Visa restrictions in the US could lead to a shortage of doctors.

The Trump administration has suspended work permit renewals for some immigrants, preventing thousands of foreign-born doctors from practicing. Axios some of them told.

The policy could worsen access to care in a U.S. health care system already facing a shortage of doctors.

About a quarter of all healthcare workers in America are immigrants. Rural areas and communities rely especially heavily on them.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) this winter began freezing the processing of immigration benefits, including work permit extensions, for people already in the United States who arrived from 39 designated countries.

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This affected work permit renewals, green card processing, and naturalization.

Visa holders (particularly the H-1B visa, popular among doctors) have a grace period of 240 days during which they can continue to practice legally after filing for an extension, as long as their employer continues to sponsor them.

However, the freeze has disrupted everything: doctors are forced to take unpaid leave. They can legally remain in the country, but are not allowed to work.

Now the affected doctors face a choice: return to their homeland, move to another country, or remain in the United States without the opportunity to work.

"Even with us, there's a serious staffing shortage," an Ohio doctor told Axios. "Can you imagine the impact the loss of any health care worker would have on the community here?"

He and other doctors interviewed spoke on condition of anonymity due to fears of retaliation.

Patients are already feeling the effects. A doctor in Ohio reported that after his work permit expired in February, his clinic's patients had to be redistributed among colleagues. Now they will have to wait, potentially several months, to get an appointment. Other doctors have taken over his shifts, increasing their workload.

The American Medical Association (AMA) sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, noting that one doctor stated that the suspension left more than 900 patients without adequate medical care.

"This isn't just an immigration issue," said a Michigan doctor whose work visa expires in July. "It's a patient care issue."

Medical workers whose work permits are still valid say they are currently finding it more difficult to work due to stress.

"Sometimes I can't sleep at night," admitted a doctor from western Pennsylvania. "When I go to the hospital, I feel kind of lost."

Another resident physician in a disadvantaged area of ​​Pennsylvania noted that last month it was difficult to schedule patients for follow-up appointments in the weeks before his work permit expired.

"Some of them would say, 'Doc, I'll see you in three months.' But deep down, I knew they might never see me again."

The Department of Homeland Security said the freeze was necessary because it believed the Biden administration had not initially thoroughly vetted visa holders from the 39 countries.

The agency did not respond to questions about how long the pause would last or whether it was considering a "national interest" exception to its immigration policy for physicians, as called for by the AMA and the American College of Physicians.

A January memo said individuals could qualify for exemptions, but doctors said they hadn't yet figured out how to apply.

Other measures under the new immigration policy also make it more difficult for hospitals to sponsor foreign doctors, such as the $100,000 fee for an H-1B visa.

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More than 20 lawsuits have already been filed by medical workers and other affected individuals.

An Ohio doctor is considering legal action, but he says the costs could exceed $5000 and he's left without an income.

Meanwhile, Canada and other countries are actively trying to lure these doctors away, offering incentives including expedited permanent residency.

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