In late October, President Obama singed the Department of Homeland
Security Appropriations Act of 2010, extending certain USCIS programs
until September 30, 2012. Programs that have been extended until 2012
include the E-Verify program, the Immigrant Investor (EB-5) Pilot
Program, and the special immigrant visa category for non-minister
religions workers.
The law also extends the “Conrad 30” program. The “Conrad 30” program
allows each state health department to submit requests directly to the
Department of State to start the waiver process for foreign medical
graduates who have obtained J-1 status to change or adjust to another
status without meeting the required two-year foreign residence period.
Prior to this recent extension, the law applied to foreign medical
graduates that acquired J-1 status before September 30, 2009; today,
that law has been extended to cover those that receive J-1 status prior
to September 30, 2010.
