DOCTORS Act J-visa Waiver Reallocation

Full Title:
DOCTORS Act

Summary#

This bill adds a new paragraph to section 214(l) of the Immigration and Nationality Act about unused waivers of the J-visa two-year foreign residency requirement. Beginning September 30, 2026, and every September 30 after that, each State agency that received a waiver under section 212(e) during the fiscal year must report to the Secretary of State how many of those waivers were not used during the fiscal year.

The Secretary of State will total the unused waivers reported by all State agencies and reallocate some of them as "supplemental waivers". The number of supplemental waivers that may be reallocated for a later fiscal year is one-third of the difference between (A) the total waivers available under section 212(e) for the fiscal year and (B) the total waivers actually distributed during that fiscal year. The Secretary must inform each eligible State agency on January 1, 2026, and each January 1 after that, about how many supplemental waivers it will receive and how they will be distributed.

An "eligible State agency" is one that used at least 30 waivers under section 212(e) in the preceding fiscal year. Ten percent of supplemental waivers allocated in a fiscal year must be used to support positions in one or more facilities that serve patients who live in medically underserved communities (as defined in section 799B of the Public Health Service Act).

What it means for you#

  • State agencies: If your agency received waivers during a fiscal year, you must report unused waivers each September 30. Agencies that used at least 30 waivers in the prior year may receive an equal share of reallocated supplemental waivers the following fiscal year.
  • Secretary of State: Must calculate total unused waivers, apply the one-third cap formula, reallocate supplemental waivers equally among eligible agencies, and notify agencies each January 1 about allocations and distribution method.
  • J-visa holders and placement programs: The pool of waivers that state agencies can use may change because unused waivers can be reallocated. Ten percent of reallocated waivers must support positions serving medically underserved communities.

Expenses#

No publicly available information on costs or budgetary effects is included in the bill text or provided metadata.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information in the bill text or metadata describes proponents' stated views or justifications.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information in the bill text or metadata describes opponents' stated views or objections.