Cardiologists slam Trump’s $100K visa fee over doctor shortage
WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES — United States cardiology groups are warning that President Donald Trump’s proposed $100,000 visa fee for H-1B applicants could deepen the nation’s physician shortage and jeopardize patient care, particularly in rural and underserved areas, according to a report from Cardiovascular Business.
Medical societies say the policy will block the flow of foreign-trained doctors, many of whom serve in communities that struggle to recruit American physicians, at a time when the healthcare system is already strained.
Medical community warns of worsening shortages
More than 50 medical organizations, including the American College of Cardiology (ACC), the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE), and the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), signed a joint letter urging the Trump administration to exempt physicians from the visa fee.
The groups said the proposed policy, which requires foreign professionals to pay $100,000 to qualify for an H-1B visa, would “accelerate the shortage of physicians” across the United States.
“This is a terrible idea and it will impact healthcare. This also will impact doctors who are already here treating patients,” said Dr. Enrique Garcia-Sayan, chair of the ASE Advocacy Committee and director of non-invasive cardiology at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, in an interview with Cardiovascular Business.
Garcia-Sayan, who immigrated from Peru under a J-1 visa, added that nearly 23% of U.S. physicians are foreign-trained, often taking positions in rural or low-income communities where domestic doctors are reluctant to work.
Experts say the issue highlights the healthcare system’s growing dependence on internationally trained talent, a dynamic similar to outsourcing trends in other industries.
Just as corporations rely on global professionals to fill high-skill roles, hospitals increasingly depend on foreign physicians to maintain care quality and service coverage in hard-to-staff regions. Without them, health systems could face operational disruptions akin to the challenges seen when companies lose access to offshore expertise.
Policy fallout could ripple through healthcare workforce
According to Dr. Friederike K. Keating, health policy chair for the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology (ASNC), the visa fee threatens not just new applicants but also those already trained in the U.S.
“It is sort of insane that they are putting up hurdles for doctors,” she said. Many medical residents in the U.S., funded through Medicare, rely on transitioning from J-1 to H-1B visas to continue practicing after their residency.
Keating warned that the policy could force doctors trained in American hospitals to leave the country, further exacerbating shortages.
“We do not have enough U.S. physicians to replace the foreign-born doctors. We would be shooting ourselves in the foot by not giving them a visa,” she told Cardiovascular Business.
In an environment already seeing extended vacancies in cardiology and primary care roles, particularly in rural America, the proposed $100,000 visa fee represents more than a financial hurdle; it underscores how restrictive immigration policies could undercut the outsourced lifeline of global medical expertise sustaining U.S. healthcare delivery.
