The AAMC sent a Dec. 19 letter (PDF) to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem requesting a National Interest Exception (NIE) in response to a recent presidential proclamation, “Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers,” which imposed a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications [refer to Washington Highlights, Sept. 26, 2025].
Specifically, the AAMC letter outlined how H-1B professionals in academic medicine and the health care sector merit an industry-based NIE from the $100,000 H-1B visa filing fee, arguing that the proclamation will worsen the nation’s existing physician shortage, further strain the health care workforce, and ultimately jeopardize patient access to care. The letter highlighted the importance of H-1B visa holders employed by AAMC-member institutions and the critical roles they play, along with American physicians, within the American health care system and the academic medicine community. The AAMC NIE letter also shared aggregate data collected through a confidential survey of AAMC-member institutions conducted to assess the impact and scope of H-1B visa holders within academic health systems and medical schools. The AAMC hopes the letter serves as a useful first step in the DHS’ consideration of an industry-based NIE from the proclamation for H-1B petitions filed by AAMC institutions, employers, and professionals.
- Washington Highlights