Washington State will sponsor up to
30 waivers per Federal Fiscal
Year (October 1-September 30).
Eligible
employers in Washington must be located in a designated HPSA or whole-county
MUA. We may sponsor up to five (5) of the total waivers to
physicians who will practice at health care facilities located in
non-designated areas that meet the criteria in WAC 246-562-075.
Washington does not require a minimum HPSA score
or a specific facility type.
For more information see: Applicant Eligibility
Criteria
Applications are accepted beginning
October 1 of each year.
2012 Program Year
|
October 1, 2011 - September 30, 2012 |
Applications Received |
Waivers Approved |
Waivers Pending Approval |
|
Primary Care |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
Specialists |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
Non HPSA
(FLEX) |
(0) |
(0) |
(0) |
|
Total Waivers to
Date |
4 |
1 |
3 |
|
Last Updated: 2/8/2012 |
NOTE: We are now accepting applications for the 2012 Program Year
PROGRAM UPDATES:
-
Addendum forms are now required as part of
the application for physicians applying as Specialists or for
Non-HPSA locations.
-
Please use this checklist as a guide:
Waiver Application Checklist
-
USE this shipping address
for applications (UPS, Federal Express, US Postal Service):
Washington State Department of Health
Office of Community and Rural Health
Attention: J- l Visa Waiver Program
243 Israel Road SE
MS: 7853
Tumwater WA 98501
Some of the following files may require a viewer.
Viewer Page
Health Care Facility Letter
Top
All applications must include a letter from the head of the facility
at which the physician will be employed that:
- Requests that the Washington State Department of Health act
as an interested government agency and recommend a waiver for the
J-1 physician.
- Identifies the physician by name.
- Includes the complete address where physician will practice
if the waiver is granted (county, street address, city and zip code,
and include health professional shortage area (HPSA) identifier
- Summarizes how the health care facility has attempted to locate
qualified U.S. physicians
- Describes the physician's qualifications, proposed responsibilities
and how their employment will satisfy important unmet health care
needs of a medically underserved community; and
- Includes a statement that the facility treats all patients regardless
of their ability to pay, accepts Medicare, Medicaid patients and
uses a sliding fee discount schedule
- State unequivocally that the facility is offering the physician
at least three years of employment in a job consistent with the
Department's mission, a description of the critical need of the
facility's service area and how the facility will assure that the
physician will serve that need.
The letter must be on the facility letterhead and signed by the head
of the health care facility.
Employer Eligibility Criteria
Employers can be, but are not limited to, publicly funded health
care facilities or private entities. The employer must:
- Be licensed to do business in Washington State.
- Be located in a federally designated
Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) or a whole county Medically
Underserved
Area (MUA).
- Meet the criteria in WAC 246-562-075 if the practice
location is not located in a federally designated HPSA or whole
county MUA.
- Be able to document at least six months of unsuccessful
recruitment activity.
- Serve both Medicare and Medicaid patients, with at least 10% of the total patient visits
in the 12 months prior to application coming from Medicaid and/or other low-income
patients (such as subsidized basic health plan enrollees,
sliding fee discount, no pay, etc.).
- Have a sliding fee scale schedule posted and available for
patient use.
- Have a signed employment contract with the
J-1 physician, three years for primary care physicians and five
years for specialists. Contracts containing non-compete language will
not be approved.
- Pay the physician prevailing wage, submitting a Labor
Condition Application (Form ETA 9035) signed and approved by the
US Department of Labor
- Submit the Health Care Facility letter with the
waiver application.
Back to Top
J-1 Physician Eligibility Criteria
- On October 1 of each year, the physician must either be complete with their training OR in
the final year of their training program.
- If not complete with their training, physicians must provide
a letter of good standing from training program including
expected completion date.
- Primary care waivers are not available to physicians who
have ANY sub-specialty training, with the exception of Geriatric
and Obstetrical fellowships.
- Physicians must have a signed contract with an eligible
employer, three years for primary care physicians and five years
for specialists.
- Physicians must have an active Washington State medical license
or provide documentation of a pending application for their Washington
State medical license.
- Physician must provide:
- Copy of current Curriculum Vitae.
- Copies of all DS-2019 forms (formerly IAP-66) are required.
- Proof of passage of United States Medical Licensing Examinations.
- Medical degree or diploma, translated as necessary.
- At least one recommendation letter from current training
program.
- US Department of State Data Sheet
- A Physician Attestation Statement
- A Physician Personal Statement
Back to Top
Application Review Process:
Physicians need to submit the
Department
of State data sheet and $230 processing fee to the U.S. Department
of State in order to establish a case number prior to submission
of applications to the Department of Health.
- The Department will complete an initial review within ten working
days of receipt of the application
- All incomplete applications will be returned to sender. Incomplete
applications that are resubmitted with the additional required documentation
are considered new applications.
- Complete applications undergo a full review that can take up
to 2 weeks per application. Applicants are notified in writing of
the results of the full review.
- Upon approval, the Department of Health will forward the waiver
application to the Department of State (DOS). DOS must approve the
application before it is sent to the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration
Services (BCIS) for final approval.
- DOS customer service to check the
status of applications online
- BCIS customer service number to check the status of applications
is 1-800-375-5283. If you have an application receipt number, you
can check the status of your case
online.
Back to Top
HPSA Information
To see areas in Washington state that currently have Federal Shortage
area designations look at the tables for Primary Care Health Professional
Shortage Areas, Mental Health Professional Shortage Areas, Correctional
Facilities and Medically Underserved Areas and Medically Underserved
Populations: Here.
The Office of Community and Rural health also provides
information on
resources available for those seeking J-1 Visa Waivers.
For further information, please contact:
Jennell Prentice, J1 Visa Waiver Program Manager
Telephone: 360-236-2814
Email: Jennell.Prentice@doh.wa.gov
