and hospital staffing across the country.
What’s Happening Now?
The latest problems began in late May 2025, when the U.S. Department of State paused all visa interviews and appointments for J, F, and M visa applicants. This pause included the J-1 visa, which is the most common visa used by international doctors for residency training. Although the pause was lifted around June 18 and J-1 physicians are now being prioritized for interviews, the backlog is still very large. Many international doctors are unable to get appointments, and some have even had their visas denied without clear reasons.
On top of these delays, President Trump’s administration issued a new executive order on June 4, 2025, that bars entry into the United States 🇺🇸 for people from 12 countries, including Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Haiti, Iran, and Yemen. There are also partial restrictions for citizens from several other countries, such as Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. These travel bans make it even harder for international doctors from these countries to enter the United States 🇺🇸, even if they have already matched to a residency program.
Why Does This Matter?
The United States 🇺🇸 is facing a severe physician shortage. According to estimates, the country could be short as many as 124,000 doctors by 2034. International doctors play a crucial role in filling this gap, especially in areas that have trouble attracting enough U.S.-trained physicians. About 25% of all doctors in the United States 🇺🇸 are international medical graduates, and they are especially important in primary care and rural hospitals.
When international doctors are delayed or blocked from starting their residencies, hospitals are left short-staffed. This can lead to longer wait times for patients, more stress on existing staff, and even disruptions in patient care. At St. Julian’s hospital, for example, five out of nine incoming interns have been delayed by visa issues, and one had their visa denied outright.
How the Visa Process Works for International Doctors
To understand why these delays are so serious, it helps to look at the step-by-step process international doctors must follow to start their medical training in the United States 🇺🇸:
- Match to a Residency Program: International doctors apply through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) and are matched to a hospital for residency training.
- Apply for a Visa: Most international doctors apply for a J-1 visa (sometimes an H-1B visa) to enter the United States 🇺🇸 for their training. The J-1 visa is specifically for exchange visitors, including doctors in residency programs. You can find the official J-1 visa application form and instructions on the U.S. Department of State website.
- Schedule a Visa Interview: After applying, doctors must schedule an interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate. This is where the current bottleneck is, as many embassies are still dealing with backlogs from the recent pause.
- Visa Interview and Approval: During the interview, applicants are now required to provide full disclosure of their social media accounts, and their online activity is closely checked. The new rules mean that even harmless social media posts can be used as grounds for denial.
- Travel and Start Residency: Once approved, doctors travel to the United States 🇺🇸 to begin their residency. Delays at any step can prevent them from starting on time.
Current Challenges and Delays
The main problem right now is at the visa interview and approval stage. Even though the pause on scheduling interviews has been lifted, the backlog is so large that many international doctors cannot get appointments before their residency start dates. Some are trying to schedule interviews at U.S. embassies in other countries, but this is not always possible.
Increased scrutiny of social media accounts and the new travel bans are also causing more denials and delays. Some doctors have had their visas denied without any clear explanation, leaving them in a state of uncertainty and financial stress.
Impact on Hospitals and Patients
Hospitals across the United States 🇺🇸 are feeling the effects of these delays. At St. Julian’s hospital, for example, the absence of incoming international doctors has created staffing shortages and made it harder to provide care for patients. Dr. Carla Miron, Associate Director for Residency Programs at St. Julian’s, says that it is getting harder every year to secure visas for international doctors, and the political obstacles keep growing.
The Chief Medical Officer at St. Julian’s is hopeful that the delayed doctors will eventually arrive, but admits that the challenges are getting worse. Hospitals are being forced to adjust schedules, ask current staff to work longer hours, or even delay certain services because they do not have enough doctors.
What Are Stakeholders Saying?
- National Resident Matching Program (NRMP): The NRMP has acknowledged the visa delays and travel bans, and is urging residency programs to consider delayed start dates or even one-year deferrals for international doctors who cannot get their visas in time. However, this is not always possible, as it can disrupt the training pipeline and leave hospitals short-staffed.
- Intealth: This organization represents international medical graduates and is calling for a National Interest Exemption (NIE) for doctors affected by the travel restrictions. Intealth President and CEO Eric S. has publicly urged the U.S. government to grant these exemptions, pointing out that international doctors are essential to the U.S. healthcare system.
- Residency Program Directors: Many program directors are frustrated by the unpredictability and lack of transparency in the visa process. They say it is very hard to plan staffing and patient care when they do not know if their matched doctors will be able to start on time.
Policy Changes and New Rules
The new executive order from President Trump’s administration has made the visa process even more difficult for international doctors. The order requires all visa applicants to provide a full list of their social media accounts, and their online activity is checked for anything that could be seen as a security risk. Even innocent posts can be used as a reason to deny a visa.
The travel bans are also broader than in previous years, affecting more countries and making it harder for doctors from those countries to enter the United States 🇺🇸. These policies are meant to address national security concerns, but healthcare advocates warn that they are making the physician shortage worse.
Quantitative Impact: The Numbers Tell the Story
- 124,000: Estimated physician shortfall in the United States 🇺🇸 by 2034.
- 25%: Percentage of U.S. doctors who are international medical graduates.
- 5 out of 9: Number of incoming interns at St. Julian’s hospital delayed by visa issues this year.
- 1 out of 9: Number of interns at St. Julian’s denied a visa outright.
These numbers show just how important international doctors are to the U.S. healthcare system, and how serious the current delays have become.
Background: A Longstanding Reliance on International Doctors
The United States 🇺🇸 has relied on international doctors for decades to fill gaps in its healthcare workforce. Many rural and underserved areas depend on international medical graduates to provide basic care. Previous administrations have also implemented travel bans and visa restrictions, but the current policies are more strict and cover more countries.
The COVID-19 pandemic made things worse by causing earlier visa processing delays, and the system has not fully recovered. Now, with new executive orders and increased vetting, the situation is even more challenging for international doctors.
Practical Effects on International Doctors
For international doctors, these delays and denials mean more than just professional setbacks. Many have already spent thousands of dollars on exams, applications, and travel. When their visas are delayed or denied, they face financial hardship and uncertainty about their future. Some may lose their residency positions altogether if they cannot arrive on time.
Doctors from countries affected by the travel bans face even greater barriers. They may not be able to enter the United States 🇺🇸 at all, even if they have already matched to a residency program and completed all other requirements.
What Are the Solutions?
Several groups are working to address the problem:
- Prioritizing J-1 Physicians: The Department of State has started to prioritize J-1 visa interviews for doctors, which may help reduce the backlog over time.
- National Interest Exemptions: Advocacy groups like Intealth are pushing for exemptions that would allow international doctors to enter the United States 🇺🇸 despite travel bans, because of their importance to the healthcare system.
- Flexible Start Dates: The NRMP is encouraging residency programs to be flexible with start dates or to allow one-year deferrals for international doctors facing visa delays.
- Policy Reform: Some experts are calling for broader changes to the visa process to make it easier for international doctors to come to the United States 🇺🇸 and help address the physician shortage.
Multiple Perspectives: Security vs. Healthcare Needs
There is a debate between those who support the new travel bans and vetting procedures for national security reasons, and those who argue that the United States 🇺🇸 cannot afford to turn away qualified international doctors. Healthcare advocates say that the physician shortage is a public health crisis, and that international doctors are a key part of the solution.
Residency program directors and hospital leaders are caught in the middle, trying to balance the need for security with the urgent need for more doctors.
What’s Next?
The Department of State’s decision to lift the pause on visa interviews and prioritize J-1 physicians is a positive step, but experts warn that it could take months to clear the backlog. In the meantime, hospitals and patients will continue to feel the effects of the physician shortage.
Advocacy groups are likely to keep pushing for National Interest Exemptions and other policy changes. Residency programs may need to become even more flexible in their start dates and training schedules.
The debate over immigration and national security is expected to continue, and future visa policies will likely be shaped by ongoing political discussions.
Where to Find More Information and Help
If you are an international doctor affected by these delays, or a residency program director looking for guidance, here are some helpful resources:
- National Resident Matching Program (NRMP):
Email: [email protected]
Support: [email protected]
Toll-Free: (866) 653-NRMP
Phone: (202) 400-2233
Website: www.nrmp.org -
Intealth (IMG Advocacy Organization):
Website: www.intealth.org -
Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG):
Website: www.ecfmg.org -
Official U.S. Government Information on J-1 Visas:
U.S. Department of State – Exchange Visitor (J-1) Visa
Key Takeaways and Next Steps
- International doctors are essential to the U.S. healthcare system, especially as the physician shortage grows.
- Visa delays and new travel bans are making it harder for these doctors to start their residencies on time.
- Hospitals and patients are already feeling the impact, with staffing shortages and longer wait times.
- Advocacy groups and residency programs are working to find solutions, but the process remains slow and uncertain.
As reported by VisaVerge.com, the situation for international doctors remains complex and challenging, with policy changes and backlogs continuing to affect both doctors and the U.S. healthcare system. If you are affected, stay in close contact with your residency program, monitor updates from official sources, and seek help from advocacy organizations as needed.
By staying informed and working together, stakeholders can help ensure that international doctors are able to contribute their skills and help address the physician shortage in the United States 🇺🇸.
Learn Today
International Medical Graduates (IMGs) → Doctors who earned medical degrees outside the United States seeking U.S. residency training.
J-1 Visa → A visa category for exchange visitors including international medical residents training in the U.S.
National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) → A system matching medical graduates to U.S. residency training programs.
National Interest Exemption (NIE) → A government exemption allowing certain visa applicants to bypass travel bans for urgent needs.
Travel Ban → A government-imposed restriction preventing nationals from specified countries from entering the U.S.
This Article in a Nutshell
International doctors face severe visa delays due to paused interviews and travel bans, worsening a looming U.S. physician shortage. This threatens hospital staffing, with many doctors stuck overseas and residency programs forced to delay starts or reduce care capacity nationwide.
— By VisaVerge.com
