SAN ANTONIO MEDICINE
The Plight of the Immigrant Physician By Amar Sunkari, MD
I have been a practicing physician in hospitals for more than 10 years now and in the United States for more than 15 years. During this time, I have abided by the law, contributed to communities in professional and nonprofessional capacities, paid my share of taxes and followed every rule US immigration has set forth. My children were born here and are US citizens. Every asset I own is in the US. I have experienced and shared the same adversities, joys and problems as everyone else in the communities in which I have lived, from surviving hurricanes to local fundraisers for good causes.
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SAN ANTONIO MEDICINE • March 2021
Yet, I am years away from getting a green card, let alone US citizenship. I am an alien national and will be for at least the next 10 years. It means that every time I cross the border, I have to visit a consulate to get a visa and go through an immigration check. I am expected to always carry all of my immigration papers with me. Each time I leave this country, whether I can return or not hangs by a thread. This is not just my story, but is the story of thousands of Indian doctors who have migrated to the US. The reason is many of us have entered the US under a J1 waiver to serve in national interest areas
