J-1 Visas in New Hampshire
If you want to obtain a J-1 Visa Waiver in New Hampshire, here’s what you need to do:
- Start your job search about 18 months prior to when you want to start working.
- Find a job at an eligible J-1 site in our state. You can search for J-1 eligible jobs on 3RNET. Start your J-1 job search in New Hampshire now.
- Connect with the J-1 contact to ask questions and learn about additional steps you may need to take.
New Hampshire accepts J-1 Visa Waiver requests year-round and reserves the right to recommend or decline any request for a waiver. There are 20 designated J1 slots available and 10 non-designated "flex" slots available each year. New Hampshire typically does not fill all of its slots. Current slot counts are updated when they change and can be found on the Rural Health and Primary Care website at https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/bchs/rhpc/visa.htm.
Requests for a New Hampshire J-1 Visa Waiver recommendation must be submitted by a health care facility or immigration attorney on behalf of the J-1 physician, and not directly from the J-1 physician. Each application will be reviewed by The Division of Public Health Services, Rural Health and Primary Care Section to determine whether the application is complete and meets the requirements of the federal and state guidelines. The amount of time necessary to completely process an application varies based on level of accuracy in the initial application. If all materials are in order, the initial review process should take approximately three to five weeks. The sponsoring legal representative will be notified when a decision has been made by the State of New Hampshire. Non-designated/ flex slot applications may take longer.
Physicians who are granted J-1 Visa Waivers are required to practice full-time in an outpatient, clinical patient care setting within an underserved area for a minimum period of three years. New Hampshire considers waivers for all specialties that provide direct patient care, based on community need and shortage designation. Priority is given to outpatient primary care physicians but will consider specialists if a facility can demonstrate that a shortage of that specialty exits within the service area. Eligible facilities must offer a sliding fee schedule.
The Rural Health and Primary Care office does not maintain a list of vacancies specifically for J-1 Visa physicians or provide placement services. The State office contracts with the New Hampshire Recruitment Center, a Service of Bi-State Primary Care Association, to act as a single point of contact for the recruitment of primary care providers and specialists in New Hampshire. The Recruitment Center maintains a listing of current New Hampshire opportunities on 3RNET.
J-1 Visa Contact in New Hampshire:
Jan Wainwright
NH Department of Health and Human Services
Tel: 603-271-2276
Janine.M.Wainwright@dhhs.nh.gov