Under this chapter, rural and underserved communities in Idaho would be able to apply for the placement of a foreign trained physician after demonstrating that they are unable to recruit an American physician and all other recruitment/placement possibilities have proven to be inaccessible.
(1)  The "Idaho Conrad J-1 Visa Waiver Program" authorizes the Idaho department of health and welfare to recommend up to thirty (30) foreign trained physicians per federal fiscal year to locate in communities that are federally designated as having a health workforce shortage. Recommendations may be for pediatrics, internal medicine, family medicine, obstetrics, gynecology, psychiatry, general surgery, or physician specialists. Applications for specialists must demonstrate a need for the type of specialty held by the petitioning physician. Final approval of J-1 visa waiver requests are made by the United States bureau of citizenship and immigration services.
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Terms Used In Idaho Code 39-6102

  • Department: means the Idaho department of health and welfare. See Idaho Code 39-6105
  • Federal fiscal year: means the twelve (12) months that commence the first day of October in each year and close on the thirtieth day of September of the following year. See Idaho Code 39-6105
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • National interest waiver: means an exemption from the labor certification process administered by the United States department of labor for foreign physicians whose will to stay in the United States and work in an area of underservice in Idaho is determined to be in the public interest by the Idaho department of health and welfare. See Idaho Code 39-6105
  • Petitioning physician: means the foreign physician, named in the J-1 visa waiver or national interest waiver application, who requires a waiver to remain in the United States to practice medicine. See Idaho Code 39-6105
  • Testify: Answer questions in court.
(2)  Provided health care organizations located in federally designated shortage areas do not utilize the full annual allocation of J-1 visa waivers, the department may accept waiver applications six (6) months after the beginning of each federal fiscal year for petitioning J-1 visa waiver physicians to work in areas without a federal shortage area designation. The practice and petitioning physician must serve patients who reside in federally designated areas of underservice.
(3)  The "National Interest Waiver Program" allows the Idaho department of health and welfare to testify that it is in the public’s interest that a waiver be granted to a foreign trained physician who commits to locating in a community that is federally determined as having a health workforce shortage. Final approval of the national interest waiver request is made by the United States bureau of citizenship and immigration services.