Concord, N.H. – Today, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) applauded the expansion of the Northern Border Regional Commission’s (NBRC) J-1 Visa Waiver Program to include physicians practicing specialty medicine. Kuster led a bipartisan letter urging the NBRC to use its authority to begin this program, which the NBRC initially launched in December 2023 as part of a larger effort to address the national healthcare provider shortage and provide quality, affordable care to rural and underserved communities in the Northern Border region. 

“The Northern Border Regional Commission has been a tremendous asset to New Hampshire, and I’m thrilled to see the expansion of their J-1 Visa Waiver Program to include physicians practicing specialty medicine,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “We have the tools to bring more qualified doctors and caretakers to our region to address health care staffing shortages in our rural communities, we just have to use them. I was proud to advocate for this initiative, and will continue working to close the gaps in health care access and ensure every family can get the quality care they need.”

“We are pleased to announce that thanks to diligent work by the NBRC team as well as support and coordination from our state partners, the Commission is able to expand its J-1 Visa Waiver program on an accelerated timeline. This action will allow the Commission to help address gaps in patient care in the region by meeting existing interest from physicians with expertise in specialty medicine who want to practice here,” said NBRC Federal Co-Chair Chris Saunders.

The NBRC’s J-1 Visa Waiver Program first opened to primary care physicians, but after collaborating with state partners in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York, the NBRC is ready to include waiver applications from specialty care providers within the region. For more information on the NBRC J-1 visa program, how to apply, and a list of J-1 Program Specialists by state, please visit nbrc.gov.  

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