PAAIA Announces Support for Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act

Dec. 7, 2021 – The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA), a nonpartisan organization serving the interests of the Iranian American community, announced its support for the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act, a legislation which reauthorizes and strengthens the Conrad 30 federal visa waiver program for Iranian and other foreign doctors who have studied in the United States.

The Conrad 30 legislation, which is bipartisan with over 80 cosponsors in the House and over 20 in the Senate, reauthorizes and strengthens the Conrad 30 program. Since 1994, Conrad 30 has helped rural and other medically unserved communities across the United States obtain access to high-quality, U.S.-educated Iranian and other foreign physicians.

Many Iranian Americans come to the United States as medical students, and some have benefited from programs such as Conrad 30.  

Under current immigration law, the J-1 visa requires foreign medical students to return to their home country for two years before returning to the United States. Conrad 30 waives this requirement in exchange for at least three years of medical service in an underserved area. The Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Act reauthorizes the program and makes it even stronger, allowing more medical students to take advantage of it, including Iranian doctors, at a time when there is a critical need for more doctors as we continue to combat COVID-19.  

PAAIA’s support for this legislation also includes an action alert where community members can send a message to Congress asking their Representatives to become cosponsors of the Conrad 30 legislation.