Proposed Visa Renewal Change Carries Doctor Shortage Risk

Hospitals in disadvantaged rural and urban areas could face physician shortages and operational chaos if a proposed change in federal immigration policy makes it harder for foreign-born doctors to remain in the U.S.

Medical groups, including the American Hospital Association and the Association of American Medical Colleges, are sounding the alarm. They’ve asked the Department of Homeland Security to exclude foreign-national physicians in U.S. medical residency and fellowship programs from proposed requirements needed to extend their authorized stays in this country.

People who stay in the U.S. beyond their legal limit do so “in part, because they do not file ...