Credentialing & Privileging | 05.27.20
COVID-19: U.S. Permits Doctors on H-1B Work Visa to Practice Telemedicine
by NAMSS Staff
Economic Times (05/15/20)
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has relaxed regulations to allow physicians on the H-1B work visa to practice telemedicine and provide local hospitals with the necessary flexibility to meet increased demand for medical treatment during the coronavirus crisis. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that enables American firms to employ graduate-level workers in jobs that require technical or theoretical expertise in specialized fields. The updated guidelines come after a bipartisan group of Capitol Hill legislators urged the USCIS to allow doctors with the H-1B visas to make select changes to better assist in the COVID-19 response efforts. Medical facilities, especially those located in rural areas, depend on the H-1B visa program to fill critical staffing vacancies.
Read the full story from Economic Times.