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DHS Lifts Travel Ban, Restores Visas for 39 Nations' Doctors

5/4/2026

Summary

DHS Lifts Ban

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) removed foreign-trained doctors from travel-ban suspension, allowing them to obtain U.S. work visas.
The May 3, 2026 update reverses a freeze on extensions, work permits and green cards for citizens of 39 countries.
Hundreds of doctors faced expiring status, leading to a dozen detentions and prompting network to warn that four pulmonologists were days from furlough, spurring calls for a “Conrad-35” waiver expansion.

Summary

USCIS Launches PARRIS

USCIS launched Operation PARRIS, merging biometric, social-media, and financial data.
Benefit requests from the 39 travel-ban nations now undergo a three-office review before approval.
Employment Authorization Documents were cut to one-year validity to increase background-check frequency.
From May 2026, USCIS will accept employment-based adjustment-of-status filings only under the Final Action Dates chart, with the May Visa Bulletin setting the EB-2 date for India at July 15 2014, halting many I-485 filings.

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DHS Lifts Ban

U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) removed foreign-trained doctors from travel-ban suspension, allowing them to obtain U.S. work visas.
The May 3, 2026 update reverses a freeze on extensions, work permits and green cards for citizens of 39 countries.
Hundreds of doctors faced expiring status, leading to a dozen detentions and prompting network to warn that four pulmonologists were days from furlough, spurring calls for a “Conrad-35” waiver expansion.

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