Trump administration lifts travel ban on doctors from 39 countries

The Donald Trump administration has quietly exempted doctors from the controversial travel ban imposed on 39 countries. Without any official announcement, doctors from these countries have been allowed to work and live in the United States. This information was reported in a report by the American media outlet New York Times.

The report said that late last week, without any official announcement, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its website and said that the doctors' applications would no longer be subject to a processing suspension. The country's Department of Homeland Security also confirmed that the processing of the doctors' applications would continue from now on.

After the travel ban was imposed on 39 countries, all types of immigration procedures, including visas, work permits and green cards, were stopped for citizens of those countries. As a result, foreign doctors working in the United States were faced with extreme uncertainty. Even doctors working in many hospitals were sent on mandatory leave.

It is worth noting that about 25 percent of the total number of doctors in the United States are foreign nationals. The Trump administration's ban has created fears of a major health crisis in the country. The ban has been relaxed for doctors from countries like Africa, the Middle East, and Venezuela to avoid this situation. However, this benefit is currently only available to doctors based in the United States.

Earlier, on April 8, several influential medical organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, Neurology, and Pediatrics, sent an urgent letter to the US Secretary of State and the Secretary of Homeland Security. In that letter, they expressed deep concern about the obstacles to the entry and stay of qualified and vetted doctors in the United States. At the same time, they demanded that doctors be exempted from this policy in the "national interest."

Sebastian Aruaran, founder of Project IMG, an organization representing international medical graduates, said, "There has been no official announcement yet about changes to the visa process for affected doctors. However, we are hopeful to see this update on the website."