Trump’s H-1B visa fee risks deepening US doctor shortage, waiting times

The Trump administration’s US$100,000 fee for high-skilled visa applicants threatens to worsen a shortage of US doctors and make it harder for rural hospitals to operate, medical groups warned.

The fee for H-1B visas “risks shutting off the pipeline of highly trained doctors that patients depend on, especially in rural and underserved communities”, said American Medical Association president Bobby Mukkamala, a Michigan head and neck surgeon.

US President Donald Trump added the fee for applications for the programme in a proclamation on Friday that roiled the technology industry and upended plans of highly educated foreign students. The White House clarified on Saturday that the new policy does not apply to current visa holders.

On Monday, the administration also said doctors may be able to avoid it. “The proclamation allows for potential exemptions, which can include doctors and medical residents,” White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said.

Trump has said companies abuse H-1Bs to suppress wages, calling it a security threat.

Healthcare employers often sponsor medical residents and other doctors on H-1B visas. Mukkamala called international medical graduates “a critical part of our doctor workforce”. Making it harder for them “to train and practice here means patients will wait longer and drive farther to get care,” he said in a statement.