Immigration enforcement’s making foreign doctors and other medical professionals’ step back from their work at a time the U.S. faces an acute labor shortage in the healthcare department. According to the New York Times, this is mainly due to pausing of green cards and work permit processing for thirty-nine countries. The move comes amid a broader immigration crackdown on employment-based immigration processing.
Background
In December 2025, the government issued a generalized travel ban for seventy-five countries. The next month, the government paused all visa processing for individuals from thirty-nine different countries. This includes foreign doctors from the affected countries.
Fallout
The move greatly inhibits foreign doctors working in the U.S., exasperating the labor shortage in the medical industry. According to the New York Times, around twenty-five percent of all doctors practicing in the U.S. are from another country. There’s already one petition to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) asking for an exemption for medical professionals.
Around sixty percent of foreign physicians work in fields like primary care, family medicine and pediatrics. The proportion is greater in rural areas. Many of these individuals have already been vetted and screened, some are already citizens.
As always, ILBSG actively monitors ongoing U.S. immigration news. If you have questions about any U.S. immigration related issue, contact us. Working with an experienced attorney ensures you get the right advice based on the most recent laws. In an ever-evolving immigration policy landscape, it’s particularly critical you get the right advice.