Trending Now - US Eases Immigration Restrictions for Doctors, Others Still Delayed

WHO:

Fast Company - Dr. Faysal Alghoula, a Libyan doctor, serves roughly 1,000 patients in southwestern Indiana.

Fast Company - Dr. Zahra Shokri Varniab, an Iranian doctor, came to the United States three years ago to conduct radiology research.

ABC News - Kaveh Javanshirjavid, a 41-year-old Iranian who came to the United States seven years ago to study for his doctorate in agriculture.

ABC News - Greg Siskind, an immigration attorney based in Memphis, Tennessee.

WHAT:

Fast Company - The Trump administration lifted a hold on immigration applications for medical doctors with pending visa or green card applications.

ABC News - The Trump administration stopped reviewing green card and visa applications for people from a list of countries deemed high-risk.

ABC News - The pause on applications affects thousands of researchers and entrepreneurs from 39 countries, including Iran, Afghanistan, and Venezuela.

ABC News - Alghoula's current visa will expire in September if his application is denied.

ABC News - Alghoula stated, “It is about four to five months wait to get the pulmonologist here.”

ABC News - Shokri Varniab's application for a green card was denied after a federal judge ordered immigration officials to review her case.

WHERE:

Fast Company - Southwestern Indiana, parts of Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky.

ABC News - The United States.

WHEN:

ABC News - Alghoula's visa will expire in September.

ABC News - Shokri Varniab's application was stuck in the pause before being reviewed and denied.

WHY:

Fast Company - The Trump administration's decision to stop reviewing applications was part of a broader crackdown on immigrants.

ABC News - The pause followed the shooting of two National Guard troops by an Afghan citizen, which the administration cited as a reason for increased scrutiny.

HOW:

Fast Company - The administration made an exemption for medical doctors, allowing their cases to be reviewed, but not guaranteeing approval.

ABC News - Many immigrants filed federal lawsuits demanding the government issue decisions on their cases before the exemption was made.

(UPDATED May 8, 2026 15:23 UTC)

The Trump administration has lifted a hold on immigration applications for medical doctors, allowing their cases to be reviewed, although approval is not guaranteed. This decision comes after a pause that affected thousands of researchers and entrepreneurs from 39 countries, including Iran, Afghanistan, and Venezuela, following increased scrutiny after a violent incident involving an Afghan citizen. Dr. Faysal Alghoula, who serves about 1,000 patients in southwestern Indiana, faces an impending visa expiration in September, while Dr. Zahra Shokri Varniab's green card application was denied after being stuck in the review process.