The Division of Public Health Services (DPHS), Rural Health and Primary Care Section (RHPC), has been given the responsibility within the State of New Hampshire to recommend and process J-1 Visa Waiver applications through the J-1 Visa Waiver Program (also known as the "Conrad State 30 Program".) This program is coordinated with the US Department of State (DOS) and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of the US Department of Homeland Security.
Under the J-1 Visa Waiver program, each state health department may submit a request directly to the DOS to initiate the waiver process for a J-1 medical doctor. Normally, upon completion of their education, these international medical graduates are required to return to their country or nationality for at least two years before returning to the United States. However, under the J-1 Visa Waiver Program this home residency requirement can be waived. This request enables J-1 doctors to obtain a waiver of the two-year foreign residence requirement, if DOS submits a favorable recommendation to USCIS and will generally be granted as long as there are no underlying concerns. Once the waiver is granted, J-1 doctors must practice for at least three years in a medically underserved shortage area or areas. The Department of Health & Human Services designates the medical shortage areas for each State.
The goal of the New Hampshire's J-1 Visa Waiver Program is to improve accessibility to health care for underserved areas by supporting J-1 Visa Wavier requests on behalf of foreign medical graduates who have obtained a J-1 Visa for graduate medical studies in the United States ("J-1 physicians"). Based on the information provided with a request, the New Hampshire Division of Public Health Services may recommend a waiver of the requirement that a J-1 physician must return to the physician's home country for a period of two years after completing the graduate medical studies.
The J-1 Visa Waiver Program allows New Hampshire to sponsor thirty (30) J-1 Waiver applications per federal fiscal year, October 1st thru September 30th for primary care and sub-specialists. Consideration for recommendation will be given to up to ten (10) applicants who meet the criteria of not being in a designated area but who serve patients from a designated area. These J-1 waiver applications will be referred to as "non-designated" areas also known as "flex spots". Preference for J-1 waivers is usually given to physicians in primary care: Family Practice, Pediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Internal Medicine, and Psychiatry. Supportive specialties include: Geriatrics, General Radiology, Hospitalist, and General Surgery.
New Hampshire accepts J-1 Visa Waiver requests year-round and reserves the right to recommend or decline any request for a waiver. Requests for a New Hampshire J-1 Visa Waiver recommendation must be submitted by a health care facility or immigration attorney on behalf of the J-1 physician, and not directly from the J-1 physician. Each application will be reviewed by the DPHS, RHPC to determine whether the application is complete and meets the requirements of the federal and state guidelines. The amount of time necessary to completely process an application varies based on level of accuracy in the initial application. If all materials are in order, the initial review process should take approximately three to five weeks. The sponsoring legal representative will be notified when a decision has been made by the State of New Hampshire. Non-designated/ flex slot applications may take longer. (See J-1 Visa Waiver Guidelines 
for additional detail.)
J-1 Visa Waiver Frequently Asked Questions & Resources
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