On April 8, 2020, the US Department of State announced that, despite the worldwide suspension of routine visa services, U.S. embassies and consulates will continue to provide "emergency and mission critical visa services" in certain situations, based on the resources of the local offices.
Specially, visa services for medical professionals with an approved US visa petitions are encouraged to visit the website of their local American Embassy or Consulate for information regarding making emergency appointments.
These include:
- Non-immigrant (I-129) or immigrant visa petition (I-140 with a current priority date)
- A certificate of eligibility in an approved exchange visitor program (DS-2019)
Medical professionals who can help treat or mitigate the effects of COVID-19 are encouraged to use these emergency services.
For foreign medical professionals present in the United States, they may also file applications to extend or change their non-immigration visa status, such as J-1, H-1B, O-1, etc.
J-1 Alien Physicians (medical residents) may consult with their program sponsor, ECFMG, to extend their programs in the United States. Generally, a J-1 program for a foreign medical resident can be extended one year at a time for up to seven years.
The State Department reminds the public that the expiration date on a U.S. visa does not determine how long one can stay in the US. It is the expiration date on the Form I-94 that controls the duration of stay: https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/home.
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