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NBRC J-1 Visa Program Will Expand to Include Specialist Positions for Northern Border States

Specific specialist positions through the J-1 Visa Waiver Program will be reviewed case-by-case, based on need in the region and preliminary approval from the state in which the physician will practice.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 18, 2024
Contact: Liz Cross, Rural Healthcare Coordinator
J1Visa@nbrc.gov
(603) 369-3001

NBRC J-1 Visa Program Will Expand to Include Specialist Positions for Northern Border States

The Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) is excited to announce an expansion to its J-1 Visa Waiver Program to include physicians practicing specialty medicine. Waiver requests will be accepted beginning April 1, 2024.

The NBRC originally launched the program in December 2023 as part of a larger effort to address the national healthcare provider shortage and provide quality, affordable care to rural and underserved communities in the Northern Border region. The program first opened to primary care physicians, but after collaborating with state partners in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York, the NBRC is ready to include waiver applications from specialty care providers within the region. Specific specialist positions through the J-1 Visa Waiver Program will be reviewed case-by-case, based on need in the region and preliminary approval from the state in which the physician will practice.

“We are pleased to announce that thanks to diligent work by the NBRC team as well as support and coordination from our state partners, the Commission is able to expand its J-1 Visa Waiver program on an accelerated timeline. This action will allow the Commission to help address gaps in patient care in the region by meeting existing interest from physicians with expertise in specialty medicine who want to practice here,” said NBRC Federal Co-Chair Chris Saunders.

“The Northern Border Regional Commission has been a tremendous asset to New Hampshire, and I’m thrilled to see the expansion of their J-1 Visa Waiver Program to include physicians practicing specialty medicine,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “We have the tools to bring more qualified doctors and caretakers to our region to address health care staffing shortages in our rural communities, we just have to use them. I was proud to advocate for this initiative and I will continue working to close the gaps in health care access and ensure every family can get the quality care they need.”

For more information on the NBRC J-1 visa program, how to apply, and a list of J-1 Program Specialists by state, please visit nbrc.gov.

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Created in 2008, the Northern Border Regional Commission is a federal-state partnership whose mission is to help alleviate economic distress and encourage private sector job creation in Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont.