J-1 Waiver Option for Clinical Faculty

Conrad 30 Waiver Program

The Conrad 30 waiver program allows eligible “J-1 Alien Physicians” (i.e. medical residents or fellows) to apply for a waiver of the 212(e) Two-Year Home Country Physical Presence Requirement. The program may recommend up to 30 waivers per state per fiscal year to address the shortage of qualified physicians in each state’s medically underserved areas.

Important Dates 

• The Georgia Department of Community Health (GA DCH) accepts Conrad 30 waiver applications between August 1st and August 31th.
• Conrad waiver requests should be submitted to ISSS on or before April 30th so that the application can be submitted within GA DCH's application window.
  • Any Conrad waiver requests submitted on or after May 1 will be subject to a higher legal fee.
  • Refer to ISSS' Law Firm Service Types and Legal Fees page for the fee schedule.

Conrad 30 Waiver Request Process

1. The hiring department completes the new faculty appointment paperwork and determines the department’s commitment to sponsor a permanent residency application for the prospective faculty hire.
   • The hiring department needs to ensure that they have funds to pay for the Conrad 30 waiver application including the law firm fees.
     • Visit ISSS' Law Firm Service Types and Legal Fees page for the fee schedule.
   • Emory University will not sponsor an application if there are no plans to sponsor the prospective hire for a permanent residency.
     • The 212(e) waiver is not needed for a temporary employment option such as O-1.
     • However, waiver approval is needed for permanent residency sponsorship.   
        
2. The hiring department completes the Conrad 30 Waiver Request Form and emails it to isss@emory.edu.
   • Conrad waiver requests should be submitted to ISSS on or before April 30th.
     • Any Conrad waiver requests submitted on or after May 1 will be subject to a higher legal fee (see ISSS' Law Firm Service Types and Legal Fees page for the fee schedule).
   • The law firm will not begin case work until they have received an official email from ISSS.
   • Departments should refrain from contacting the law firm as it will delay the overall process.  
      
3. Upon receiving a completed request form, ISSS will:
   • Review for the sponsorship eligibility.
   • Contact the assigned law firm to initiate the process including setting up an initial case conference meeting with the employee, supervisor, department administrator, and ISSS.  
      
4. If otherwise eligible, the assigned law firm will prepare and file the waiver application before Georgia Department of Community Health's August 31st deadline.
    
5. If the waiver is selected among the 30 available spots, the next steps will be to receive a waiver recommendation from the US Department of State (DOS), followed by US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for the final government approval.
    
6. Upon receiving the waiver approval from USCIS, the hiring department can initiate the H-1B Request process.
   • The scholar will change to H-1B status to fulfill their Conrad 30 commitment for full three years as required by the regulations.