As of October 21, 2026, the Conrad 30 J-1 physician waiver program is authorized through December 11, 2026. The authority comes from Public Law 119-103, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027, which the President signed on September 2, 2026 (Public Law 119-103, govinfo; White House). There has been no long-term Conrad 30 reauthorization in 2026, only short extensions, so the program faces a new deadline on December 11 (Public Law 119-75, govinfo; H.R. 1585 bill status).
The law never uses the words "Conrad 30" (Public Law 119-103, govinfo). It extends the program by cross-reference, explained below.
- Public Law 119-103 (H.R. 6500), the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027, was signed on September 2, 2026.
- Section 101(6) of that law continues sections 5013 through 5016 of division I of Public Law 119-75; section 5013 is the Conrad 30 provision.
- Section 106(3) makes authority under the stopgap law available until December 11, 2026, at the latest.
- Before that, Public Law 119-75 (February 3, 2026) had extended Conrad 30 to September 30, 2026.
- USCIS says the same law extended the parallel religious worker program through December 11, 2026; its Conrad 30 page was last updated October 1, 2025.
- The three-year reauthorization bills, H.R. 1585 and S. 709, have not moved past committee referral since February 25, 2025.
Did H.R. 6500 extend Conrad 30?
Yes, by cross-reference. Section 101 of the stopgap law continues the programs and authorities in a list of fiscal year 2026 appropriations acts. Paragraph (6) of that list reads:
"(6) The Homeland Security and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026 (Public Law 119-86), except division B, and including sections 5013 through 5016 of division I of Public Law 119-75." Public Law 119-103, division A, section 101(6) (September 2, 2026)
Section 5013 of division I of Public Law 119-75, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, signed February 3, 2026, is the Conrad 30 provision. Its heading is "Rural Healthcare Workers" and it reads:
"Section 220(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Technical Corrections Act of 1994 (8 U.S.C. 1182 note) shall be applied by substituting "September 30, 2026" for "September 30, 2015"." Public Law 119-75, division I, section 5013 (February 3, 2026)
Section 220(c) is the clause that keeps the Conrad 30 rules in force. It applies them to people admitted in J-1 status, or acquiring J-1 status after admission, before a set date; the text as last amended uses September 30, 2015, and each extension swaps in a later date (8 U.S.C. 1182 and notes, govinfo).
The stopgap law then sets how long continued authority lasts. Under section 106, "authority granted pursuant to this Act shall be available until" the earliest of three events: enactment of an appropriation for the activity, enactment of the applicable fiscal year 2027 appropriations act without any provision for it, or December 11, 2026 (Public Law 119-103, govinfo).
Has USCIS confirmed the December 11 date?
Not on its Conrad 30 page. The USCIS Conrad 30 Waiver Program page still shows the alert posted when the government shut down on October 1, 2025, and is marked last reviewed or updated on October 1, 2025 (USCIS, Conrad 30 Waiver Program).
USCIS has, however, confirmed how it reads the same paragraph of the same law for a sister program. Section 5015 of Public Law 119-75, the non-minister religious worker sunset, sits in the same range, 5013 through 5016, that section 101(6) continues (Public Law 119-75, govinfo). USCIS states:
"On Sept. 2, 2026, the president signed into law P.L. 119-103, extending the EB-4 non-minister special immigrant religious worker program through Dec. 11, 2026." USCIS, Special Immigrant Religious Workers (last reviewed/updated 09/21/2026)
In our reading, the identical cross-reference gives Conrad 30 the same December 11, 2026 end date. Congress has bridged Conrad 30 with a stopgap bill before, though in 2015 it used an express provision rather than a cross-reference: the US Code notes record that a December 11, 2015 date "had been substituted" for the program by section 133 of division B of the fiscal year 2016 continuing resolution, Public Law 114-53 (8 U.S.C. 1182 and notes, govinfo). If your case turns on the exact date, confirm it with your attorney and your state's Conrad 30 office.
Where does Conrad 30 reauthorization stand as of October 21, 2026?
| Item | Document | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Lapse at start of fiscal year 2026 | USCIS alert | Posted October 1, 2025; page not updated since |
| Extension to September 30, 2026 | Public Law 119-75, div. I, sec. 5013 | Enacted February 3, 2026 |
| Extension to December 11, 2026 | Public Law 119-103, sec. 101(6) and 106(3) | Enacted September 2, 2026; in force |
| Three-year reauthorization (H.R. 1585, S. 709) | Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act | Referred to committee February 25, 2025; no later action |
Sources: USCIS, Conrad 30 Waiver Program; Public Law 119-75; Public Law 119-103; H.R. 1585 bill status; S. 709 bill status.
H.R. 6500 passed the Senate 90 to 6 in a vote recorded on August 8, 2026, the House agreed to the Senate amendments 370 to 48 on September 1, and the bill became Public Law 119-103 on September 2, 2026 (H.R. 6500 bill status, govinfo).
What happens if Conrad 30 lapses after December 11, 2026?
The last lapse shows what to expect. When the provision expired at the start of the October 2025 shutdown, USCIS posted this alert:
"Unless Congress extends the Conrad 30 waiver provision, foreign nationals who are admitted in or acquire J-1 nonimmigrant status on or after Oct. 1 will not be eligible for a waiver of the two-year foreign residence requirement under the Conrad 30 waiver program." USCIS, Conrad 30 Waiver Program (last reviewed/updated 10/01/2025)
The same alert says the program "will remain available" to people admitted in or acquiring J-1 status on or before September 30, 2025 (USCIS, Conrad 30 Waiver Program). That follows from the wording of section 220(c), which ties eligibility to when the physician entered J-1 status, not to when the waiver is filed (8 U.S.C. 1182 and notes, govinfo).
So a lapse would mainly hit physicians who start J-1 training after the cutoff, not residents and fellows already in J-1 status. Congress can also cut the extension short: under section 106(2), it ends early if the fiscal year 2027 appropriations act is enacted without any provision for it (Public Law 119-103, govinfo).
What would the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act change?
The long-term fix is the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act, introduced on February 25, 2025, by Rep. David Valadao as H.R. 1585 and by Sen. Amy Klobuchar as S. 709 (H.R. 1585 bill status; S. 709 bill status). Both were referred to the Judiciary Committees that day, and neither record shows any later action (H.R. 1585 bill status; S. 709 bill status).
According to the Congressional Research Service summary, the bill would (H.R. 1585 bill status):
- extend the program's statutory authority for three years from enactment;
- raise a state's yearly waivers from 30 to 35 if enough waivers were used the year before, with further adjustments for demand;
- let physicians meet the employment requirement at an academic medical center if the work is in the public interest;
- require contracts to state details such as maximum weekly on-call hours;
- exempt certain physicians and their families from the direct annual numerical limits on immigration.
How does the Conrad 30 waiver work?
A J-1 physician in graduate medical training is normally subject to the two-year foreign residence requirement of INA 212(e). Conrad 30 lets a state health department sponsor a waiver of that requirement (USCIS, Conrad 30 Waiver Program). The main statutory conditions, from 8 U.S.C. 1184(l) (8 U.S.C. 1184, govinfo):
- A state's waivers for a fiscal year may not exceed 30.
- The physician must begin work within 90 days of the waiver and work for at least 3 years.
- Up to 10 of a state's waivers a year can go to facilities outside a shortage area that serve patients from one.
- The physician can change from J-1 to H-1B status, and the H-1B numerical limits do not apply.
The process runs through the Department of State: the physician files Form DS-3035, the sponsoring state agency sends the case to the State Department's Waiver Review Division for a recommendation, and USCIS makes the final decision (USCIS, Conrad 30 Waiver Program). After the three-year commitment is complete, the physician becomes eligible to apply for an immigrant visa, adjustment of status, or an H or L visa (USCIS, Conrad 30 Waiver Program).
What this means for you
If you are already in J-1 status, the December 11 deadline is unlikely to remove your eligibility, based on how USCIS handled the October 2025 lapse (USCIS, Conrad 30 Waiver Program). The risk falls mostly on incoming J-1 physicians whose training starts after a lapse.
State windows do not move with the federal date. Pennsylvania, for example, takes Conrad 30 applications from October 1 through December 18, 2026 (Pennsylvania Department of Health), a week past December 11.
Conrad 30 is also not the only route to a green card for a physician. The physician national interest waiver under 8 CFR 204.12 and EB-1A for clinicians and physicians are self-petitioned options, and our guide to the H-1B to green card timeline covers what follows the H-1B years. For the separate H-1B payment litigation, see the H-1B $100,000 fee in October 2026.
- Note the date you were admitted in, or changed to, J-1 status; that date, not your filing date, is what a lapse turns on.
- Check your state's Conrad 30 window and how many of its 30 slots remain.
- Watch for the fiscal year 2027 funding bill or another stopgap before December 11, 2026.
- Ask your attorney whether a backup route, such as the physician NIW, makes sense in your case.
Where to start
If you are a physician weighing Conrad 30 against a self-petition, our free evaluation shows which green card routes your profile may fit, and Frank, our AI assistant, finds real opportunities for the criteria you are missing. Petitions are reviewed and filed by our partner law firm, Lai & Turner.
Sources
All checked October 21, 2026.
- Public Law 119-103, Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 (govinfo) (September 2, 2026). Sections 101(6) and 106, which continue section 5013 of Public Law 119-75 until December 11, 2026.
- H.R. 6500 bill status (govinfo) (September 2, 2026). Senate and House votes and enactment as Public Law 119-103.
- White House, Congressional Bill H.R. 6500 Signed into Law (September 2, 2026). Signing date and December 11 funding date.
- Public Law 119-75, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (govinfo) (February 3, 2026). Division I, sections 5013 (Conrad 30, to September 30, 2026) and 5015 (religious workers).
- USCIS, Special Immigrant Religious Workers (last reviewed September 21, 2026). USCIS reading of Public Law 119-103 as extending section 5015 through December 11, 2026.
- USCIS, Conrad 30 Waiver Program (last reviewed October 1, 2025). October 2025 lapse alert, eligibility of existing J-1s, program process.
- 8 U.S.C. 1182 and notes, 2024 edition (govinfo). Text of section 220(c) and its extension history, including the 2015 stopgap.
- 8 U.S.C. 1184, 2024 edition (govinfo). Conrad 30 conditions in subsection (l).
- H.R. 1585 bill status (govinfo) (February 25, 2025). Sponsor, referral and CRS summary of the reauthorization bill.
- S. 709 bill status (govinfo) (February 25, 2025). Senate companion, sponsor and referral.
- Pennsylvania Department of Health, Physician Visa Waiver (2026). State application window.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Conrad 30 program active right now?
Yes. As of October 21, 2026, Conrad 30 is authorized through December 11, 2026. Public Law 119-103, signed September 2, 2026, continues the provision that had set a September 30, 2026 sunset, and its section 106(3) carries that authority to December 11. The law does not name Conrad 30, so the extension works by cross-reference to the earlier provision.
What happens to Conrad 30 if Congress misses the December 11, 2026 deadline?
The provision would lapse again. When it lapsed on October 1, 2025, USCIS said that, unless Congress extended it, physicians admitted in or acquiring J-1 status on or after that date would not be eligible, while those in J-1 status before it remained eligible. A lapse mainly affects physicians who enter J-1 status afterwards. Congress can restore the program in a later funding bill or a standalone reauthorization.
Does the December 11 deadline affect my state's Conrad 30 application window?
Not directly. States set their own windows; Pennsylvania, for example, accepts applications from October 1 through December 18, 2026, which runs past the federal date. A state window does not extend federal eligibility. If you entered J-1 status recently, ask your attorney whether a lapse would affect you before you rely on a late filing.
Has the long-term Conrad 30 reauthorization bill passed?
No. The Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act was introduced on February 25, 2025, as H.R. 1585 in the House and S. 709 in the Senate. Both were referred to the Judiciary Committees that day, and neither has a later recorded action. The bill would extend the program for three years and could raise each state's yearly allotment from 30 to 35.
Is a Conrad 30 physician's H-1B subject to the annual H-1B cap?
No. Under 8 U.S.C. 1184(l)(2)(A), a physician who receives a Conrad 30 waiver at the request of a state agency can change from J-1 to H-1B status, and the H-1B numerical limits do not apply to that change. The physician still has to complete the three-year service commitment; a physician who does not meet it becomes subject to the two-year foreign residence requirement again.
Green Card Guide AI is not a law firm and this article is not legal advice. It describes evidence-building strategy in general terms; your attorney determines what belongs in your petition and how it's argued.
