WASHINGTON – Doctors trying to work in the United States in underserved areas will once again be able to apply for premium processing of their H-1B applications. Premium processing was suspended by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services earlier this year for all H-1B applications. As part of the Conrad 30 Waiver Program, doctors can stay in the United States on a temporary visa after completing their medical training to work in rural and urban areas that have a shortage of physicians.
“This program improves healthcare access for Americans living in underserved areas, and we are pleased to resume premium processing for these petitions,” said USCIS Acting Director James McCament.
USCIS will begin premium processing for these types of high-skilled workers June 26th 2017 and said they plan on expanding premium processing to other H-1B petitions as workloads permit. USCIS officials say they will make announcements when premium processing is reinstated for other types of petitions.
Premium processing was initially suspended in order to reduce overall H-1B processing times.