Doctors with H-1B visa fear deportation

The medical sector is the frontline of our battle against the Coronavirus and actually, thousands of doctors and nurses fighting the virus are foreigners holding the H-1B Visa.

This visa allows them to work legally for a period of time in the US (up to 3 years initially).

It is the visa offered to specialized and qualified workers.

Normally, the local employer makes a request to the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) to bring skilled workers.

The H-1B Visa and its validity are naturally tied to the work performed by the foreign worker.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, medical personnel are constantly at risk of contagion.

Therefore, many of them have to opt for preventive self-isolation when they feel symptoms of COVID-19, even if the symptoms are mild.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), preventive isolation is the best protection against the massive spread of the virus.

Thus, when a doctor or nurse feels any symptom, the main recommendation is to isolate completely to avoid infecting other people.

What is the risk for foreign doctors?

One of the requirements when obtaining the H-1B Visa is that skilled workers remain labor-active during their stay in the US.

That is why thousands of foreign medical workers fear being deported.

For example, Dr. Sujit Vakkalanka had to isolate himself because he had mild symptoms but his constant fear of deportation is something that generates stress and anguish for him.

He states the following: “This feeling that I could be deported in the next three months shouldn’t constantly haunt me, day after day (…) It’s just one more thing to worry about.”

Dr. Vakkalanka says that all the attention should be directed to the Coronavirus at this time, but his fear of deportation does not allow him to fully concentrate.

He is afraid because he has not been able to go to work for several days and thinks he will be deported if he does not return to the hospital soon.

In addition to that, foreign workers fear for their health too, it is a double concern that haunts them right now.

Fear of deportation for their families

One of the benefits of the H-1B Visa is that they can bring their families to live in the US as long as the permit remains in effect.

However, when an H-1B Visa holder passes away, the legal residence permit will be removed for his/her entire family (unless each one of them has a specific individual visa).

Thus, foreign doctors with families in the US are even more concerned.

Also, many foreign doctors must renew their residence permit soon, but everything that is happening prevents them from following the necessary legal procedures.

For example, USCIS offices are temporarily closed and all applications must be made virtually.

In addition to that, they must remain in hospitals since saving lives is their priority.

One of the doctors facing this situation has been in the US for over 15 years and it is time to renew his residence permit. He said, “The last thing I want to think about is prioritizing my visa status when there’s so much else to be done (…) It’s actually terrifying when I think about the fact that I’ve invested so many years of my life here and have no job security, no security of where we live.”

Visa change

Another scenario foreign doctors are facing is when they want to change from J-1 Visa to H-1B Visa.

They do not have the time to go through all the necessary processes for themselves and their families.

Therefore, the best solution they have is to seek specialized immigration guidance to help them handle their cases in the best possible way.

This way they can ensure that their residence permit is protected and that their families can also remain in the country legally.

If you have any questions about an immigration issue or relating to a case you may have currently in Progress, then please don’t hesitate to contact us for a FREE Phone Consultation with one of our expert immigration attorneys.

Simply call Motion Law today at: (202) 918-1799.