State Department issues J-1 Conrad/HHS waivers for physicians at an expedited pace in June 2026

We are pleased to share that we have seen the State Department and USCIS issue J-1 Conrad/HHS waivers for physicians at an expedited pace in June 2026. A lengthy adjudicatory pause from the US Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) earlier this year had risked the immigration status and employment authorization for hundreds of international physicians who are ending their residency programs on June 30. As we had shared last month, HHS resumed processing for these cases, and the State Department and USCIS have since quickly processed the waiver recommendations. Many of these physicians will now likely only experience a brief delay in their employment authorization. However, anecdotal reports do show that some of these cases have remained pending for a long period of time.