Conrad 30 Waiver Program

Key facts

Legal basis

Section 214(l) of the Immigration and Nationality Act

Waives

Two-year foreign residence requirement of INA Section 212(e)

Slots

Up to 30 physicians per state per federal fiscal year

Service commitment

At least three years of full-time practice in H-1B status

Program status

Temporary; requires periodic reauthorization by Congress

What is the Conrad 30 Waiver Program?

Foreign physicians who come to the United States for graduate medical training on a J-1 exchange visitor visa must normally return to their home country for two years before they can apply for certain U.S. visas or permanent residence. The Conrad 30 program, created by Congress in 1994, lets a state waive that requirement for physicians who commit to serving underserved communities.

Each state health department, or its equivalent, can sponsor up to 30 physicians per federal fiscal year. States set their own application rules, priorities and specialty preferences.

How a Conrad 30 waiver works

The typical path is:

• The physician obtains a full-time job offer from a facility in a Health Professional Shortage Area, Medically Underserved Area or Medically Underserved Population, or from a facility serving patients who live in one.
• The state health department reviews the application and requests the waiver, which the Department of State reviews and recommends to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
• The employer files a petition to change the physician from J-1 to H-1B status.
• The physician must begin work within 90 days of the waiver and practice at least three years.
• States may use up to 10 slots a year for facilities outside designated areas that serve patients from them, often called flex slots.

Why Conrad 30 matters

International medical graduates are a significant part of the physician workforce in rural and underserved areas, and Conrad 30 is a main route for keeping them there after training. For physician recruiters and health systems in shortage areas, state slot availability and application timing affect hiring plans. For workforce analysts, the program ties immigration policy directly to HPSA and MUA designations.

Conrad 30 vs other J-1 physician waivers

Conrad 30 is state-sponsored. Physicians can also receive waivers requested by federal interested government agencies, such as the Department of Health and Human Services, the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Delta Regional Authority, each with its own criteria. Because Conrad 30 depends on periodic congressional reauthorization, its future terms and slot numbers can change with each extension.