Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 15 - Mississippi Department of Health › Part 9 - Office of Health Policy and Planning › Subpart 95 - APPALACHIAN REGIONAL COMMISSION "ARC" J-1 VISA WAIVER GUIDELINES › Chapter 1 - MISSISSIPPI STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH APPALACHIAN REGIONAL COMMISSION "ARC" J-1 VISA WAIVER GUIDELINES › Subchapter 1 - INTRODUCTION › Rule 15-9-95-1.1.1

Current through June 25, 2024
The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) is
						committed to assuring that all Mississippi residents have access to quality,
						affordable health care. The Mississippi Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
						reviews applications and makes recommendations to the Appalachian Regional
						Commission, hereafter referred to as the "ARC", in regards to the primary care
						J-1 visa waiver placements within that region of the state. The applications
						will be reviewed for completeness, and inclusion of all appropriate
						documentation, as required by the federal agency.
1. The primary purpose of the Mississippi J-1
					 Visa Waiver Programs is to improve access to primary health care in physician
					 shortage areas in Mississippi and secondarily, to needed specialty care, by
					 sponsoring physicians holding J-1 Visas.
2. The State of Mississippi recognizes that
					 the J-1 Visa Waiver Program affords J-1 Visa holders the privilege of waiving
					 their two-year foreign residency requirement in exchange for providing primary
					 or specialty medical care in designated health professional shortage areas.
3. The provision of assistance to
					 the ARC in the administration of this program is designed to be consistent with
					 the federal requirements of the program resulting in added benefits to the
					 State of Mississippi.
4. The
					 purpose of the following Guidelines is to articulate the conditions under which
					 the State of Mississippi will provide a recommendation to the ARC.
5. Health care facilities/sites interested in
					 employing J-1 Visa Waiver physicians must submit an ARC 30 J-1 Visa Waiver
					 Application to the Mississippi Office of Rural Health and Primary Care to
					 determine if the proposed J-1 physician placement will qualify for the
					 Program.
6. The recommendations
					 provided to the ARC will in no way interfere with placements through the
					 "Conrad State 30 Program". The Mississippi J-1 Visa Waiver Program through the
					 "Conrad State 30 Program" is a separate and distinct program from any other
					 program and is an additional program to any now operating within the State of
					 Mississippi.
7. The Mississippi
					 State Department of Health's Guidelines are completely discretionary,
					 voluntary, and may be modified or terminated at any time. The sub Mission of a
					 complete waiver package to the MSDH does not ensure an automatic waiver
					 recommendation. In all instances, MSDH reserves the right to recommend or deny
					 any request for a waiver.
8. HPSA
					 designations must be current on the date the U.S. Department of State reviews
					 the application and on the date the INS approves the J-1 visa waiver.
					 Therefore, any application that is being submitted to the Mississippi State
					 Department of Health at the end of the three-year HPSA designation cycle may be
					 summarily denied if the renewal of the HPSA designation is not
					 obtained.
Miss Code
						Ann, §
												41-3-17