Overview

• The Trump administration suspended all new J-1 visa interviews on May 27, blocking most foreign medical graduates from starting residencies scheduled for July 1.
• On June 17, the State Department lifted the pause and reopened appointments with enhanced social media vetting but offered no clear timeline for visa approvals.
• International medical graduates account for one in six residency and fellowship positions at U.S. teaching hospitals and make up roughly 20 percent of the physician workforce.
• Brookdale Hospital’s internal medicine program, which relies on foreign doctors for 90 percent of its 55 slots, has already lost two candidates and fears thousands more could be affected next year.
• The administration may extend travel restrictions to 36 additional countries over overstayed visa and security demands, heightening uncertainty for trainees from Africa, the Middle East and beyond.