In order for a foreign national to be admitted to the United States, he or she must be admissible. A foreign national can be deemed inadmissible to the United States by USCIS, CBP and a Consulate. If the foreign national is deemed inadmissible due to the United States, he or she cannot enter without a waiver of inadmissibility or a determination that the inadmissibility charge was made in error.
INA 212(a)(5)(B)
Unqualified Physician
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212(a)(5)(B) Unqualified Physician
What is a grounds of inadmissibility?
212(a)(5)(B) Inadmissibility due to Unqualified Physician
Foreign nationals may be inadmissible if he or she is applying to enter the US to work as a physician but does not have the required credentials.
An alien who is a graduate of a medical school not accredited by a body or bodies approved for the purpose by the Secretary of Education (regardless of whether such school of medicine is in the United States) and who is coming to the United States principally to perform services as a member of the medical profession is inadmissible, unless the alien (i) has passed parts I and II of the National Board of Medical Examiners Examination (or an equivalent examination as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services) and (ii) is competent in oral and written English. For purposes of the previous sentence, an alien who is a graduate of a medical school shall be considered to have passed parts I and II of the National Board of Medical Examiners if the alien was fully and permanently licensed to practice medicine in a State on January 9, 1978, and was practicing medicine in a State on that date.
How to obtain a determination that the 212(a)(5)(B) ground of inadmissibility was incorrectly made.
No matter which US government agency made the inadmissibility determination, each provides a method to dispute the determination, though each has drastically different processing times. We have achieved successful outcomes by petitioning the US Department of State where the determination was made by the Consulate in as little as 2 weeks. CBP quotes turnaround times of as little as 30 days and USCIS will not offer a time frame. In our experience, the more difficult the situation, the longer it will take to get resolved.
How to obtain a 212(a)(5)(B) waiver
There are two types of waivers that apply to each grounds of inadmissibility: one for immigrants and one for nonimmigrants. Immigrants are foreign nationals who are trying to obtain an immigrant visa or green card. Nonimmigrants are foreign nationals who are trying to obtain or enter with a temporary visa such as a B2 tourist visa, F1 student visa or H1B work visa, among others. Some grounds of inadmissibility allows both immigrant and nonimmigrant waivers, some allow one and some offer no waiver at all.
Many people who are faced with a inadmissibility determination believe that they will never be able to obtain a waiver or enter the US again. This is simply not true. For almost all types of inadmissibility classes, a waiver is available and there is always an option to challenge the determination. We have successfully helped many clients who were determined to be inadmissible and we can assist you. We believe that with the right approach, there is always a hope to win your case.
Paths for a Waiver of Inadmissibility
News Related to INA § 212(a)(5)(B)
| Date | Title | Details | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 16, 2025 | Department of State's Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) | This section outlines the health-related grounds of ineligibility for visa applicants, detailing the medical conditions and circumstances that may lead to a visa denial. | ||
| January 14, 2025 | USCIS Policy Manual | U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) updated its Policy Manual to provide detailed guidance on health-related grounds that can render an individual inadmissible to the United States, including communicable diseases of public health significance, vaccination requirements, physical or mental disorders with associated harmful behavior, and drug abuse or addiction. |
